I have two questions about some things that don’t necessarily render my vehicle inoperable, but do worry me about maybe having expensive repairs in the future and wondering if there is any preventative maintenance I can do ahead of time to save me some money in the long run. This is the letter I sent to Click and Clack, if anyone is knowledgeable about any other this I could really use your help:
Dear Click and Clack,
I have a 2002 Kia Spectra with a manual transmission. For the past few months an issue with shifting into “REVERSE” has grown progressively worse. At random times, when I push my clutch all the way down and try to shift into reverse, there is a clanging noise like a hammer hitting a hammer and the car will not shift, or other times it will grind, and other times it will shift into reverse like it was a new car. When the car refuses to shift into reverse, I must slowly let up off the clutch and grind it into reverse. The car shifts just fine into 1st and all the other gears. The car is a 5-speed. What could be causing these random fits of noncooperation?
I also have another question about my Kia, when I drive over a bump my car “squeks”, you know, like a squeaky shopping cart, more so at the front driver side of the car it seems around the wheels. This only happens when going over bumps, what is causing my car to sound like a cheap shopping cart?
Thanks!
I think you have a linkage problem. I hope for your sake that you have a linkage problem because the only other thing I could think of would be a synchro problem or maybe a bent shift fork, but it really sounds like a linkage that’s misadjusted. Fingers crossed.
And, as for the other problem, you likely have some dry bushings that are making that noise. Have a mechanic (not someone at a Quick Lube place) try lubing all of the bushings in the suspension and the steering components and the noise will likely go away–at least for awhile.