mardaeus

Hi,

My '06 has a weird issue with 1st gear. When slowing down to a stop, and putting the car in 1st, if under hard braking, as I try to put the car in 1st, the shifter moves back and forth a few times until the gear seems to line up and then with a clunk noise it goes into gear. It only does this when braking hard. When braking normally and putting the car in first it goes into gear with no fuss. It doesnt grind at all.

What could be the issue? At first I assumed it was a synchronizer, but if it was that, then wouldnt it grind when putting it in first gear from a stop, or when downshifting to 1st under light braking?

CYANiDE91

Why are you shifting into first as you come to a stop? It's typically pretty difficult to downshift into 1st gear and it's usually not recommended. Why not coast in neutral to a stop?

arsenal

Why are you trying to go into first under hard braking and coming to a stop?

mardaeus

I don't usually downshift to 1st under hard braking, just sometimes in heavy traffic. I'm going to stop downshifting to 1st all toghether.

I was just curious if this was a normal thing. The shifter will try let you go into gear, but as you go into the gate, it will push you back out, then let you back in, all this happens pretty fast. Sometimes it will make a crunching noise when doing it, hoewever it never grinds.

I was just curious if anyone else's car does this. '06.

s2000Junky

That's the cars way of telling you that you shouldn't be doing what you are doing, so yes its normal. You can slip this car into first gear wile moving to a point, and if you have some good skill in rev matching and control in being smooth then it works, but not with what you are doing. Generally this is poor practice on any car.

mardaeus

Alright, thanks for your response. I'll stop downshifting to 1st all toghether. I was just a bit concerned that the syncho may be going out, because if I do the same thing in 2nd gear it goes in no fuss.. but considering that 1st doesn't grind at all, I guess not.

jyeung528

you need to double clutch if you want to shift the way you're shifting.

Chuck S

Unless you're standing still there's seldom a need for 1st gear. Any forward motion 2d is fine. Normal driving, not street racing. Then ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

-- Chuck

vasquezgno

Always downshift to second unless you are onto a complete stop. First should be used only when first rolling and not when trying to slow down. I learned hat a long time ago when I first started driving stick

Billman250

Double clutching is for un-synchronized trucks and has no place in an S2000.

A proper heel-toe will get you into first gear while in motion every time.

What you are experiencing is normal, due to large gear ratio gap.