Expert: Sean Halliday - 2/22/2008

Question
When shifting from first to second gear, second gear requires alot of force to engage(It's very stiff, especially when cold). The dealership has rebuilt the Trans in the past for this very same problem I'm having again. It worked fine for 10,000 miles, and then started getting stiff in the mornings followed by a gentle grinding when warmed-up. Currently the dealership has had my car for a month now. They replaced the syncro for second gear and still haven't solved the problem in its entirety. The part they have on order now is the differential. Could this be the problem? All of my other gears go in fine. The clutch isn't slipping. Everytime I talk to the dealership they are ordering different parts or waiting for authorization for different parts. It is as if they are experimenting. Could the differential be causing the problems with second gear? Thanks for any input, I appreciate it.

Answer
If your car has been off the road for more than 20 days i believe the lemon law will apply.This is where the dealer must replace the car or refund your money.I am not 100% on this law but by what you say this car is under this catergory.My advice is to get rid of this car as you will never fix the gearbox.A rebuilt is no good,you must insist on a brand new transmission.This kind of thing is a nightmare at these dealers and i have heard so many similar stories from people with different cars.The dealer will throw parts at it until you"go away".......i think you are right when you say they are expeimenting as most dealer techs are not capable of determining whats causing this.I believe it is a misaligned casing or input/output shaft on the transmission internal workings and is never going to be fixed.