[thuwaldt]

Hello,
I'm experiencing a similar symptom to many that I've read about. When shifting to 2nd/4th/R, I can't engage the gear, especially in higher RPMs. If I push the shifter forward with a bit of pressure (i.e. jam into third) I can typically shift cleanly, with positive engagement, into 2nd/4th/R if I shift lightly. Pull the shifter back a little bit tougher (i.e. trying to shift quickly to merge onto the highway), and it seems to slip back into the "grinding" position. It's as if the shifter is sliding backwards at some point reducing the travel distances with the three "bottom" gears. Where would one look to see what is causing the slippage? are there links/connectors/adjusters along the shift cable that may be loose? Any common spots for this issue?

2012 Honda Civic EX Coupe 1.8L 5-speed.

Thanks in advance to anyone with any ideas!

 

[Teeps]

How many miles on the car?
Where are you located?
Do they salt the roads in winter?

Here's a Honda Service News article on the subject
We’ve heard reports of customers complaining about the M/T shifting stiffly or popping out of gear. In each
case, the M/T was using aftermarket MTF or old Honda MTF. If you’ve got a vehicle in your shop that fits
this profile, try draining the MTF and replacing it with new Honda Genuine MTF (P/N 08798-9031). This
new MTF offers better overall shift quality in cold weather (especially in freezing temperatures), and
it’s got better friction reduction for improved fuel economy and longer transmission life.
After filling the M/T with this new MTF, take a 10-mile test-drive around town so you can do a lot of shifting.
If you’ve still got this problem after your test-drive, then it’s time to do some troubleshooting.

Check the shift cables where they attach to the transmission.

 

[thuwaldt]

Thanks for the answer.

The car has about 150k and I live in the midwest, so plenty of salt on the road in the winter time. I'll look into replacing the MTF and look at the linkage at the tranny.

Thanks!