Hi all, new owner and user here, not a mechanic so please use small words and finger painting!
My mk3 seems to have really stiff gear selector, feels like it's sticking It will shift into any gear from neutral, but once in say 1st if I try to go to neutral and back to 1st the selector simply won't move left.
It seems ok from 1st to reverse, but not from reverse to 1st for example.
I've whipped the airbox off and sprayed the linkage with wd40 in case it was sticking, but no joy. I can manually knock the transmission into neutral when it sticks and then select any gear using the gear stick so my assumption is that it's sticking in gear.
I've tried both with engine on and off, same issue. If my google-fu skills are as good as I think, this means it's not clutch related? As with a bad clutch it should go into gears with engine off?
Can anyone tell me if I'm on the right lines and anything else to suggest?
Much appreciated
JDP
Hello and welcome.
Have you had your car for very long, does it have a 5 or 6 speed gearbox, has this lack of smooth movement always been there and is it just getting worse or is it a sudden change after many happy miles.
What mileage has the car done. Has it been regularly maintained / serviced?
Importantly is there good oil in the gear box?
Have you tried moving the external linkages by hand a few times, accompanied by more soaking with lubricant?
Quote from: Joesson on March 25, 2025, 19:06Have you had your car for very long, does it have a 5 or 6 speed gearbox, has this lack of smooth movement always been there and is it just getting worse or is it a sudden change after many happy miles.
What mileage has the car done. Has it been regularly maintained / serviced?
Importantly is there good oil in the gear box?
Only picked up last weekend, seemed fine on drive home across town, then tried to manoeuvre it on the drive ready to jack it up the next day and it went into reverse fine, then wouldn't move to first.
It's a 5speed box, about 140k miles.
Been well maintained judging by stack of paperwork, owned by an older chap for Sunday drives.
Not sure on oil in the box, was planning on changing all fluids this weekend and giving it a bit of a service.
Quote from: Carolyn on March 25, 2025, 19:22Have you tried moving the external linkages by hand a few times, accompanied by more soaking with lubricant?
Yes, external linkage didn't feel too tight but gave it all a good soaking, moved the counterweight by hand and gave a good spray in all positions. Seems to be fine to move from neutral once, that's what makes me think it's an issue coming back to neutral from the gear stick like a shortened cable or something maybe. I did think I'd cracked it when I found a 10mm socket dropped under the linkage but just a red herring and a bonus, no change in the movement after removing it!
Quote from: Jdp284 on March 25, 2025, 19:45Yes, external linkage didn't feel too tight but gave it all a good soaking, moved the counterweight by hand and gave a good spray in all positions. Seems to be fine to move from neutral once, that's what makes me think it's an issue coming back to neutral from the gear stick like a shortened cable or something maybe. I did think I'd cracked it when I found a 10mm socket dropped under the linkage but just a red herring and a bonus, no change in the movement after removing it!
Have you removed the cetnre console and checked things at the lever end of the system?
Quote from: Carolyn on March 25, 2025, 19:54Have you removed the cetnre console and checked things at the lever end of the system?
Yes, centre console is out and I can see there's nothing fouling the movement at that end. If there was an issue at the lever end I'd expect it wouldn't move from neutral to gear either? It's literally fine once shifted to neutral using the counterweight, so I'm thinking it's the cable that deals with side to side movement that's snagging maybe as it's pulled tight. Or the actual selector on the transmission just stiff and maybe it's easier to move from the counterweight, there's definitely some stiffness required to pop it into neutral even by hand there
@Jdp284 Hello and welcome.
Long shot.
As well as the heavy metal parts of the linkage. What about the bushes/bearings above. Do they look oem rubber types or more metal bearing type.
Even longer shot.
Have you checked the rear lower engine mount for condition?
Quote from: Ardent on March 25, 2025, 20:34@Jdp284
Hello and welcome.
Long shot.
As well as the heavy metal parts of the linkage. What about the bushes/bearings above. Do they look oem rubber types or more metal bearing type.
Even longer shot.
Have you checked the rear lower engine mount for condition?
I've not checked the bushings, I can take a gander when there's daylight though. I assume worn bushings would stop the movement somewhat when moving the gear stick?
Definitely haven't checked engine mounts, not sure I see the correlation there, do the cables run close and foul on the mounts? Bit new to tinkering so I'm still trying to pickup what's related and what isn't for troubleshooting this stuff.
The irony of all this is the car was bought for an engine and gearbox swap anyway, only needs to run enough to move it around the driveway a bit!
Linkage bushes. I'm thinking if not oem. May need lubing.
Re rear engine mount. Bolted smack in the muddle of the sub frame so easy to see. If perished (knackered) the engine could have a tendency to tip away towards the rear. Taking up any tolerance in the mechanism.
Just a long shot.
Quote from: Ardent on March 25, 2025, 20:51Linkage bushes. I'm thinking if not oem. May need lubing.
Re rear engine mount. Bolted smack in the muddle of the sub frame so easy to see. If perished (knackered) the engine could have a tendency to tip away towards the rear. Taking up any tolerance in the mechanism.
Just a long shot.
I'll take a long shot if it works, thanks for the explanation.
I'm back on Thursdays where the motor is so I'll try and get it lifted and take a look at the mount and the linkage bushings and report back. I appreciate the help, thanks
Does yours have what we call a nappy.
Rear under tray.
If not, you can see the mount just getting down.
That said, oh to have access to a lift.
@Jdp284 I see your in east Midlands. Vaguely where abouts.
I'm in sunny Leicester.
Just up the A46 nr Newark
@Ardent, not too far from you.
If you disconnect the cable ends from the selector levers, you can then determine whether the problem lies with a cable or the gearbox.
Quote from: Carolyn on March 26, 2025, 09:03If you disconnect the cable ends from the selector levers, you can then determine whether the problem lies with a cable or the gearbox.
That's a good shout, thanks. Just checked a pic and it looks like it's just sliding the pin out to release the cable at the gearbox end so quick and easy test. I'll do that before I start tearing it apart and hope it's something on the cable side. Fingers crossed it's the cable bushing Ardent mentioned or it's snagging somewhere.
Just managed to drop in on the car. Took the pins out and the cables off the linkage and gearstick moves freely with them off, so cables it is! I can see there's an adjuster type bracket on the cable to the right. Next time I get a few mins I'll see if I can slacken it off and see if that helps. If so then snagging on something somewhere or simply too tight could be the cause
I don't follow your deduction.
With cables disconnected and the gear stick moving ok, does that not imply the problem is with the gearbox?
Would you not need to disconnect the cables from the rear rather than the front to be able to confirm a fault with them?
i.e. with no gearbox load, the cables and gear lever move freely with the full range of movement would confirm that the cables are good?
Just disconnecting at the centre console end, you just confirm there is no problem with the gearlever pivot.
How was the clutch bite point when you drove it, is this a possible cause if it is not disengaging fully and stopping gear selection?
Quote from: Topdownman on March 26, 2025, 12:28Would you not need to disconnect the cables from the rear rather than the front to be able to confirm a fault with them?
i.e. with no gearbox load, the cables and gear lever move freely with the full range of movement would confirm that the cables are good?
Just disconnecting at the centre console end, you just confirm there is no problem with the gearlever pivot.
How was the clutch bite point when you drove it, is this a possible cause if it is not disengaging fully and stopping gear selection?
Reading back on the thread, I'm pretty sure JDP has disconnected at the gearbox.
Sorry you're right, shouldn't type in a hurry. With cables disconnected at the gearbox end (linkage) the gear stick moves freely so it's not a gear stick issue.
With cables connected and disconnected though I can manually shift gears and neutral using the counterweight on the gearbox which is why I'm not sure the issue is the gearbox itself and more leaning towards the cables being too tight when connected or a linkage sticking.
By all means someone tell me if I'm wrong in that assumption, but if the gear box was dodgy it'd surely be an issue moving it manually via counterweight as well?
If the gearstick easily gives the full range of movement with cables attached in the cab, but not at the gearbox, then the cables are fine.
Try more lubricant while you're manually operating the external linkages. Then reconnect and see what gives?
@Jdp284 We do like a puzzle to solve.
It is good to see you enthusiastically feeding back. Not just getting an answer never to be seen again.
Well I've not had chance to look at it again yet, but got a mechanic friend coming to take a look at a dodgy earth on my mx5 so I'm going to get him to take a quick peek at this as well. If it's a dodgy gearbox looks like they're plentiful online for about £300 and not a bad job to fit either. Half tempted to just order one on the assumption it is and if not then I've got a spare for when I do kill this one.
In other exciting news every bit of plastic has been out and steam cleaned and polished. Console, door cards, seats, luggage bins, frunk plastics. All clean up good as new, so that made me feel a bit better at least. Dash will come out this weekend so I can work out what I'm going to do to refinish it.
Dash out. :o
I recall that being a bit involved.
Doffs cap.
Quote from: Jdp284 on March 27, 2025, 20:04Dash will come out this weekend so I can work out what I'm going to do to refinish it.
If you could document that would be nice ! I might need to do that myself very soon :(
Well got a look the mr2 looked at by my mechanic friend. Says yep it's gearbox, actually thinks there might be water in there somehow??
Never heard of that before but the guys never too far wrong when it comes to diagnosis so I'll be hunting for a replacement gearbox this weekend. Depending on price I may just start the engine swap instead.
@bobo83 - I found a guide I'll link to when I dig it out again. Dash out is never an "easy" job but doesn't look any worse than others tbh. Fiddly access more than a difficult job