hello, last 2 times i used my WRX i noticed a slight grind from 3rd to 4th gear. its not bad like missing a gear and then finding it (mis-shift). its more like a slight rub. my wagon has just turned 47,000 miles old and has perhaps 2,500 on a TWM performance short throw shifter. i was just on this forum asking questions about the clutch and got some bad feedback on our stock gears. now i think iam going though it, right now. this is not a bad grind just a rub it still goes into gear. i only notice this when i am getting on it (haulin a$$). is this normal? will this get worse? does this, has this happen to anyone before? thanks in advance for any feedback.

 

this same thing has been happening with my car

 

hello, CC03WRX. how many miles do have ? have you installed a short throw shifter? subie nation any feed back will make me

 

I have a 2003 WRX Wagon and this just started happening. I have 42500 miles. I noticed it seems to occur when my RPMs are above 2500. If I let the revs get down, it shifts like it used too. It could be I am slowing down to a speed that is OK though. If I find out more, I'll post more. I hate to experiment with stuff like this, but I figure I should know as much as possible when I talk to the fix-it guy.

 

oneili, thanks and keep us posted.

 

OK, It turns out I grind if shifting from 3rd to fourth going over 40 mph. The RPMs are 2000 at 40 and just under 2500 at 45, hence why I originally thought it was RPM related. Sometimes it will shift correct in the 40-45 range, though not often. From what I've read online, it sounds like maybe I have a bad synchro in the tranny for the 4th gear. I wonder how much that will cost to replace

 

I had the same type of grinding, but in addition there were other gears grinding. The synchros and associated parts were replaced under warranty. Since then the grinding has begn again in 1st and 3-4 gears and it's still under warranty and I'll get them to replace it again. These gear boxes are just cheap junk and aren't suited to this car/engine/clutch. If you ask me, replacing the stock synchros with stock synchros will fix the problem only temporarily and the grinding will come back with time. The best solution for you would be to sell the car...or drop a couple thousand dollars into a different transmission/gearset, but that's going to add a whole host of other problems.

BTW, I have the short throw shifter that was included in the "performance" package at the time of sale and I think this shifter might be contributing to the problem. When I brought it in for the last warranty work the dealership gave me a hard time about the shifter until I got the employee to realize I bought the car like that and it's not an "illegal modification" that he kept repeating voids the warranty.

Good luck with the car mate

 

i will have to watch the next time i drive it. to find out what rpm this occurs at? this rub only took place while i was haulin a$$. under normal driving conditions, speed limits, there is no problems. the feedback and information i have read from this and other forums leads me to think this is the early onset of some type of gear problem. i will within the next month replace the gearbox oil to see if this fixes the problem. am i to expect that all at once the gearbox will have some type of meltdown? the rub/grind only takes place when haulin butt, will this then start to happen under normal driving? thanks in advance for any input.

 

The grind I get happens when the car's generally moving slow <have to since gas prices went up > From what you've said your gear synchros are probably faulty/wearing out.

 

i just took her out last night, the wagon, and it still rubs/grinds when haulin a$$. !@#$%. i think i am going to look into new shifter bushings. a couple times it didn't rub but the shift/throw was not slammed into to gear just placed. i know when i am at the track she'll be getting abused

 

My 03 wrx was grinding when i shifted from 3rd to 4th when i was reving over 4500rpm. I took my car to the subaru dealer and they told me it was the gear synchros. they replaced that and all of 4th gear. It was under warranty so i lucked out.