I have a 1998 Saturn SL. The gear shift is very sticky/tight. I have had it come loose recently, and had to replace the connection pieces. Is there anything I can do to make the shifting easier? Thanks!
Your linkage is either worn or could use a little lubrication-take it to a shop and let them sort it out. If this is only a problem when the car is being driven you might try a tranny fuild change in case yours has gotten very dirty-which can sometimes affect shift quality.
Thanks. The repair shop had suggested I was do for a clutch flush. Would this include a transmission fluid change?
Ah, it’s manual.
Hard shifting can be several things.
Gear oil is good for no more than 50,000 miles. The dealer might say it’s lifetime, but it isn’t. I’ve had transmissions that shifted a lot better after a gear oil change.
The “clutch flush” you mention seems like a flush of the clutch hydraulic fluid. This is not a bad idea- should be done every 2-3 years- but it probably won’t fix your problem.
Other areas to check is the shifter linkages, and the engine/tranmission mounts. The transmission might have a hard time shifting if the engine/transmission mounts are worn/broken.