My friend (seriously) has a 2000 Civic that recently has had an issue w/ his first gear, that being that it pops out of first gear after he takes off from a light.
Ok, so here’s what happens: He will take off from a stop, nice and easy (read: NO hardcore launches) and once it gets to about 2k-2.5k RPM’s, sometimes the gear will just pop out of first, and he will be left in neutral.
Now, this has only happened about 2 times, but thats twice in one week, and about 2 more times than it should.
I was hoping some of you Honda Guru’s (sp?) could venture a guess as to the cause of this, we are just hoping to more or less find out what it is for when it goes to a shop to be fixed.
Thanks in advance for any help/replies, and I’ll answer any questions that you guys may have for me, that I may have not answered already.
Well, I’ve rode with the kid quite a bit, but hes not exceptionally hard on the car in general. He knows its not a race car and all that jazz.
Ok, just talked to him, and he admits to getting on the car about 3 times a week. To put that into perspective, thats he commutes to NU everyday, and does a lot of driving in general. That means like 3 times a week on that way home only does he beat on it. His definition of beating on it is revving it out to like 5.5k, at the ABSOLUTE most. Redline is at 8k he says.
I am by no means a Honda guy, but I’ve heard if the transmission fluid was low it would pop out. Nytmare’s civic was doing that and it ended up being low on fluid.
My DSM experience is telling me shift fork. Maybe shift cable grommets if they have them.
I assume that shift cable grommets are for a cable clutch? I’m about 95% sure that his clutch is a hydraulic. So fluid or shift fork, once again, thanks guys.
Yeah it’s a hydraulic clutch. I was referring to the rubber grommet type fasteners at the end of a shift cable. Right where it connects to the linkage on the transmission. I can picture it in my head, just can’t come up with a better discription then that, lol.
first off, his clutch is hydraulic without ANY doubt. Secondly, I’ve heard of them popping out of 5th when they are low on fluid, but not first. However, that should be the first thing you try. I am also personally leaning toward a bent shift fork. If that’s the case, replacing the fork is pretty easy inside the tranny. Just time consuming because you have to drop the tranny obviously, crack the case, put in new fork, inspect gears and shit while you got it open, seal the fucker up when all is good, then reinstall. Yeah, simple but time consuming and annoying.
edit: the part you’re referring too is called a bushing
Try the fluid right away. And as far as having a place fix it for him. Be prepared to be charged $400+ for a shop to drop a tranny and pop it apart. So, no you probably don’t want them to “take care of it”
