Grinding gears in an 04 Elantra GT

I posted earlier about a problem we were having with gears grinding
between 1st and 2nd gear. I took the car back to the dealer and they
did confirm the problem. I get the car back after they had it for well
over a week, but now a different issue appears. We cannot shift into
reverse unless we shift in and out of 3rd or 4th gears. Sometimes we
need to shift repeatedly between 3rd and reverse before we can
successfully move the shifter into reverse. I bring it back to the
dealer... They have had the car for over a week and have not called me
back. Today I call them, and now they are saying that is normal and
they confirmed it with another car sitting on the lot. I don't believe
this, it didn't happen before we took the car to them to fix the first
problem.

Does the into 3rd or 4th gear and then into reverse ring true with any
other Elantra owners?

On top of all that, the mechanic scratched the paint on the fender too!

 

What you are describing is a normal condition with any manual transmission
vehicle. When shifting into reverse, the vehicle is not moving, so the
transmission cannot align (synchronize) the gear to the shifting mechanism
inside the transmission. The way to get the vehicle to shift into reverse
if it does not do so on the first try is to either select another gear
(this will move the gears in the transmission just a little bit) and try
again, or to allow the vehicle to begin to roll if on an incline. The
second method should result in an almost immediate reverse engagement.

This does not excuse the lousy service, however. One week to go out, move
the shifter around, and then do the same on another car, and then not call
you, but rather wait until you call them. I'd find another dealer if
they're anything but apologetic about this.

 

Another approach (the one I use) is to come off the clutch just a little bit
(i.e. let it out to about 1" - 1.5" off the floor and the car will go into
reverse. I don't even move the shifter out of the gate, so after a while it
becomes an almost smooth motion. Did this with several manual cars I had
over the years.

Some days mine goes into reverse without this trick, other days I need to
coax it this way.

 

Bad advice abounds.

You have to double clutch to get into reverse. Stop the car. Put
shift into neutral (center). Disengage the clutch for a moment (let
the pedal up). Shift into reverse.

What you are doing is letting the engine spin the layshaft in the
tranny. As long as the layshaft is moving, it can find reverse.
Otherwise, it can't. Forget about 3rd gear.

Xin

 

No, you don't HAVE to double clutch to get the car into reverse. That's
just one more method in addition to the others that have been mentioned.

 

Absoloutly true. Also, you don't HAVE to use the brakes to stop the car,
you can just run it into a tree or brick wall.

Xin

 

Xin,

You started your post imperiously criticizing the advice that was being
offered. In your next statement you state (not suggest) that one "has" to
double clutch to get the car into neutral.

When Brian replies that you don't "have" to double clutch but that this
method is another alternative, you retort with sarcasm using some sort of
comparison with using brakes to stop the car, which is an imperative action.

What are you trying to accomplish here?

I have a GT and have *never* double clutched to get the car into reverse,
okay? Sometimes the car goes into reverse with not hassle whatsoever, so
there goes your imperative "have to double clutch" out the window.

The remaining other times, I simply have to ease off the clutch 1 - 1½
inches from the floor (not disengaging the clutch totally by any means) and
*with the gear lever in the reverse slot* (not in neutral) to get it to slip
into gear.

Putting a "smilie" after your comments masks your tone only to the most
ignorant.

Wayne Moses,
2002 Hyundai Elantra GT
http://egt.gwebworks.com