Shifter problem

lilolneon · Post by **lilolneon** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 7:17 am

Alright, im starting to have a problem putting my car in reverse. I can shift in to all my other gears just fine, but when i shift to reverse, it doesnt always catch, the shifter goes to the reverse position, but doesnt fully catch, i have to push up then pull it back into reverse 1 or 2 times before it catches properly.

So... any ideas to what could be wrong?

SolarYNeon · Post by **SolarYNeon** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 7:58 am

try letting the car warm up a bit. I know it sounds gay, but thats what I had to do in my mazda protege a while back.

lilolneon · Post by **lilolneon** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:00 am

it does it when the car is warm or cold... it feels like its on the shifter side and not the tranny.

SolarYNeon · Post by **SolarYNeon** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:06 am

well thats not good. You just got it fixed too didnt you?

Best bet is to take it back before you cant even shift

blue demon02 · Post by **blue demon02** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:10 am

Mine started doing the same thing with 700 miles on the OD.

Took it to the dealer three differant times. All they would do is adjust the shifter and it would getter better but would never go away. After about a week it would be back where It started. I gave up and just delt with it. Befoer you shift into reverse put it in 1st then 2nd then reverse. Was told by a old transmission guy that its the reverse safty gate and doing the above steps releases it. I had mine re-built at 30,000 and once I get a working clutch in it I can tell you if it fixed it or not.

03sxt · Post by **03sxt** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:54 am

It's normal. We've been over this before somewhere, but I can't find the topic. If you let out on the clutch, just a weeee bit, it'll slide into reverse... You can also try going to first again, then into reverse and it should go in easier. I think it's just a Neon thing.

lilolneon · Post by **lilolneon** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 9:05 am

already had the clutch replaced not to long ago... maybe its because i put in a srt shifter?

latief · Post by **latief** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 9:13 am

It is normal,
had ever since i got t he neon, put in a different gear then into reverse..... i took it to the dealership (when i used to be naive!) and they told me it is normal (well at least for a neon).....

Post by **jonnymopar** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 12:54 pm

If it doesn't go all the way in, do like 03sxt says and just feather the clutch out. This is a certainly not a Neon-specific thing. This will happen once in a while on almost any manual car. bluedemon, I hate to break it to you, but the dealership was probably feeding you a line about adjusting the shifter because there's really no way to adjust it.

The neutral safety gate is only when you try to go from 5th directly to reverse. You'll notice that the trans will re-direct the shifter away from reverse. That's all it does.

Putting it into ANY forward gear before putting it into reverse is beneficial because it stops the transmission gears from spinning, and reverse will go in easy. But if it doesn't, re-read this post.

lolelectricbluesxt · Post by **lolelectricbluesxt** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 1:02 pm

I find if you put it into 4th first, there is a smooth transition into going into R.

kc2005ptgt · Post by **kc2005ptgt** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 1:43 pm

actually, this i snot a Neon thing only- ever car I have driven that was a stick has problems going into reverse. Do you start your car in neutral or in gear? Try starting it in nuetral with ebrake off and foot on brake/clutch <- of course. That helps me. And the shiting into first then second always helps me too. So does sliding it fourth then reverse. Also, read your manual you should have gotten with the car about starting and driving the car - there is lots of helpful info in it.

BlackMagic · Post by **BlackMagic** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 2:11 pm

i get that a lot, and it makes me look stupid, i wont notice its not all the way in and i'll go to reverse and it sounds really nasty. kind of goes along with my other issue when I downshift and it gets a really nasty deadspot... but that dosent happen a lot. what i really hate is when i downshft and i hear what sounds like a gunshot or backfire... eww scared the crap out of me the first time

eastwoodsn352 · Post by **eastwoodsn352** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 2:32 pm

i have the same problem in my car..i just learned to deal with it though

03neonRT · Post by **03neonRT** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 2:37 pm

Yeah i have this problem sometimes as well...

lolelectricbluesxt · Post by **lolelectricbluesxt** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:48 pm

My eclipse did it as well. I think its just a mtx thing in general.

OB · Post by OB » Wed Sep 13, 2006 12:06 am

neon thing.

however, from what ive read, the 2gn neon tranny is designed with some special part that is supposed to make shifting into reverse more smooth, and to avoid grinding. mine has had trouble once or twice, but im pretty rough with it and the sts lets u know exactly where u are. my gf's neon had some issues with it, seemed like it was halfway into reverse, and it would make a wierd faint grinding sound. wasnt a big deal tho. just beat on it!

fixitmattman · Post by **fixitmattman** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 12:24 am

It's an MTX thing. Most times reverse gears isn't synchronized. Normally not a problem, but on occaision it will hit a point where it won't go in. Put it back in neutral, and let the clutch out. Then try again. Being a bit more firm with the shifter when going into reverse also helps.

Very rarely does it not go in gear for me, but on occaision it won't.

Matt

BlackRoseRacing · Post by **BlackRoseRacing** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 6:44 am

fixitmattman wrote:It's an MTX thing. Most times reverse gears isn't synchronized. Normally not a problem, but on occaision it will hit a point where it won't go in. Put it back in neutral, and let the clutch out. Then try again. Being a bit more firm with the shifter when going into reverse also helps.

Very rarely does it not go in gear for me, but on occaision it won't.

Matt

Agreed, I do that everymorning. Its even worse if you have a STS. My wife hates pulling out of the driveway because she cant grab reverse

And remember this, when you are in neutral with the clutch out, the internals are spinning one direction, when you push the clutch in there still spinning from inertia, then you try to put it in reverse wich is going to want to change the direction of the output shafts rotation...
Try this, push the clutch in, wait umm 30seconds then see if you can go into reverse then...

lilolneon · Post by **lilolneon** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 6:51 am

Didnt do it to me yesterday, I also took my time too

Since we are on the subject of shifters

wheres a good place to get booger bushings? And would they be something a local shop would have? Im poor and impaitent and I wanna do something to my car...

Nick Drake · Post by **Nick Drake** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 7:42 am

03sxt wrote:If you let out on the clutch, just a weeee bit, it'll slide into reverse...

I was actually going to say that, as we have to do that a lot with the forklifts at work.

latief · Post by **latief** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:28 am

I did notice though, that the reverse issue became more evident in my car once my clutch was serviced!!!

03sxt · Post by **03sxt** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:00 am

Nick Drake wrote:
03sxt wrote:If you let out on the clutch, just a weeee bit, it'll slide into reverse...
I was actually going to say that, as we have to do that a lot with the forklifts at work.

Yup. We had to do that with our old ladder truck at the fire department, too.

grambo · Post by **grambo** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 11:43 am

fixitmattman wrote:It's an MTX thing. Most times reverse gears isn't synchronized. Normally not a problem, but on occaision it will hit a point where it won't go in. Put it back in neutral, and let the clutch out. Then try again. Being a bit more firm with the shifter when going into reverse also helps.

Very rarely does it not go in gear for me, but on occaision it won't.

Matt

What he said^......all MTX cars do it.

TNK · Post by **TNK** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 3:23 pm

03sxt wrote:It's normal. We've been over this before somewhere, but I can't find the topic. If you let out on the clutch, just a weeee bit, it'll slide into reverse... You can also try going to first again, then into reverse and it should go in easier. I think it's just a Neon thing.

its normal. my 04 does it.. so does the ex wifes 04.

someone told me that booger bushings wil fix the problem.

koreysxt · Post by **koreysxt** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 4:28 pm

yep -- mine does it too (occasionally). Just le tthe clutch out slighty, grind it if you can't find it!

kc2005ptgt · Post by **kc2005ptgt** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:00 pm

lilolneon wrote:Since we are on the subject of shifters wheres a good place to get booger bushings? And would they be something a local shop would have? Im poor and impaitent and I wanna do something to my car...

Modern Performance... DUH!

Also and Boogerracing.com

BlackRoseRacing · Post by **BlackRoseRacing** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:08 pm

The OLD Mopar saying....
"Ife you cant find it, grind it"
Got to love it.....

opyr8yr · Post by **opyr8yr** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 9:10 pm

This happens to me about 1 in 20 times. I find that if you put it in 4th first, then reverse it should go no problem...

Dutch_Neon · Post by **Dutch_Neon** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 10:12 pm

Be carefull when it starts to get the same problem in for example fifth or other gears. It might be a sign that your synchromesh is a goner.