Gear Grind 1st to 2nd at high RPM

Hello -- maybe I'm just used to Mustangs with the tough old top loader transmission, but the new S2000 I picked up today requires a very conservative (meaning somewhat slow) shift from 1st to 2nd to keep from grinding when up over 8000 RPM. The other upshifts don't seem to have this issue.

Are others out there able to do fast (tire squealing) shifts from 1st to 2nd without a problem?

This new car had 500 miles on it when I bought it, so someone could have possibly damaged the 1st gear synchro.

Other than that issue, I love the car. It's amazing what happens up over 6000 RPM!

What year is your S2000? There is a known issue with the '00 and '01 transmissions and there is a TSB (technical service bulletin) out that addresses the problem and replaces defective parts. I'd definitely mention the problem to your dealer and ask if your car is a candidate for the TSB fix.

It's a 2003 with only 600 miles on it. -- Thanks

[snowbebe]

definetly take it to honda and tell them that it grinds but don't say that you take it to above 8,000 or else they will say its abuse. They will give you a new trany and everything will be fine. I've already had mine redone 2 times and you just have to put the clutch in really fast before you switch gears. Try actually banging the clutch to the floor so you hear it hit and then shift fast.

i just recently got an s2000 to. I traded in my ss camero and i also have the same problem. When i shift after 8500rpm the gear grinds but only from 1st-2nd.

[KJK]

I have the opposite problem. My synchros don't mesh at lower rpms. 5k and higher the gears lock right in, but 4k and lower there's a mild kurchunk when the gears mesh going from 1 to 2, from 2 to 3 and from 3 to 4. It's in the shop right now at a Honda dealer. They tell me that they all drove it, including a Honda rep who just happened to be in town. They say it's perfectly normal for that car. That doesn't sound right to me. Everything I've read about this car, especially '02 and later, is that the transmission is very solid and precise. I would not expect any clicking or clunking as the synchros mesh. And I don't always want to shift at 6,000+ rpms.

[passmans2kNY]

i have an 04 and i noticed when i rev 1st all the way out and shift hard to second, i dont grind gears but i hear a sharp click, i know it shouldnt happen, only from 1st to 2nd, it only happens once in a while but its just there in the back of my mind that my tranny might be taking a beating

[wowowox]

Well my car grind from 1-2 grind alll the time and there is nothing about it, howver if u really drive carefully the problem is less obivious. for my car i had to either change the gear abit slower than other hears when from 1-2 or i can do it by having the cluth down earlier/faster. by doing this 2 thing the car will be less likely to grind. so u guys think u can actually get a new tranny out of this kind of problem ???? or just the synchro replaced??


thx

[KJK]

Well, I'm not expecting, or even wanting a new trans for this problem; perhaps mine is not as bad as yours, but if it gets worse, then I'll be looking at having Honda replace the Trans under warrantee. Meanwhile I'm going to bring my S2000 into a different Honda dealership to see if they give me the same diagnosis; ie: "It's totally normal for that car. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it." We'll see...

[Honda_Mad]

Check out this link guys
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=330883

[KJK]

Originally Posted by KJK

Well, I'm not expecting, or even wanting a new trans for this problem; perhaps mine is not as bad as yours, but if it gets worse, then I'll be looking at having Honda replace the Trans under warrantee. Meanwhile I'm going to bring my S2000 into a different Honda dealership to see if they give me the same diagnosis; ie: "It's totally normal for that car. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it." We'll see...

Here's a follow up: I sent a letter outlining my concerns about the "crunchy" shifting to American Honda. I just got a call back from a Regional Case Manager. He said he spoke with the service manager at the dealership I bought the car from and who test drove it on two occasions, both times saying that there is nothing wrong with it, and that s2000 transmissions are "notchy." Keep in mind, mine is not just "notchy", it's "crunchy". I reminded him that if the car is idling and clutch to the floor, if you slowly move the shifter to 1st, the car rolls forward slightly. Sometimes it will not even go into 1st, so you have to release and press the pedal again to get it to go in. I had already pointed out in my letter and with the service manager at the dealership that I believe the clutch had been damaged by the previous owner and that a weak clutch is what's causing the crunching that I hear and feel in the shifter and clutch pedal. I asked him point blank, given that I've expressed my concerns from the start, if the transmission did lose a gear at some point, then you would replace it under warrantee, right? He said they would not replace the clutch under warrantee since it's a wear item. I asked again about the transmission. He said he did not know if it would be covered, they would have to wait and see. I let him know that I am still concerned and that I specifically want him to document that I am concerned that damage is being done to the transmission.

[passmans2kNY]

bull sh1t, that should def be under warrenty, tell him he sucks

[jim]

camero???whats that? try double clutch on the way to the dealer..... why do peopl not take there cars to the dealer when they have a warranty??? you pay nothing!! its a bumper to bumper it mind boggleing