no second gear
 

i have an 03 accord coupe w/k24a4 and manual transmission. my car shifts fine into every gear except the 2nd gear. it's like when i shift into 2nd, it feels just like neutral. you can even shift into 2nd w/o depressing clutch when the car is sitting and nothing happens. there's also a slight clicking noise sometimes when i'm driving. this year and model uses shift cables by the way.

This might be the first post I read where there may be a problem with a Honda manual transmission, because they are pretty bullet-proof.

When you shift into second gear with the engine turned off, will the car still coast like it is neutral? Have you changed the transmission fluid lately? If so, was there any metal shavings in it?

As for the clicking, describe it in more detail. When does it click (when idling, driving, both)? Can you figure out where it is coming from? Does it click louder when you are turning?

reply
 

well, in 2nd gear engine off, the car still rolls freely like in neutral. the clicking is so slight that if you don't listen too well you won't hear it. i first noticed it when i was rolling through a parking lot and it only happens when you're in gear. as for the tranny fluid/oil i will check it tomorrow. i did change it 7k miles ago w/a mix of 10w30 and royal purple synthetic transmission gear oil. before this problem, it was kinda hard to shift into 2nd gear b/c of my slave cylinder. The slave cylinder bracket broke off when i did my clutch and no one around here has one for my car (auto zone, advanced, o'reily's etc). i just ghetto rigged it back on w/ a clamp and found a way to adjust it to make it work again.

I'm not sure which part broke on your slave cylinder. If the bracket you mentioned is part of the slave cylinder, then you can pick one up at a dealership for <$50.

I have never had to open up a transmission, so I am a bit out of my league here.

If I had to guess, it sounds like you have an internal transmission problem since the other gears are working properly. I don't know if there can be something wrong with the gear selector or shift fork that would cause your problem.

Hopefully someone can chime in here with some better suggestions.

Yes, the shift fork might be broken; in fact that seems to me like it would be easier to break than the synchro hub. But either way, the trans has to be removed & dismantled.

umm.....i'm pretty sure manual trannys don't have solenoids and/or od unless there's one that i don't know of.

its very strange how the shifter can go into 2nd gear w/o any grinds or resistance. every other gear, you can hear/feel a distinctive "snick" when going into gear but second gear is almost like there's a ghost gear. it feels like there's nothing there at all. i've broken a shift fork on my eg before on 3rd gear and it grinds/refuses to enter that gear at all. very,very strange.

Well, maybe that means the problem is in the synchro hub, rather than the shift fork. Still, it has to be dismantled.

hey guys, i might just pick up a used tranny after income taxes. beaver's honda in kannapolis has them for $550.

you might try www.car-part.com its a national database of salvage yards... sometimes you can get one shipped to you for cheaper than local (you can sort by price or distance) prices on used parts vary greatly by geographic location. :) and you can find just about anything you need on there... i use it A LOT... lol... just a quick tip for ya :D