shifter/transmission issue

M

musicmajor2007

Member
:
mazda protege5
Hello,
I'm looking at buying a 2002 Protege5 with the manual transmission, which is in great shape except for one thing. The issue the car has, is that it will not shift into 1st, 2nd, and reverse. I've tried doubling clutching to try to slide it into any one of those gears but it just won't. When I try it feels like I'm hitting a "wall" with the shifter before the gears try to mesh together. There aren't any noises of any kind coming from the transmission when I try to get into those gears. It shifts into 3rd, 4th, and 5th gears with no issue. The car does have an aftermarket short shifter. My question is, Is the shifter the issue or is there a more serious issue inside the transmission? Has anyone run into this problem? If it is the shifter and linkages, how hard would it be for me to fix this myself? I've never done anything like this before and am very worried that this might be beyond what I can handle. The owner of the car has taken it to a transmission shop and they said the shift kit was the issue but that they would only replace the transmission not the shifter and shift linkages. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
 
Does it go into gear when the car isn't running? It could be a bent linkage or bad shift bushings. You can remove the linkage altogether and try to move the shift rod on the trans itself. If it does need a new trans you can purchase them for about $150 from a junkyard and they can be swapped out in a day.
 
Could be bad transmission. Mine went out and it felt like I was shifting but wouldn't go into 1 2 or reverse or 5th. Might need a rebuild.
You can tell if you start the car put it in neutral and let go of the clutch and it dies.
 
I think you should tell the guy you're not interested until it's certified and safetied.

There may be more issues that don't show up until you take it for a test drive. (I assume you didn't drive it... starting in third gear is really hard on your clutch)
 
I did test drive the car. It will take off in 3rd gear and yes I know it is very hard on the clutch, which is why I didn't go very far. Drove it about a quarter of a mile. It shifts just fine into 3rd from a stop and will shift into 4th and 5th too. Pumping the clutch does not help when trying to get it into 1st, 2nd, or reverse though....even when it is not running it does not go into these gears. The car does not die if you start it, put it neutral, and then let go of the clutch.
 
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Shifter bushings/linkage could be so worn or broken that it hits the housing before it can engage the gear.

The other possibility would be a problem with the shift rails inside the trans.

Worst case, a used trans isn't all that expensive. If it's cheap enough, go for it.
 
It sounds like bushings/linkage is something you can handle yourself.

As far as I know, you have to pull the engine to replace the transmission and that could add up to a big labor cost.

If the shift linkage and bushings are worn you could probably just push on the linkage right at the transmission to pop it into 1st or 2nd gear... Just to verify that it's your linkage.
 
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Does your stick shift wobble left and right a lot when it's in any gear you do get??
 
My bushings below my shifter (part #4) got so sloppy that I started hitting the housing and my shifter would wobble about 2 inches in gear.


 
Mine does go into reverse but some times it gives me a hard time to push into. I don't think it's my bushings though as I have no slop whatsoever on neutral
 
stormkyori said:
Mine does go into reverse but some times it gives me a hard time to push into. I don't think it's my bushings though as I have no slop whatsoever on neutral
Click to expand...

That's normal... IIRC, it's done on purpose to make sure you don't put it in reverse by accident.

Sometimes I have to put it back in neutral then let the clutch out again. Sometimes I have to put it in a different gear then it will go into reverse. It lines up the gear teeth or something.

It helps if your rolling slowly when shifting it.
 
pcb said:
It sounds like bushings/linkage is something you can handle yourself.

As far as I know, you have to pull the engine to replace the transmission and that could add up to a big labor cost.

If the shift linkage and bushings are worn you could probably just push on the linkage right at the transmission to pop it into 1st or 2nd gear... Just to verify that it's your linkage.
Click to expand...
You can remove the transmission without removing the motor, it can be done in a couple hours even if it is your first time. I did a clutch job for a friend in his MSP by myself on jack stands and had it completed in 6 hours, and that was taking my time. A shop should not charge more than $500 to R&R a trans, I paid $150 for a 46k mile trans at a local JY.
 
Ok. So I went back and checked out the linkages/bushings and they look good. When I shift the car into 1st, 2nd, and reverse with the car off, I can here the transmission "click" into each gear. There's no sloppiness in the stick whatsoever. The short throw shifter feels tight. The stick only moves maybe 2 inches to engage each gear. Its got a shorter throw than my old Honda Del Sol...(which to me feels weird in a car that is so much bigger). When I start the car with the stick already in those gears and let the clutch out, nothing happens. Does that mean the shift forks are bent/broken or is that a sign of a bad transmission?
 
If it feels tight. It might be too tight. It could mean a bad transmission but you can also try and take the bolt out for the shifter linkage bar at the bottom of the shifter and make sure that they aren't bent inwards towards the shifter. It's easy to bend while tightening the bolt, if you unbend them and reinstall it will release some tention.
Then try shifting again. See if that helps if not could be transmission.
 
I think you should remove the linkage like hornsfan said and push on the shift rod on the trans.
That way you'll know for sure if it's the linkage or trans.
 
pcb said:
I think you should remove the linkage like hornsfan said and push on the shift rod on the trans.
That way you'll know for sure if it's the linkage or trans.
Click to expand...


Just something that's easily overlooked, how do the motor mounts look? IF they're shot/broken it can cause issues shifting.

I learned the hard way when i changed my timing belt, motor mount was completely broken. When I put it all together, i couldn't shift into 3rd or 5th to save my life. Just loosening the bolts a little and "shimmying" the motor back a little bit to where it sat before i removed the motor mount, it shifted fine again. I moved it maybe 1/4", if that much but it made a huge difference. If your motor mounts are broken and the engine isn't sitting in the "right place" it can throw off the geometry of the shifter and not allow it to find the gears. This makes sense why you could click into the gears fine with it shut off, but when you try and actually DRIVE the car, the motor is being torqued too far with broken motor mount(s).

No guarantee, but it's definitely worth checking. i know for fact it can make a big difference!
 
Are you sure the car is actually engaging 1st, 2nd and reverse? If the car doesn't move when you let the clutch out with it in gear it could mean the clutch is completely shot and does not make contact (or all pressure plate forks are bent way out of shape). You need to manually move the shift rod at the trans case and bypass the shifter and linkage altogether. If you can get the car into 1st, go in the car and start it and observe what happens that will tell you a lot more. If 3rd and 4th are completely locked out and will not go into gear you may need a trans and a clutch.
 
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