Shifting/shift lever issue

General Discussion
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1

Hello,

This is my first post. I’ve always loved the Car Talk show, so when I couldn’t find an answer to this on goodly, I created an account.

So here is my problem, and thank you in advance for your input.

Also I’m using the browser on my phone and I wasn’t able to fill in the make and model drop downs. But the car is a 2000 Hyundai Accent L, manual transmission.
When I go to shift from 2nd to 3rd, the shift lever pops out of second gear as I begin to move it.

It doesn’t do this while I’m driving - the car/the transmission is not coming out of gear on its own - only when I move it.

This doesn’t happen every time I shift from 2nd to 3rd, but maybe about 25% of the time.

2

If you’re moving it from 2nd to 3rd, isn’t it doing exactly what you want when it "pops out of 2nd?

3

Hi.

Yes, there isn’t exactly a problem when this happens, but I’ve driven enough cars with a stick shift to know it isn’t “normal”. It doesn’t happen with any other gear progression, and i have had the center console and everything off for over a month (just haven’t put it all back together since working on a separate issue) so I can clearly see the cables etc.
It’s my daily driver and I’m not necessarily worried about this. It’s just very odd to me. The feeling is a every distinct “popping out” where a normal upshift is just a slight resistance coming out of gear trough neutral then into the new gear.

I’m more curious than anything at what is causing this.

4

There’s usually some spring loaded steel balls that mate with a surface containing spherical slots inside the transmission. When the balls are held in the slots by the springs the transmission will firmly stay in that gear. Over time that ball/spring/slot mechanism will wear, parts change dimension, slack ensues, and eventually the transmission will start misbehaving in the way you are describing. Eventually the wear will become enough that it will start slipping out of gear on its own, when you accelerate or decelerate. Tom’s (of Tom and Ray) response to this was a bungee cord … lol …

5

I’m on my second Hyundai, but both were automatics. The only stick I’ve driven in the past 30 years was a Dodge Challenger. The only thing that car had in common with yours was that they both have 4 wheels.

6

Here’s what the spring/ball/slot arrangement looks like.

https://www.freeasestudyguides.com/shift-rails.html

7

Check your motor mounts.

Or if you’re one of those drivers that rests their hand on the shift lever, your synchros are shot.

1 Like
8

Try being very deliberate when shifting, like you were a new driver. Step on the clutch fully, then touch the lever and move it out of 2nd. Any difference? If no, try pumping the clutch once when you do the shift. Still no difference? I trying to isolate if the clutch is not fully disengaged.