I've got about 37k miles on the car, a 2005. Haven't really many problems with it except for the usual things (finicky transmission when cold, etc.), and a strange shifter problem.

For longer than I can recall, perhaps since I bought the car new, third gear has been ever so slightly harder to engage than other gears. I may not have thought much about it before as I learned to drive manual transmission on this car and didn't really know what the shifter action should feel like.

Shifting to third gear (upshifting only, downshifting with rev matching is no problem) is much different than the other gears. Engaging 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th all slip in to gear with little force on the shifter when the engine speed is correct and the synchros have done their work.

Shifting in to third on an upshift is accompanied by a sort 'click' that I can feel (somewhat harshly) through the shifter. This 'click' pushes the stick back with a good amount of force (though maybe only a couple of mm displacement), and then the shifter sort of jumps in to 3rd instead of gliding like the other gears.

My question is... is this a sort of normal thing to have? I'll take the car in to for warranty repairs before it expires unless this is one of those known issue type of things.

 

It's not normal. But apparently it's not unusual. If it's still under warranty I'd get it checked out.

Mine's a '00 and the tranny has been bullet proof from day one.

 

I also have this since purchase, 2003 @15,000mi. It tends to lessen after warm, no difference with Honda MTF or GMSFM. I decided it was "character" and let it go.

 

My 02' and a couple other s2k's iv'e driven (including a brand new '05) do this as well..my friends 01' doesn't though.

 

I would vote not normal.

I have zero complaints about 3rd gear. Always smooth. 2nd gear's a different story.

 

Mine does that as well.

Even after changing the MTF.

Second does the same as well as reverse but only when cold.

3rd always does it