Car kicks out of 2nd (only 2nd) gear into neutral (vehicle, manual transmission)
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I have a 05 Hyundai Elantra GT 5 door about 146k miles with a five speed manual. Every time I'm in second gear it pops into neutral. It's only the second gear. I've been shifting directly into 3 from 1 to bypass this. My car knowledge is limited but I've heard it could be the shift collar, i.e. the "teeth" don't catch.
Is this a big job? I plan to take it to a local shop. Any thoughts
My S-10 Chevy with 120,000 mi. did similar jumping, it was a worn nylon bushing.
If the manual transmission jumps out of gear and into neutral you should first check the gear shifter and its attaching linkage for looseness or damage. Sometimes they use nylon bushings at the connections and these can deteriorate or fall out completely.
Another common cause of a vehicle to jump out of gear would be damaged or broken transmission and engine mounts. A visual inspection of these mounts may not reveal a problem. sometimes you have to pry up on them to see if they are in tact. A worn input shaft pilot pushing or bearing that is pressed into the center of the crankshaft can also cause this type of problem.
I'd recommend going to a transmission shop.. Whatever it is, it's in the transmission (or linkage), so.. Just me.. I'd rather have someone who specializes in transmissions looking at it.
I'm no expert on manual transmissions (or automatic for that matter) so.. The good news is.. Even if it's major transmission work.. like a complete rebuild.. It's far, far less than if it were an automatic.
if it's designed like the Alfa-Romeo 5-speed transmission (which I'm very familiar with), this is the result of wearing out the 2nd gear synchro ring due to hurrying the 1-2 upshift. The direction of the gear teeth in mesh pushes the gear/synchro apart on 2nd gear, so as you vary the throttle pressure with the road conditions, the synchro collar is pushed back from the engaged position. This is not a shifter/detent problem, but an inherent design flaw of the transmission synchro's that shows up with wear/miles.
If you can drive down the street holding the shift lever in 2nd gear, you may be able to feel the transmission "pushing back" on the shift lever to go back to neutral from 2nd gear.
if it's designed like the Alfa-Romeo 5-speed transmission (which I'm very familiar with), this is the result of wearing out the 2nd gear synchro ring due to hurrying the 1-2 upshift. The direction of the gear teeth in mesh pushes the gear/synchro apart on 2nd gear, so as you vary the throttle pressure with the road conditions, the synchro collar is pushed back from the engaged position. This is not a shifter/detent problem, but an inherent design flaw of the transmission synchro's that shows up with wear/miles.
If you can drive down the street holding the shift lever in 2nd gear, you may be able to feel the transmission "pushing back" on the shift lever to go back to neutral from 2nd gear.
If so, this requires a trans overhaul to repair.
I would second this.
I've rebuilt Mustang transmissions before with the same symptoms. It's always damaged synchro blocker teeth. It requires removing the gear and replacing.
Thanks so much for the help everyone! I've noticed that, for lack of better explanation, if I go slowly and deliberately make sure that I go as far to the left/down, it doesn't kick out. My uncle knows a mechanic and he said it was probably the synchros going which would be an expensive fix (he did not look at the car though).
If had the car for a while and as it was my first car I really don't want it to go, but if it was a pricy fix, maybe its time
My S-10 Chevy with 120,000 mi. did similar jumping, it was a worn nylon bushing.
If the manual transmission jumps out of gear and into neutral you should first check the gear shifter and its attaching linkage for looseness or damage. Sometimes they use nylon bushings at the connections and these can deteriorate or fall out completely.
Another common cause of a vehicle to jump out of gear would be damaged or broken transmission and engine mounts. A visual inspection of these mounts may not reveal a problem. sometimes you have to pry up on them to see if they are in tact. A worn input shaft pilot pushing or bearing that is pressed into the center of the crankshaft can also cause this type of problem.
Little or none of what you mention applies to this Hyundai.
Don in Austin
And you offered...
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