I've had my S since Aug 02 and after the 3rd month I started having problems with not being able to go into 2nd gear. Every time I brought my S in to be seviced at the Honda dealer, I was told there was nothing wrong and it was probably me. I've been paying extra attention to my clutching for the last two years and every time it happens my foots all the way down and it still at times will not go into 2nd. Other things I notice is that the shifting is very rough, kind of like metal grinding metal. I spoke with another S2k member that had the same problem. He took it to the same Honda dealer as I did and they fixed it, saying it was a bad master cylinder and some sort of hydrolic issue that was covered by the 3year 36000 mile waranty. I've since brought my S back to the dealer and they say there's still nothing wrong. This is B.S., I think they just don't want to do it since they will not be compincated for the amount of time they put into repairing my S.

 

Hi

I had a similar problem over here in the UK - my dealer diagnosed a syncromesh problem but Honda only authorised an oil change for the gearbox and the diff. I went direct to Honda UK to complain at the time and they said that if the problem persisted after 300 miles then the box would be changed. It did and it was finally replaced two weeks ago under warranty. I would take it to Honda themselves but try and get a different dealer to actually diagnose the problem. Honda must be aware that there is a problem otherwise they wouldn't have upgraded what's supposed to be an already superb box for the MY04.

Despite having had the box replaced, there was still a little crunchiness in going from 1st to 2nd. This has been solved (purely by chance) when some broken plastic supports under the leather gear lever boot were replaced - this was as a fix for a buzzing from the transmission in the run off at high revs. I'm not technical but I'm guessing these supports may help guide the lever through the gate - whatever it is, the 1st to 2nd change is now near faultless.

These things can get very frustrating to the extent that I thought about getting shot of the car but now its fixed the smile is back on my face. Good luck in getting it sorted and don't take no for an answer.

 

Thanks Biffa,
I'll add this one to my list and see what they say.

 

It might be worth searching the forums for other threads (I believe there are plenty on this topic!) and printing them off. If you can show that its not just you they may pay a bit more attention to your problem.

 

Moved to S2k Talk - you'll get more response there

 

dreamcation,

Do a search for terms like "2nd gear grind" or "2nd gear notchy" and you'll find a ton of relevant results. Notchiness, and occasional grinding, when shifting into 2nd is a common issue, particularly when the transmission is cold.

Most owners accept this as a normal characteristic of the gearbox.

My '02 gearbox exhibits this behavior, and although I'm not convinced that it's entirely normal, I have learned to live with it. When the transmission is cold, I shift into 2nd slowly, and that greatly reduces the frequency of the grind.

I have also noticed that when the car is cold, I sometimes have a little trouble getting into 2nd gear. There is resistance, and I need to push the stick for several seconds before it will slide into 2nd.

Once the transmission is warm, all gears shift smoothly. This weekend, it was pretty hot here in Nor Cal, and my transmission was shifting smoothly and happily. Now that it's colder, it's notchy once again. Ambient temperature does make a difference IMO.

I recently replaced my clutch and had my master cylinder checked, and it was okay. I also had the transmission fluid and clutch fluid changed, but that didn't help. I don't know if it's the synchros or what, but for what it's worth, you're not alone.

 

I'm more or less just worried about the fact that my 36000 3year warranty is going to come to an end, then I'll have to pay full price to have it fixed. When I think of transmissions or master cylinders, 1K plus sticks in my head for repairs. That's money I'm putting aside for my body work and turo kit. Thanks for the print out ideal, hopefully it will help.

 

I too have this problem when trying to downshift into second....kind of like I am locked out. They refuse to fix it also. Master cylinder is a good point....never thought of that!!!

I will be going to my dealership in the next few days again......

Also I get the 2nd gear grind occasionally, high and low RPM shifts.