3rd gear shifting crunch.

[sparkstyl]

So when I first got my p5 all the gears were nice and smooth shifting. Lately I have been noticing if I shift hard into 3rd there is a bit of a crunch/grind. Thinking it is the 3rd gear syncro and friends say the same.

Anyone have this problem before and find a solution? I would like to not have to rebuild my trans....

Thanks.

 

[RABID_MP5]

yeah synchro. you can nurse it by pausing the shifter in neutral as you come out of second. try a second or two till it slides right in. Can try fluid change too. But bottom line I think you'll have to tear it down eventually.

 

[sparkstyl]

yeah synchro. you can nurse it by pausing the shifter in neutral as you come out of second. try a second or two till it slides right in. Can try fluid change too. But bottom line I think you'll have to tear it down eventually.

I have replaced the fluid more then once so I know its good. And like you said if a pause before putting it into 3rd it goes in fine. Its only when I mash it in gear. Well damn.... i really cant afford to replace it now.... Just will have to baby her until I can...

 

[Luken10]

You could always try a different brand of fluid. I did a huge amount of research a while ago and found that the Ford Motorcraft transmission fluid is supposedly best for this trans and especially the synchros.

 

[katapaltes]

At 37k miles, I got my MT fluid changed at the dealership. Shifts seemed OK right after the fluid change, iirc, but soon after I found it difficult to get into second gear. I took it back two weeks later and they changed the fluid for free with the same results - seemed OK at first, but soon after couldn't get cleanly into second 1/4 of the time. I drove it like that for 30k miles, cursing the dealership. At 67k miles, I took it to a Goodyear shop, got the MT fluid changed, and it started shifting normally right away and has ever since. How can MT fluid from the dealer work so poorly? Geez...

 

[sparkstyl]

You could always try a different brand of fluid. I did a huge amount of research a while ago and found that the Ford Motorcraft transmission fluid is supposedly best for this trans and especially the synchros.

Hmmmmmm. Interesting. I have lucas that Im going to try first and see what happens as it was fine when I got the car and only started to surface from doing a trans oil change.

 

[sparkstyl]

At 37k miles, I got my MT fluid changed at the dealership. Shifts seemed OK right after the fluid change, iirc, but soon after I found it difficult to get into second gear. I took it back two weeks later and they changed the fluid for free with the same results - seemed OK at first, but soon after couldn't get cleanly into second 1/4 of the time. I drove it like that for 30k miles, cursing the dealership. At 67k miles, I took it to a Goodyear shop, got the MT fluid changed, and it started shifting normally right away and has ever since. How can MT fluid from the dealer work so poorly? Geez...

Do you know what type of oil they used?

 

[TURBOJ1]

Please stop discussing fluid....he's done it 2x already. You NEED new syncros (at least) 3rd gear is know to be fragile. Babying it may help somewhat but you gonna need to change it soon! Labor might be around $500 ( NOT at the stealership ).....That's just the reality of what you need to do

 

[katapaltes]

Do you know what type of oil they used?

I'm going to say it was "crappy fluid" that the dealer installed. Or maybe the fluid was fine, but it was revealing some wear-and-tear problem in my MT, and the same fluid would have worked *great* in a new P5. All I know is the the problem shifting into 2nd (and maybe other gears) started right after the dealer changed the MT fluid, and they went away a full 30k miles later right after I got the MT fluid changed at a Goodyear garage.

I will tell you that a few weeks ago, shifting into 3rd was a "two-stage" event. I don't know if this behavior is called "notchy" or if there's a better term, but I'd shift into 3rd and it would go sorta' halfway, and then I'd push it some more and it would go in fully. Since I had not changed the MT fluid, I assumed that this time it really was my synchros. But the weather warmed up a bit and it's been fine ever since. So don't forget about temperature and the effect that has on shifting. Maybe wait until it's warmer to make a decision?

 

[sparkstyl]

Please stop discussing fluid....he's done it 2x already. You NEED new syncros (at least) 3rd gear is know to be fragile. Babying it may help somewhat but you gonna need to change it soon! Labor might be around $500 ( NOT at the stealership ).....That's just the reality of what you need to do

Right I understand that, but seeing how I can not afford replacing the syncros but could change the oil very easily its better then nothing. I will get them changed but for now anything that helps I would like to do.

 

[lowlevel]

I have replaced the fluid more then once so I know its good. And like you said if a pause before putting it into 3rd it goes in fine. Its only when I mash it in gear. Well damn.... i really cant afford to replace it now.... Just will have to baby her until I can...

I'de just skip third... lol