MN6 2nd gear problem
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 61
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From: Miami FL
MN6 2nd gear problem
So I took my 02 in for its 60k service a few months ago and ever since then I have had a gradually increasing problem of grinding 2nd gear. I do have a CAGS eliminator but I have had that on since the car had about 500 miles. The car has only been to a track once and no I haven't ground the gears much in the past 7 years. The worst that the car had seen was when I taught an ex how to drive stick in it.
Here are my symptoms. Early in the morning when I first drive it the trans will grind on 2nd. If I drive for around 30 min it has no problems going into 2nd. This will remain for the rest of the day and I will rarely see the problem again until the next morning.
What I am thinking. That the dealer did not fill my trans up completely with ATF. This makes it more difficult for the trans to lube up in the morning until the viscosity of the fluid actually helps pull the lube into the gears while it is driven for a bit. I live in Phoenix where it is still in the 80s here in the morning so early morning ATF temp shouldn't really be an issue.
I went and bought some Royal Purple Synchro mesh but I don't want to dump $65 worth of fluid into the trans just to have the dealer dump it when I find it doesn't fix my problem.
Here are my symptoms. Early in the morning when I first drive it the trans will grind on 2nd. If I drive for around 30 min it has no problems going into 2nd. This will remain for the rest of the day and I will rarely see the problem again until the next morning.
What I am thinking. That the dealer did not fill my trans up completely with ATF. This makes it more difficult for the trans to lube up in the morning until the viscosity of the fluid actually helps pull the lube into the gears while it is driven for a bit. I live in Phoenix where it is still in the 80s here in the morning so early morning ATF temp shouldn't really be an issue.
I went and bought some Royal Purple Synchro mesh but I don't want to dump $65 worth of fluid into the trans just to have the dealer dump it when I find it doesn't fix my problem.
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Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Miami FL
I took it to the dealer and since I have a short throw shifter on the car they said it was probably that. To note that the dealer also said they couldn't reproduce the issue themselves but I was able to within 1 block of me leaving their property.
I spoke to a friend of mine and he said it could be the fluid that they used in the car. He had his WRX transfluid replaced with synthetic and had the same issues. Once the trans was hot the fluid was fine. Maybe that is my issue too. I have 4 quarts of Royal Purple SyncroMesh in the garage and will swap it out this weekend. I just hate when the stealership does this sort of thing, and I actually like my service rep.
What is a shifter alignment? I have had my shifter installed on the car for 5 years and never had an issue.
I spoke to a friend of mine and he said it could be the fluid that they used in the car. He had his WRX transfluid replaced with synthetic and had the same issues. Once the trans was hot the fluid was fine. Maybe that is my issue too. I have 4 quarts of Royal Purple SyncroMesh in the garage and will swap it out this weekend. I just hate when the stealership does this sort of thing, and I actually like my service rep.
What is a shifter alignment? I have had my shifter installed on the car for 5 years and never had an issue.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
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From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
The shifter alignment is done inside the car at the shifter itself but I only know how to do it on a stock shifter. If your shifter has an alignment pin in the front of it, access the shifter, put in neutral, push the alignment pin all the way down. The shifter shouldn't be able to move. Loosen the torx screw holding the shaft that goes to the transmission. It will align itself to the correct position, then tighten the screw again. Pull the ping back up and insure it goes back into its storage position. Drive the car again and see what you have.
