06 accord 5 spd manual, problems

I have an 06 accord 5 speed manual (4 cyl) and I'm having some problems
getting into first on occasion (usually when going to a stop, I'll put it in
first at the light or whatnot) it just seems mroe difficult that it should
be (and yes the clutch is all the way down) the car only has 1,000 miles on
it, I'm just wondering if anyone is having problems with this, could it be a
damaged syncro (already?) or is it something else? thanks

-Nick

 

I have experienced that on occation. There is really no reason for
alarm. What I normally do is shift into 2nd or third... then back into
1st. That generally lines thinngs up where it'll go right in.

Professor
www.telstar-electronics.com

 

Trying to jam it into first while your still moving is not a great idea from
what i have gathered. The reason that you can't get it into first is that
the synchros need to spin up to speed. You can hear it, when you really jam
it there is a high pitched whine that happens.

Best practice would be to not jam it into first until at or almost at a stop.

t

 

ok, thats usually when I do put it in first, sometiems I'm at a complete
stop and still havea hard time getting it in 1st. shouldn't you be able to
go form 2nd to first, say for ex your downshifting and slowing and then you
need to speed up again (I dunno, say a bus loses it's breaks and is
barrelling ass tword you, haha)

 

This is not a "problem" that can be fixed. It's just how it was
designed. What was your previous stickshift model(s) that you have
driven?

I had the same experience as you when I got my 2001 Civic manual, which
was my first Honda. I immediately noticed that it would not downshift
into 1st until the car was pretty much at a complete stop (less than 2
mph). Yes, I know that it is the synchros, but how come all the
previous stickshifts I had driven (Subura, Mazda, Toyota) could all
easily downshift into 1st at 5 mph? Especially given how wimpy the
torque is on a Civic, you can' t even accelerate in 2nd gear when
you're going 5 mph, you really need to downshift into 1st at 5 mph.

Anyways, a few years later, I learned about synchros, layshafts, and
double clutching. Now I use double clutching all the time to easily
downshift into 1st gear. Reading these few pages will help:
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/transmission3.htm
You can search around for how to double clutch for downshifting.
Basically, you want to be coasting in neutral with the clutch up. Rev
the engine so that RPM goes to about 1500 (or whatever to match the RPM
required to go at current mph in 1st gear). Quickly shift into first
normally. It takes a little practice.

 

my last car was a 2001 Nissan maxima SE 5 speed, and the car I had previous
that was a stick shift was a 93 saturn SL2 5 speed, it's funny cause I don't
remember it doing this in my saturn (although I'm not as it was a while ago)
and it definetly did it in my nissan as well

 

Take it back to the dealer and explain the problem to them. I have owned 2
Accords and a Prelude all with 5 speeds and never had a problem like this
even after thousands of miles.

 

Should almost never need to shift from second to first while moving,
use the brakes, brake pads are cheaper than syncros!


J.

 

I disagree. There are many situations where is it is convenient to
downshift into 1st while moving: making a turn, bumper to bumper
traffic, going over speed bumps, basically any time that you're going
slower than 10 mph, and want to accelerate without coming to a complete
stop first.

While it may not be the case for a V6, entry level models like Civics
do not have enough power to accelerate under 10 mph in 2nd gear.

 

I disagree. There are many situations where is it is convenient to
downshift into 1st while moving: making a turn, bumper to bumper
traffic, going over speed bumps, basically any time that you're going
slower than 10 mph, and want to accelerate without coming to a complete
stop first.[/QUOTE]

Wrong.

The ONLY thing first gear is for, is to get the car moving from a
complete dead stop.

Really.

If you're already moving, 2nd gear is more than adequate to do the
job--any job.

And in fact, 2nd gear can get you going from a dead stop, too--although
not as efficiently and easily as 1st gear.

Anytime you're slower than 10mph and you want to accelerate, you go to
2nd gear and do it.

 

No it's not. When I'm under 10 mph and in 2nd gear, there's no power.
You can accelerate very, very gently in 2nd gear, but you can't get any
reasonable acceleration. Well, you can if you overrev the engine and
let the clutch do the work, but then you're wearing the clutch.

Yeah, I know. I've started from 3rd gear as well.

 

No it's not. When I'm under 10 mph and in 2nd gear, there's no power.[/QUOTE]

There was plenty of power at 5mph in second gear in my 92 Civic, fer
chrissakes.

I could even take right turns in third gear.

 

well my orignal post wasn't ment to spark this debate if you should be
shifting to 1st geat at certian times, I USUALLY use 2nd gear anytime I'm
moving, but there are times I'm slowing down (comming to a stop at a red
light) just about to stop and the light goes green, being that I'm at like
1-3 mph I'd want to be in 1st gear as not to lug the engine, but sometiems
it gets stuck going into first. am I being told that this is "supposed" to
happen? seems like a design flaw to me....

-Nick

 

it's the synchros working as they should [to protect you from yourself]
- it's not a flaw. if you want to put it into first while rolling,
learn to double-clutch - it'll go in every time.

 

I dunno, have they changed the gearing significantly since the 2001
models? Going at 20mph in 2nd gear, mine is only at 2200 rpm, so that
means 10mph = 1100 rpm, 5 mph = 550 rpm. There barely any power at 1100
rpm, and there certainly isn't any at 550 rpm.

 

Maybe a design 'limitation'. When I was a carefree bachelor I had a Lotus
Europa, the earlier version with the Renault 16 engine and transaxle. I used
to marvel at how easily it shifted into first and second gear, up or down...
then I found the first and second gear synchros were conical instead of ring
shaped. They sure worked well, but I never got a handle on how they actually
did their thing.

Mike

 

most synchros today are conical - it's a cone clutch [i saw some old ww1
ambulances with leather cone clutches instead of the flat dry plate we
all know today. dead fierce apparently]. the ring type is the porsche
system. also very effective, but less abuse tolerant. good for racing
though as you can jam it into place - the cone type you have to wait for
it to do its thing, but idiot proof. a light flywheel speeds the
process up, which is probably what you had on the lotus.

 

The question for the OP is, have you always had this problem with this
car? Or did it change after driving 1000 miles? If the problem only
arose after driving it 1000 miles, then it might be a real problem. But
if it has always been like that, even exchanging for a new car won't
help.

 

Is your accord a 2.0, 2.4, or 3.0 V6?

 

sorry if it's a dumb question, but I know 2 chaps, and both 3.0 and 2.4 have
the similar problem, except for the 2.0.