Reverse grinding - freaking out.

[Abilor]

So today when I put my car in reverse while getting ready to park, I got some really evil grinding. 1 - 6 are all fine, just reverse. If I travel the gear in slow, it doesn't grind, only when quick. I do have a twm SS which I am removing now, and putting stock shifter back in in preparation of needing to go to stealership.

Thoughts? Opinions? need more info? DaleNixon and I are typing on the roof of my car now, so it's hectic.

 

[Cue]

Before my RX-7 died, I always had that problem too. I always just popped it into second then reverse (clutch staying down) and it would never grind.

 

[Abilor]

o rly?

 

[Cue]

Try it out.... Doesn't fix the real problem, but it will still help from making it worse until you get it fixed.

 

[NCZ13]

the trannies are completely different on the 7 and the speed3.

theres a reverse lockout on the 3 that the seven doesnt have.

my p5 makes a grinding sound when its not fully into reverse, and im sure my 7 is the same way. I dont think this will solve your issue.

 

[Abilor]

After doing a little reading, I'm guessing that the issue is a messed up synchro. The trick of putting it in 2nd and then reverse on the same depression of the clutch seems to work every time, which is a known fix for synchro problems on other cars.. DaleNixon helped me put everything back to stock yesterday (in only 3 hours - not too shabby for a BPV, intake, 2 mounts, and a STS) in preparation for the long journey to the stealership.

My immediate question is why this happened? Just luck of the draw? While I don't baby my clutch or transmission, I don't drag race or launch hard (dropping clutch at 3000 RPM, for example). I made sure I got all three quarts of redline in when I changed my transmission fluid, and all is otherwise in silky smooth shape...

I dunno, 1st to 2nd always sounded "chunky", and getting into fifth was always difficult, all pre-mods. I hope a warranty fix puts this all right.

 

[NCZ13]

hmmm. interesting.nothings worse on the ears than a tranny grinding.

 

[Wurf]

I believe many manual transmissions don't synchronize reverse. I've had a couple cars where I had to first put the car into another gear before reverse to prevent the grinding. Did you also try letting it out in neutral before putting into reverse?

 

[i like speed]

Their probably going to tell you "operating as designed". Like was said above most trannys don't have a syncro for reverse. Easiest way to find out is get your car rolling foward... like less than 1 mph... and VERY GENTLY try to put it in rev. If it grinds no matter what you do there is no syncro. ln which case you just have to be careful.

Make sure you are completely stopped, have the clutch in all the way and wait a couple seconds for the gear to stop spinning before putting it in rev.

Also as said above it will work better if you go from a low gear to rev than from a high gear. (not sure why so don't ask... Just my experience.)

 

[Cue]

After doing a little reading, I'm guessing that the issue is a messed up synchro. The trick of putting it in 2nd and then reverse on the same depression of the clutch seems to work every time. DaleNixon helped me put everything back to stock yesterday (in only 3 hours - not too shabby for a BPV, intake, 2 mounts, and a STS) in preparation for the long journey to the stealership.

My immediate question is why this happened? Just luck of the draw? While I don't baby my clutch or transmission, I don't drag race or launch hard (dropping clutch at 3000 RPM, for example). I made sure I got all three quarts of redline in when I changed my transmission fluid, and all is otherwise in silky smooth shape...

I dunno, 1st to 2nd always sounded "chunky", and getting into fifth was always difficult, all pre-mods. I hope a warranty fix puts this all right.

Glad to hear it worked for you.... My brother has an 08.5 MS3 and we switch every now and then. Everytime I reverse in it, I always (naturally) do the 2nd then reverse thing. Next time, I'm gonna try just going straight into reverse and see if it grinds at all.....

 

[Abilor]

Their probably going to tell you "operating as designed".

If they do, I'll kick them in the nuts. Seriously, something is wrong, something epic. This is a new problem, a new harsh sound, and left alone, the whole transmission will be destroyed sooner rather than later. There is NO reason I shouldn't be able to come to a stop, put it in neutral and cool off, and then put it in reverse without it sounding like ball bearings going through a wood chipper, which is exactly what is happening.

I've been driving manuals of all sorts for 15 years, I assure you, this is bulls***. Shenanigans. I don't know the exact ins and outs of exactly why a failed synchro would affect reverse since it's not synced like 1 - 6, but it is definitely not operating as designed. If it is, I'll sell the car and buy a VTEC Honda instead.

You have riled me; if the stealership offers me instruction on my manual transmission and its proper use without offering a warranty fix, I will lose my s***; you'll end up watching a youtube video "berserk customer drives showroom RX-8 through stealership manager's office door."

 

[Abilor]

Did you also try letting it out in neutral before putting into reverse?

Fo sho. That makes the problem worse.

 

[08ms3bm]

Yeah reverse is straight cut, no synchros. good luck at the dealer

 

[skrappyyy]

If they do, I'll kick them in the nuts. Seriously, something is wrong, something epic. This is a new problem, a new harsh sound, and left alone, the whole transmission will be destroyed sooner rather than later. There is NO reason I shouldn't be able to come to a stop, put it in neutral and cool off, and then put it in reverse without it sounding like ball bearings going through a wood chipper, which is exactly what is happening.

I've been driving manuals of all sorts for 15 years, I assure you, this is bulls***. Shenanigans. I don't know the exact ins and outs of exactly why a failed synchro would affect reverse since it's not synced like 1 - 6, but it is definitely not operating as designed. If it is, I'll sell the car and buy a VTEC Honda instead.

You have riled me; if the stealership offers me instruction on my manual transmission and its proper use without offering a warranty fix, I will lose my s***; you'll end up watching a youtube video "berserk customer drives showroom RX-8 through stealership manager's office door."

DO NOT I REPEAT DO NOT GOTO A VTEC HONDA unless its made in japan still.
i just came from one of those, best decision of my life.

 

[jeesley]

My MS3 is in the shop right now for some BS! I was having 2nd gear problems... thought it was the synchro but my gear was messed up... they claimed it to be abuse!!! I baby my car and they said there was somethings that caused them to believe it was abuse. I did get my car stuck in the snow quite a bit this winter (No winter tires I know I know)... but just tossing a thought out there. I don't know a lot about trannys but is it possible you broke a tooth on one of the gears? Although if that were the case I assume you would hear "matter" moving around no matter what gear you are in... I don't know, but good luck. Mazda for $4200 to fix my 2nd gear issue!

 

[Abilor]

I don't think I broke a tooth. 1 - 6 is still buttery smooth, with no issues. After doing a little more reading, another suspect is low transmission/low quality transmission fluid. I have 2.9 quarts of redline MT-90 in however. Another possibility is shift linkage/cable misalignment. Yet another is low clutch fluid. Those are luckily simple fixes. There's also the "bent fork" problem.

Or there is still the synchro issue, even though reverse is straight cut. I don't know anymore, but this is depressing.

Does anyone else have this grinding issue? I didn't have it until now, which is why I'm adamant something is really wrong; one local dealer told me that reverse isn't synchroed and I should just suck it up and deal with it.

The dealership I bought it from so far is being cool. We'll know more after I bring it in.

 

[08ms3bm]

I was just told reverse on this car has a synchro. wtf? Im confused

 

[Abilor]

I was just told reverse on this car has a synchro. wtf? Im confused

Yeah, I heard that on another forum from a guy who owns a speed3 as a DD and builds racing engines professionally. He swore up and down that there is a reverse synchro, and mine must be tore up. As soon as I hear from dealer on the status of warranty repair, he'll let me know what the issue is. When I dropped the car off, I had to demonstrate the grind as the car was warm and the service leader couldn't replicate it. I asked him if reverse is straight cut or synchro - "I don't know" he said. So reverse grind is an adventure for everyone. I haven't seen anyone else with this issue either.