Can't get into 1st or 2nd gear.
 

I tried doing a search for this, but it returned like 4000 pages. :(

If anyone knows a previous thread or if this problem has ever come up at all, lemme know. :)

Tonight i was driving around... came to a few lights... did the usual thing when starting up. Nothing fast or fancy. When sudennly at one light, i was having a really hard time getting into first. No problem, i'll put it into second and then back into first and see if that solves the problem. I couldn't even get into second. So i press the clutch down again and push into first gear harder and it eventually rams in, but not without alot of effort. I've had a hard time for a little while, but not like this. Sometimes i'l have a hard time doing 1,2.... but if i'm at a light and i do first then second then first then second twice, well the second time is like butter. But the first time feels restrictive.

Now i'm very new with manual transmissions, being that this is my first. Has anyone else experienced this problem before? what should be done?

As a note: I have a SMC STS. I think my friend mentionned my synchros will go bad faster because i'm not easing into the gear like i did when my throw was longer. any truth to that? and is this the case maybe?

As a final note, is it just me and my car, but i find everyone elses clutch alot easier to press down. Any way to solve this?
(tested cars: nissan sentra, ford probe, old VW)


Thanks guys

your STS should make it harder to shift.. did you put in redline fluid into your transmission? that should ease the shifts a little. the maxima tranny is known to be notchy, but maybe there really is something wrong with yours.. try driving around some more, if the problem persists, take it to somebody who knows what theyre doing

Don't waste any $ on Redline at this point - your synchronizers are probably shot, or close to it. The only other alternative is that your clutch is failing.

Clutch pedal pressure: you can't really compare your Maxima pedal pressure to that of other cars. That's like comparing apples to oranges. If it's firmer than other 4th Gen. Max's, then you may be onto something. If it's firmer than it used to be, then that would be worth investigating as well.

Btw, I've driven several different manual tranny cars and the pedal resistance on an OEM 4th Gen. Max clutch is actually quite mild. Try driving a late 80's/early 90's manual (R)ustang 5.0 - THEN, you'll know what a firm clutch is all about.

Good luck w/ your situation.

in my case, the clutch pedal pressure feel the same as it always has, just that it feels harder to press down than the other cars i tried.
I guess there's not too much that can be done about that.

For the shifting... I guess i'll have my newphew who's worked with cars forever, to take a look at it. Hopefully he'll have an idea.

With synchros, do you only have to change those, or? any idea if thats costly?

Thanks :)

Re: Can't get into 1st or 2nd gear.
 

Is that true thats the STS ruins the tranny?

What do you mean by SMC?

I ordered pacesettler STS from custommaxima is that good?

Re: Re: Can't get into 1st or 2nd gear.
 

this happened to me, it was the slave cylinder. bout 100 bucks

Re: Re: Can't get into 1st or 2nd gear.
 

(going from what my friend told me)
basically since the throw is shorter, the synchros don't have time to adjust from gear to gear, putting more wear on them quickly. with the longer throw the synchros take their time and not much wear is put on them.

hmm now i must readup on what a slave cylinder is :D and what it does.

coolies

Re: Re: Re: Can't get into 1st or 2nd gear.
 

My slave cylinder died this past week and while it went quick this doesn't sound like the same problem. Mine ended up not being able to hold the brake fluid in the resevoir and the pedal just went to the floor and the clutch wouldn't disengage. Also when it is going out I have heard that the clutch release point tends to be very low, instead at about halfway, when the slave cylinder is going out.

Re: Can't get into 1st or 2nd gear.
 

For the time being, try these techniques if you can't get into gear:
-- Try shifting into REVERSE first, instead of 2nd. Then try 1st.
-- Try blipping the RPMs by a couple hundred, and see if it will slide into 1st that way.

NEVER EVER force it into gear under any circumstances. Just be patient and find a combination of shifting and revving that will allow you to find 1st gear. Otherwise, you'll damage parts further and make it less and less possible to get into gear in the future. The guy behind you can wait.

Re: Re: Can't get into 1st or 2nd gear.
 

hehe that's another thing... i can never get into reverese right away... i usually have to slide it into 2nd... then most of the time i can slip it into reverese, otherwise if i can't slip it into reverese, i clutch it once again and try reverse and 2nd then reverse and usually it slides in at that point. :(

Re: Re: Re: Can't get into 1st or 2nd gear.
 

I'm curious about this "time" issue regarding the synchros. Does anyone know the true techie/pocket protector angle on this? Aren't the synchros (theoretically) designed to handle shifts as fast as you can throw them?

Thx.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Can't get into 1st or 2nd gear.
 

as would i, like to know the truth behind this :D
i have alot to learn about manual transmissions....

Re: Re: Can't get into 1st or 2nd gear.
 

How low is your shifter? Yes, adjusting your STS to a very short throw can damage the syncronizers. I suggest going no lower than 50% on your STS. Super short throws completely change the kind of leverage you have on the shifter and ultimately the tranny and sycros. As you probably noticed, the stock shifter is very smooth, but lacks any feel. The STS feels like it's truely connected to the engine, vibrates more, and gears are far more "notchy" in feel.

If you have trouble getting into 1st, try revving the engine a little. This will speed up the syncros. If you have trouble getting into reverse (normal), try going forward in 1st a couple inches then shifting over to reverse. What often happens is the reverse lock-out is engaged and makes it hard to shift into reverse.

Syncronizers were developed to syncronize the gears so that you don't have to double clutch like you do on say a big 18-wheeler. The syncros spin the gears up to speed to make the engagement smoother. If you didn't have syncros you'd grind everytime unless you double clutched. Double clutching is when you disengage the clutch, push the shifter into neutral, release the clutch, engage the clutch again, move the shifter into gear, rev match the rpm to speed, and disengage the clutch. When you hear guys say they "double clutched" on the upshift during a race, laugh. They've got too much "Fast and Furious" in them and don't know WTF they're talking about. Double clutching is used in downshifting during road racing when entering a turn or driving a unsyncronized tranny. Double clutching, when done right, is extremely smooth and doesn't upset the chassis in the turn therefore allowing the driver to take the corner with more speed and control.


Dave

I Agree, my friends max has the short shfit, and after a while I guess it gets heat soaked and is hard to shift...and even when not heat soaked it still is very hard to shift, kind of makes you think if it is better or worst then stock?

hmm maybe when i have time i'll reduce the throw on my shifter then. Might just be the problem.

i started to try reving the engine before going into first and haven't had any problem lately.

thanks :)

hmm... i am noticing a pattern....
it still happens, but i noticed it occurs after the car is warmed up... i've driven it for about 30 minutes... hard or soft driving.
if i have to stop fully, getting back into gear is hard and takes a while. Sometimes locking me out of many gears.
my sts is on the last thread giving the shortest throw.
think this could be the problem. might i have killed my synchros
or something?

thanks :)

you think? I bought some redline MT-90 fluid last night... just gotta wait till it gets here now...
I'm going to try some of that stuff first, see what happens. I'm
hoping it'll fix it.

I'm not the most knowledgeable when it comes to trannys and such. :(

I'm having similar problems

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....hreadid=126988

multiplexor - your clutch pedal has more resistance than an old VW's? I would imagine the old VW had a cable clutch, and probably a lot rougher of a clutch pedal...you don't have an aftermarket clutch, do you?

Going from my acura's cable clutch to the max's was an interesting change...didn't feel like I was pressing down on anything in the max for a while, until I got used to it.