When shifting to 3rd most every time feels like it snicks a tooth on the gear. All other shifts are fine and even 3rd is not a grind just kinda clicks past a tooth. as if you can feel it hit 1 tooth on the the way into gear.
I bought the car (03) used bout 3 months ago from a dealer. Had 17k miles looks like new, but the warranty has expired. let it go or have it checked out?
charlie

 

my new 2006 model is similar. 3rd is notchy, one time i didn't push it in 3rd far enough and it popped out when i let the clutch out. i think its just a quirk.

maybe you should change out the tranny fluid to some of the slicker stuff. GM synchromesh or Redline.

 

Third gear has always been notchy on this car, ever since MY2000. Sometimes a different fluid helps. Most people adjust their shifting style.

 

I put the gm syncro fm in there but it's still the same. Glad to hear it may just be normal for the car.
Thanks

 

This is a popular misconception (which I once had). Shifting from one gear to another doesn't involve hitting or missing a tooth. We're dealing with "dogteeth". They either all go in or they all don't go in. "HowStuffWorks" can explain how manual transmissions work.

As for your situation, don't lose any sleep over it. It's not a "problem" unless it doesn't stay in gear or if it grinds all the time no matter now you shift it.

 

I have the same problem but it only happens when i shift to 3rd and i'm in vtec. has this happened to anyone?

 

This is not really a mechanical "problem". You are likely rushing the shift and pushing the stick through the "diagonal" (cutting the corner). The 2 to 3 shift has a distinct directional change in the stick movement. This can still be done rapidly but most don't make a concerted effort to incorporate this in the shift.

 

Xviper nailed it. I've only owned my car for 3 weeks and have noticed the third gear "snick". Paying closer to my my shift movement has eliminated it.
-gp

 

same here, seems to happen when the car is cold and the first couple of shifts to third.

 

I have the same 3rd. gear scratch, just a little "tick" as it goes in. Every shift has a 2-step feel to me (first being synchro contact, second being actual gear engagement), with 3rd and 6th being most noticeable. If I slow my shifts or shift at higher RPMs everything works quite nicely, it is the cold tranny, low RPM shifts that are clunky.