02 Civic Manual 5th gear issue

138,000 MILES • 4 CYL • FWD • MANUAL
Avatar
88V8FIERO
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Hello,
I have a honda civic 2002 lx that is a 5 spd manual. A few months ago, the gear shifter began to pop out when placed into fifth gear.
This took anywhere from 30 sec to a minute. this is the only gear this problem occurs in. I used to be able to hold it in and just keep my hand on it and I would feel it try to come in but now the shifter comes out of fifth gear the instant you put it in, along with some grinding noise.
I have heard that this is an issue with the synchros because they were made of brass and are flimsy. I have heard the solution is aftermarket carbon steel synchros that are really made for performance but outlast oem synchros. Is this true? I took it into a transmission shop and they want to rebuild the entire transmission, yet I have seen stories of people doing this even with the same exact car and problem that were almost new (20-30%2
Jan 26, 2011 at 4:57 PM
Avatar
88V8FIERO
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
sorry it was cut off at (20-30,000) miles and 10-20,000 miles the problem was back again. I dont want to rebuild the transmission just to have it screw up again in 6 months or less. fyi i am not the first owner and car has about 138,000 miles on it. 5th gear is the only time this occurs. Thanks a ton!
Jan 26, 2011 at 5:02 PM
Avatar
88V8FIERO
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
also all fluids trans wise have been checked by mechanic and are all fine.
Jan 26, 2011 at 7:18 PM
Avatar
KHLOW2008
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 41,812 POSTS
This is a fault with the 5th gear and I do not see the necessity to rebuild the complete transmission. You can only repair the 5th gear but it might not be the synchro gear alone. The hub and sleeve might need to be replace if it is bad.

Usually synchro gears are very lasting and one of the most common fault would be lack of transmission fluid. If repairs were carried out and not all related parts were replaced, it might not last very long as wear of the hubs would result in premature wear of the synchro gears.


Jan 27, 2011 at 5:44 AM
Add a reply
Join 2CarPros for free, one of the most advanced car repair communities on the internet. From first-time drivers to seasoned mechanics, everyone is welcome to reply, share details, and get better answers. You can add a temporary image or video first; uploads are limited to 20 MB.

Frequently Asked Problems for This Vehicle