Hey guys,

I'll do my best to explain my issue if it is even an issue or if I'm just freaking out. I've had a serious rough couple of months with work and my finances and that I'm just real scared I need a transmission job.

Anyways last night I threw in the good old GM synchromesh. Gears were semi sticking wanted some fresh fluid. Car sits outside all the time, winter here in Ontario has Been brutal. I noticed these issues prior to changing the fluid but they did not occur all the time with prior to MT fluid change.

All my gears shift like butter now. It's so smooth unbelievable. GM you are liquid magic. However, I've noticed a minor issue with my 5th gear. Now is this because of the frigid cold temperatures, or am I truly in for a tranny job.

I usually let my car idle 2-3 minutes prior to driving. Then it's about a 1-3km drive to the highway. On the on ramp I speed up to about 80-90 before shifting into 5th. When shifting into 5th it feels a little funny. I will try to explain. It's not as smooth as say 1-4. You can feel minor friction. No there is no grinding noise. No 5th does not pop out ever while driving. Is this just because my car is cold and is this typical for 5th gear on a Fit to not be as smooth as the others? I know honda transmissions are never real smooth going into reverse, I'm experiencing what you would experience going into reverse just less noticeable.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

I'd think about lubricating the actual shift linkages (under the gearshift lever) and cables. They may be stiff and gunky, and if so, the cold weather would actually make the problem seem worse.

On our former Civic and Accord, both benefited from spraying liberal amounts of silicone lubricant up & under the gearshift area after the cars were a few years old. (I don't know how accessible this is on a Fit.)

 

I am probably going to do that in the next couple weeks when it gets warmer out. I'm thinking about using white lithium grease. I've read on some Celica forums as well as VW forums that it works great. Never should use WD40 of course. How difficult is it to lubricrate the shift linkages and cables? Does anything need to come off or is it just a matter of going underneath the car and spraying some lube? Or do I just pop off my 4 bolts on air filter, lube linkage from the top as well as pop off the shift boot and lube that way as well with the lithium? I may create a DIY for this. I feel it should be done every 30k when you change the MTF.

I am starting to think that it must be a lot of gunk down there. We have had a real bad winter. Tons of salt and sand in the roads that probably got kicked up. Only noticed this stuff since the snow started hitting hard in the end of Dec till now. Car has been in great condition since. Use to be serviced by Honda every 4-6 months. Clutch holds fine and therefore cannot be my clutch. Synchros are fine as car shifts into gear as well as holds gears not popping out. Just sometimes, not all the time it doesn't shift as butter as it would for 4th gear lets say which leads me to believe the tranny is not the culprit and that it's a lube issue. Even after changing the fluid it got a lot better, so I'm feeling it needs some more lube elsewhere. Am I wishful thinking? Or does this seem pretty accurate. My issue is not comparable to any transmission issues I've read on the internet.

 

When it's "really cold" out here (i'm talking like 35 lol) I can feel some strange things in the shifter until I move it around a bit and drive. Second always feels a little crunchy but even more so when it's cold.

You have to remember there's no fluid pump, trans oil is just sitting there getting splashed around so idling might not really do the trick to heat it up that well. Does the fif gear weird feeling go away after driving for a bit? If not then yes i'd inspect the linkages.

Fifth gear would be a strange gear to go out is another reason, it's not like you're downshifting to fifth or power/quickshifting to fifth.

 

The 5th gear issue usually goes away on the weekend. What I mean by this is during the week, 5 minutes after driving I hit 5th gear once on the highway, then I get off right away after one exit and am at work. On the way home I don't even hit 5th gear. But in the weekend if I drive around for a bit do errands then jump on the highway it seems to be fine. Just a little crunchy as usual you know.

If I did want to inspect my linkages would it be difficult? Is anything required to unbolt etc? Or can I just go under spray some lithium grease, pop off shift boot spray some grease and I'm done? I might just do it in my day off in Monday for extra lube and peace of mind.

 

I would use something that flows, rather than lithium grease. That's why I suggested silicone spray. You want it to penetrate the moving joints.



I'm not familiar with the Fit's shifter and cable layout, but once you are underneath the car it should be apparent.

PS, if the silicone spray frees up your shift action, THEN use the Lithium. But, that is precisely the type of lubricant that stiffens with the cold.

 

More than likely it's the link under the car, not familiar with the GD's placement and undertrays or whatever but it shouldn't be hard to get to. I'd just clean it off, spray it, do the inside link for good measure and see if it helps any.

May be a combination of cold fluid and sticky linkages.

 

Alright sounds good. Thanks for the replies. I guess I will be jacking her up in Monday. Giving her a good spray down. I'm also going to rip out the boot from inside the car and spray around there as well. Guess it couldn't hurt. Might as well turn a 10 minute job into a 15 minute job right. Lol. Make sure it's all cleaned up and lubed up.

 

I've never had any issues with fifth, however reverse and 2nd always put up a good fight when its cold.

 

Funny you mention it. Cause reverse has never been smoother after I did the GM synchromesh. 2nd yeah she puts up a fight sometimes.

 

@OP: Your problem does not sound serious since you haven't made it clear that the gearbox was fully warmed up. I would do what the others have recommended.

Post up this GM Synchromesh product. I'd like to see exactly what you are so happy with (might use it myself).

 

You will have to take off the center console to get the the shifter box, you will not be able to access it from under the car

 

Okay fair enough. That's what I was asking thank you. I will take off my boot etc.

I also popped the hood and I could have sworn I saw some cables under the hood for the tranny. I will be spraying those down as well taking off the boot.

GM synchromesh can be bought from GM dealer. It's $20 a bottle. You will never want to go back to honda fluid. This stuff is liquid magic. It will make you reverse like butter. Don't buy it from a lube place it's expensive from them. Go straight to the dealer. Parts stories do not sell it.

To clarify GM synchromesh is a transmission fluid. Best stuff you will ever buy. Well worth it.

 

There's a shift linkage from the shifter to the trans.

This guy:


What synchromesh did you use? I was reading the GM Synchromesh Friction Modified version is the bees knees but also that it's not readily available anymore. Is that true or do you just use the standard Synchromesh fluid?

 

I used what ever they sold me at GM. It is written on several boards to use GM. If it's just synchromesh or the friction modified. Regardless of which you use you will not be disappointed. I've always known about this. I've used it in my first car an 89 EF Hatch back when I was 16.

Also thank you for that picture. I'm going to grease the hell out of that circle tonight or tomorrow. As for under neath my shift boot I'll wait till spring when I actually have to fix my shift boot haha. Need to do a touch up of my leather JDM boot install on the bezel.

 

No problem! I've been thinking of trying the synchromesh, or some other interesting fluid but will probably wait until out of warranty. My synchros are fine, 2nd annoys me occasionally like I said but never grinds, just hoping a different fluid might help that 1-2.

Hope our suggestions fix your problem!

 

When off warranty you need to buy the GM. If it does not work to your standards and you are not in love go with something else. But you should be satisfied with it.

I think it has been a combination of the cold and myself getting too much in my head. Tranny seems fine for the most part and not serious issues like what I have read in other forums and threads. My car never slept outside for a full winter. This was the first year. Also a real bad winter in Ontario that's for sure. Want my car shifting real smooth as she has 152k on her and want her to last till 300k. I do think it's lube issue as I highly doubt those linkages have ever been lubed along with a delayed tranny fluid change. Plus I drive 10 minutes to work so that's not enough time to get everything warmed up and moving when I don't go above 80km on my way to work and after sitting outside in -17.

I am going to do the lube of the linkage over the weekend or on family day. Then going to take it for a long cruise in the boonies. Get all the gears working. Then I will post and let you guys know how it went. I'm assuming after driving for 30 minutes she will be fine. I haven't driven the car longer then 10 minute intervals in a month lol no need to leave my neighbourhood.

 

Rule of thumb is to drive a warm engine at least 45 minutes to adequately purge condensation from the crankcase (and thus, make your oil less acidic). Ideally, you want to do this once a week.

With this winters' weather, that's probably about an hour for a car that's left outside.


++++++++++++

I've not used the GM Synchromesh fluid, but transmission fluid replacement is a constant topic on the - Bob is the Oil Guy forums.

Here's one to read:

Hypothetical Honda MTF question. | ATF, Differential, Trans, Brakes, P/S | Bob Is The Oil Guy

There are morerecommendations if you search the MTF fluid section for
Syncromesh GM*


Tonight's reading was the first time I learned that the Fit's 2nd and 3rd syncros are carbon fiber!

I replace the Honda MTF in both our Fit and CR-V every 25 - 30K miles. I can feel the difference with fresh fluid.

 

The linkage has always seemed ever so slightly less smooth going into 5th gear on my Fit. I assume it has to do with two things: first, the fact that the shift itself is a little more cumbersome (it requires three separate movements, rather than a single one); and second, there's an interlock mechanism that prevents shifting directly from 5th to Reverse, and I (think I) can feel the lever or cam or whatever doing its thing.

I don't think the OP has anything to worry about in terms of transmission failure. Certainly cleaning and lubricating the linkages can only help things, so they're not in any way wasted effort.

 

I have never seen a manual shift cable or cables on a Honda Fit so this may not apply.

I had a shifting problem on my motorhome that got stiffer and stiffer over about 2 years. Finally it bound up completely. I removed the cables and found that the bottom end on the transmission had rusted enough to bind it. I freed it up with a soaking if spray Kroil. After that I pulled the cable as far out as possible out of each end (one at a time) and covered all of the exposed cable with nickel based anti-seize. Then I worked the cable back and forth for a while and it loosened up completely. I reinstalled it about 5 years ago and have never had a problem since. It also shifts much smoother than I ever remember it doing before.

This procedure may or may not apply to your Fit.