I've seen this before, my 4th gear grinds now every time I'm at or over 5500 rpm. I know I drive my car spiritedly, I have not missed a shift many times maybe 3 or 4 total. I have a few mods on my car, catless and bov, rims and tires. Well yesterday i accidently missed 4th not much though that's what ticks me off, I didn't slam the gear in once I noticed I made a mistake, well now I got a grinding gear, with only 15,000 miles on my 04 WRX. I'm not too happy with my car right now, I'm going to take the car in soon and see if my dealership will fix it, but the question is, is this just going to happen again a few thousand miles down the road because of alittle light miss? I mean no one's perfect we are all going to grind sometime, I've done way worse in my mom's Nissan Xterra and her car is just fine with 70 k on it. I really don't need a car that's going to break on me this soon again. I might just trade in my car for a used S2000 which was one of my choices in the first place.

 

If you can get comfortable with the shortcomings of the S2000 such as room for only 1 passenger and almost no stuff, go for it! It is a dead sexy car. I'd like to own one as a second vehicle to keep for 20+ years because I think they are a classic beauty. My problem is that I need more functionality in a daily driver.

Having said all that, I have never once missed a shift in my car, and it has no engine mods. I've had 4th gear grind 5 or 6 times. It's always when I'm upshifting from 3rd with the engine wound up, and it's always been after the tranny is good and hot from sustained freeway driving or sustained back road fun. When the tranny is hot, I have even MORE trouble with first gear grinding at a complete stop. I'm trying to convince myself that these are just annoyances and that my tranny will last. Time will tell. I don't think it's anything to get rid of a car over.

 

Your not supposed to shift down into first unless your pretty much at a complete stop its a lil hard on the synchro's.

It looks like you have some bad synchro's esracer the dealer should fix those.

 

I hoping they do and the car shifts better than before hopefully, my grind happens all the time when I have the car's rpm up or when I'm down shifting and do a double clutch, it does not like high rpms. I'll be taking it to the dealer soon, I just hope my synchros go out in another 15k after it gets fixed.

 

I have had much less trouble shifting into first at 10 mph by doing a double clutch/rev match than I have had at a complete stop.

It was postulated on the other board that this is potentially not a syncro issue at all, rather it is an issue of a small amount of air being in the hydraulic clutch fluid. The reason is that most people experiencing this problem report that heat is always a factor. I have no idea if it's true or not, but it's definitely the most annoying quirk of my car.

 

I'm starting to see a reoccurance on people who have had problem with their tranny, I'm seeing that yes it gets fixed but then it's messed up again after subaru fixes it, it's like some people get good tranny's then some people get tranny's that once they f up then you're screwed for the life of your car.

 

well if there is air bubbles in the line you can always bleed the suckers but i'd still have the dealers do that.

 

4th gear seems to be the trouble gear.

I have now talked to like 4/5 guys with the exact same problem and most of them with very low miles...30k and under. Modified and non.

check out my tranny problem thread. My car is an 04 stock with 23k milesish.... Same EXACT problem. If I were you, as soon as it starts doing it on a regular basis...like you can duplicate the problem at will. Take it to the dealership and get it fixed.

I took mine to subaru of santa cruz. Talked to ben. They have been great. Gave me a pretty much brand new outback to drive while they worked on my car. Been there a week..i get it back tomorrow or the next day.

Said my transmission is fine as far as gears and what not. The syncro was just not lining up. Talking to the technician and a few other people it sounds like a very common problem. It's not that major of a deal itself but can lead to major deals.

They fixed mine no questions asked. I'd take it in pronto. I'll let you guys know how my car drives on wed.

As for trading it in...I wouldn't do that. If you really want an s2k. Sell your car and buy an s2k. Otherwise you're gonna get yourself barried in it and be stuck.



seems like we all have the exact simptoms in the exact gear. I talked to the technition and he said that 4th actually sees a lot of torque.

I'd return your exhaust to stock if the dealership doesn't know about it...and take it in to get warrantied.

Otherwise you're throwing the dice. They may open it up..see it's clean and it's the syncro problem and fix it. Or they may see your exhaust and say you were at fault. Best to minimize risk.

honda transmissions are awesome. I just can't have a 2 seater as my primary car.

 

that is what the lemon law is for man. If that happens to mine and I have to keep bringing it in for the same problem I'll do everything I can to lemon it and get a replacement vehicle...shoot my folks did it twice...can't be that hard..

but I don't forsee that. I trust my dealership and the guy workin on my tranny. I'm sure it will be fine.

 

I just got off the phone with my subaru dealership and set up an appointment for my WRX. Well I decided to ask about the money figure if they claim abuse and I told him about the bad stories about it, and he was pretty much a dick about it, like it's all because people treat the tranny bad this and that, bah I'm alittle worried now. oh well we'll see, if they do charge me a hell of alot of money to fix the tranny, I guess then i'll think about another car. I love my subaru, just the tranny I am not liking. We'll see, i'll keep you guys updated.

 

Well I get my car back today and Subaru did not fix it, they said that the problem was not in legal speeds.

 

5500 rpm's in 4th is what....80mph?

Just wait a bit longer...it will drop down closer to 4500 over time. Then take it to a different dealer> That is one of the biggest bull**** excuses I've ever heard.

Some dealerships are just loaded with *** holes. I had the EXACT same problem..just look at my tranny thread. I took it in. Guy drove it. Shifted into 4th it didn't happen. I told him to go up in the RPM's a bit more...he did...it grinded..they fixed it. No questions asked. My gears are in perfect shape so it was obvious I do not abuse my tranny. I drive like a damn grandpa half the time.

so yeah. give it time. And make sure to take it in next time after a long drive and get them to take it out with you in the car asap. I don't know about you but my car did it more when it got heated up. Or at the very least make sure you are in the car with them when the tech tests it out.

 

even worse I looked today, 5500 rpm is 75 mph