Si transmission problems related to technique?

[B-Stylz]

Just wanted to throw something out there. Honda transmission's are generally known as being some of the best in the business. Has anyone considered that all of the Si transmission problems could be related to the actual users shifting techniques and have nothing to do with Honda? I am a new '08 Si owner myself and my transmission appears to be getting smoother as the miles rack on. I have seen so many on here point the blame at Honda when really it might just be all the new drivers learning how to drive a manual transmission car. As we all know this car does attract a very young market. Just my 2 cents. Take it for what its worth!

[ooskers]

That is a viable explanation but seems unlikely if the problems are so widespread.

[Metalhead852]

Yeah I would say there is a problem considering:
A)It's on the same gear for everyone
B)It's a problem on the RSX Type S
C)Most the guys on here have had plenty of other manual XMSN's before their Si

My problem went away with an oil change using the same driving techniques.

[B-Stylz]

I have heard of 2nd and 3rd gear problems and you do agree this car attracts a very young market yes which could explain why the problem is widespread? I will sell this car before I deal with a transmission problem myself. I think the shift knob is poorly designed which causes harmful grinding and misshifts. I have missed 2nd myself a few times but always back it out to neutral and try again.

[ygoslo]

I can tell you without a doubt,this is a flawed tranny,i have been driving stick for 20 years,vettes,firebirds,toyotas,vw`s,and have never had this type of issue,without having read these forums,i no doubt would have ground my 3rd gear,or had a pop out,there is no doubt there is a intermitant wall going into third gear, being aware of that, i have always been careful to give it that extra second to fully engage,now that the weather has warmed up the problem is almost completely gone,i dont think my technique has changed since the winter. So maybe Honda has adressed the issue on some of the 2008`s,and it looks like a fix is coming for those of us with 06`s and 07`s.

[SiCivic83]

I disagree. I have driven other stick cars and I don't have the same problems with the Si. I believe the Si tranny is flawed. Every manual car is different but I don't seem to have the same problem from other cars but the Si.

[rickhilbert]

Yeh, I had third gear replaced about one week ago and the same problems are back. I have always had a standard tranny and NEVER had problems like this. This is my first Honda and will soon be my last I think.

[homeboyv]

no man...i had 3rd gear problems till i switched my tranny fluid to synthetic...ever since i changed it i havent had a single issue...i would recommend this to anyone having 3rd gear problems...my tranny is sooooooo smooth now....its not the tranny thats flawed its their MTF

[e60.deluxe]

i think that there is an inherent issue thats propagated by poor technique, and can remain relatively benign under proper technique.

consider that several people, even some who are having the most problems, are stating that they can now feel when it wasn't properly in third and not release the clutch, or take it out and and put it back in.

perhaps those having no problems could always feel and never allowed it to grind, and the issue remains something that happens once in a few months only.

[Special Ringpop]

If these complaints occurred back when the car first came out, I would attribute it to the driver getting used to driving the car. It does take some practice to get used to.

However, that does not explain how most owners had zero problems for a few thousand miles, and then the problems started. That completely nullifies your hypothesis, unless people's stick driving skills decreases with time, which I would also argue.

That, and this has been going on with every car this transmission is in. The RSX Type-S, the S2000, the Accord V6 6MT (past and present), and all other Honda/Acura vehicles with 6MTs. Are you really going to try to tell me that the people (and there are a lot) with each of these vehicles doesn't know how to drive stick? All of them combined? That's not even worth thinking about. And while you can "adapt" to the problems with gear disengagement/refusal to engage, you shouldn't have to, for one, and secondly, it doesn't change the fact that the problem is still inherent, and you are merely "alleviating" with your learned skill. You shouldn't have to know when to predict your third gear isn't going to engage properly.

All I need to see is the google results page for "Honda 3rd gear". Petition after petition, thread after thread, from people from all age, experience, income, and whatever you have backgrounds.

No...this is a flawed transmission. The question we should be asking are the following:

a.) Why do not all of us have it? What makes the parts in your car (if it isn't flawed) different from the ones in my car (which is flawed, though not nearly as bad as some poor souls on here).

and...

b.) How do we get Honda to fix this. They've ignored it (and evidently still are, according to the latest American Honda Customer Complaint calls) for almost a decade now. Me thinks I smell a rat.

There was a point in time where I believed it was user error, but 900 people on an online petition, and almost 300 people on this forum alone, for this CAR alone (excluding the Acuras and Accords) can't be lying. Something isn't right.

To sum it up, here is how I feel:

Poor or lazy technique can EXACERBATE the problem, but even the best stick driving skills in the world can't FIX the problem, it can only ALLEVIATE the problem. You are at the mercy of your car, even if you know how to assuage it.

I thankfully have not had too many problems with my third gear. It has grinded in second and third, and popped out on me, and does so frequently in cold weather. It also doesn't like to engage and makes a thunking noise going into third from time to time. I had my dealer replicate it after twenty some times, and I'm on the wait list for this alleged "fix". I also went to do a trade in offer at a Scion dealership, wherein it popped out, and they told me they didn't want the car, but if they "forgot to mention it", they'd give me 13-14K for it. My car is a literally babied 2006 Si coupe in Fiji Blue Pearl with 20,000 miles on it. I cried. I cried hard.

[24boosted]

Many people think they are great drivers if they know how to drive stick or have driven stick before.

There wouldn't be professional drivers if all skill levels were the same, higher insurance rates for different drivers, blown motors or varied licenses.

If you've been going to school your entire life doesn't mean your great at all subjects or can write and publish a novel. I like how some people will say, "I know how to drive stick, I've driven my entire life and I'm 20." lol

I agree with the OP to some extent.

[e60.deluxe]

Originally Posted by Special Ringpop

However, that does not explain how most owners had zero problems for a few thousand miles, and then the problems started. That completely nullifies your hypothesis, unless people's stick driving skills decreases with time, which I would also argue..

unless its something that only happens every few thousand miles , and frequency only increases upon grinding. for example, 19 and a half thousand miles later, every few thousand miles i feel like third didnt go in all the way, and i dont release the clutch untill im sure. its happened to me probably 4-5 times in the entire time. but ive let it grind, zero times.

[homeboyv]

i think different peoples cars are acting differently than others...theres people whose 3rd gear grinds and pops out...mine just grinded when it wouldnt fully engage....i had to change the way i drove to limit this from happening like first popping it into neutral for a second before engaging into 3rd...like i said i changed the Honda tranny fluid with synthetic motor oil and all of my problems disappeared...my tranny is 10000 times smoother and i have not had any non engagements or grinds after i swapped it out

[Special Ringpop]

Originally Posted by e60.deluxe

unless its something that only happens every few thousand miles , and frequency only increases upon grinding. for example, 19 and a half thousand miles later, every few thousand miles i feel like third didnt go in all the way, and i dont release the clutch untill im sure. its happened to me probably 4-5 times in the entire time. but ive let it grind, zero times.

Yes, I agree to an extent. However, the frequency is much different from person-to-person. My 3rd gear resists going in and hits that damned notch almost once out of every three to five engagements. It will grind randomly when it engages after that notch regardless of my clutching action. I, too, have learned to keep my foot on the clutch until that damn notch stops resisting the shift, but it still grinds.

So to that degree, I don't believe it is a matter of letting it grind, but whether or not you can alleviate it from grinding. I've tried dozens of different techinques, and none of them can prevent or stop the grind from happening: the best it can do is to lessen the amount it does it.

At least, that's my car. Again, every car is different, probably.

[icen]

Just trying to contribute to the discussion.

I think the problems lies on both the design, material, and driving techniques.

This is a particular weak design that is less robust to different driving techniques and ultimately yield a shorter mean time to failure.
By that, I mean that problems caused by little fluctuation on techniques, temperature.. etc.. might be greatly amplified by the design of that transmission, showing the 3rd gear problem.
Driving techniques might have caused some problems that are usually unnoticeable, might be amplified in this 6spd tranny.


About why some transmissions seem perfect and some are troublesome. This has to do with the manufacture variation. No 2 products are identical. There is always some variation between 2 products, even thought they are "supposed" to be identical.
Some transmission might be more robust, and some might be less robust.

Robustness is determined by how the engineers design the tranny, and clearly they are not doing a good job at it. Maybe their boss are putting pressure on them to generate lower cost design, maybe they just overlooked something.. who knows..

But either way, I think they should fix this problem.
They should do a recall or at least FIX THE PROBLEMATIC CIVIC SI.

BTW, I had a accord 2000, and I got the extended warranty on the auto tranny. But the transmission is running perfectly though.

[Driversound]

My tranny problem didn't appear until about 4K miles. I've changed to synthetic then and it does shift smoother but I still experience the third gear not completely engaging about 10 percent of the time. Its not the driver, its the tranny.

[JeffD]

I replaced my transmission oil with AMSOIL. The 3rd gear problem went away. No change in technique

[Jayman82]

Originally Posted by e60.deluxe

i think that there is an inherent issue....and can remain relatively benign under proper technique.

bingo

[homeboyv]

Originally Posted by Driversound

My tranny problem didn't appear until about 4K miles. I've changed to synthetic then and it does shift smoother but I still experience the third gear not completely engaging about 10 percent of the time. Its not the driver, its the tranny.

what did u switch to?

[FG207Si]

ok the switch of tranny fluid mite help the 3rd gear issue, but what about 2nd gear grind at high rev? I think its the design of the transmission..