MY03 with 18k mile. I do long high speed driving(autobahn speed)+heavy traffic..
Honda MTF was good for cold starts but it seems that it gets notchy/stiff after long hard driving.

I have been using Honda MTF until 13k but recently I changed to RL MTL.(because of notchness/stiffness of tranny when they get real hot)

Now I have about 5k miles on MTL fluid, and I start having problem that shifter wont go into 1st,2nd gear when tranny is cold.
I have to put it in 3rd gear and move it to 1st gear to get it in.
But sometimes it goes into first gear smoothly.
It only happens occationally but seems like it is getting worse and worse.
and after about 30+mins of driving, this problem goes away.

What could be the problem?
bad fluid?
bad synchro?
bad tranny?

MTL being too thin?
I cant get Honda MTF in Korea
Can I use Motul Gear 300 75w-90(API GL4/GL5 & MIL-L-2105D
) our for tranny?

TIA

 

Try GM Synchromesh Friction Modified fluid. Do a search, just about everyone loves it. Mine also would be a PITA to get into 1st when cold, but I've now changed to GMSFM and all is well.

 

Take your car to a shop to have it repaired. No different tranny fluid will help it. I had the exact same problem when my tranny was cold. I took it to the dealer, they tore it apart and discovered that the shaft with 1st and 2nd gears on it needed to be rebuilt. There were several teeth missing and the synchros were destroyed.

Then, about a month later, the other shaft with the other gears went out. Honda Care paid over $4000 on my trans. within a 2 month stretch. But they did try to blame it on me at first, and I ended up having to pay the labor on one of the trips to the shop. (cost me $600)

But I am currently trying to fight it to get my money back.

To make a long story short, it sounds like your tranny will need to be repaired.

 

holy $hit!!! if that is true...I'm in deep $hit hole..

No Honda dealer in Korea
(actually there is one but they only sell Accord. so They wont do any work on S2k)

I think it will cost less to import used JDM tranny

 

first let me try different fluid first

Hope it's the fluid...

 

Eliminate the obvious and simply thing first:
-bad clutch fluid?
-low clutch fluid?
-leaking clutch fluid?

 

recently I replaced OEM clutch fluid(it was very Dark at that point)
Replaced with Motul Dot 5.1(5k mile ago along with RL MTL)
Motul Dot 5.1 is designed for replacement of Dot 4 and Dot 3 so I thought it was ok to use.
I have Spoon FW,PP,disk BTW.

But I check recently and it was dark again.
I will replace clutch fluid again when I change tranny fluid

 

where is the cluth fluid at?
i never check if mine was okay...
how often should you change the fluid for this?

 

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=118878

Clutch fluid is just brake fluid. How often to change it depends on what you do with the car. If you track it, then you should consider changing it commensurate with track use. If it's an average per annum mileage car, then every year or two will suffice. You should at least be checking it visually at about the same interval that you change your oil.

 

Thanks for the info