problem, sometimes i can't put my car into 1st gear, it goes in about half way but u can definitely feel that it's not all the way in. i take it out, let go clutch, clutch again and then it usually will fall into place as normal. any1 have any kind of suggestions? a friend said that it happens to all cars when the clutch is worn, but my car is a 2001 so i refuse to believe that the clutch is worn. it's a 2001 prelude base model. let me know what u think

 

Mine did that and I would have to go to 2nd, then first to get it in. Turns out my linkage was broken.

 

yea i can put it into 2nd or 3rd or whatever, kinda of play w/ it for a sec ya know? then it'll be good to go. un-clutching then re-clutching isn't the only way to get it into 1st, just one of the many hehe.
anyway, so your linkage was broken? what is that and how can i check mine?

 

the first gear stickiness is a known issue with Preludes. the easiest way is to gradually let out the clutch pedal while pushing on the lever... the lever will then fall into place.

what happens is the tranny gear stick just lines up in an off position to where the dog teeth wont mesh. by letting out the clutch a bit, the motor spins the gear stick into a new position, thus allowing the dogs to engage.

the only "problem" issue is with an improperly engineered 5th gear shifter fork that causes grinding when shifting into 5th gear. this does not affect all preludes, tho... and if yours wasnt recalled for it, then it doesnt have that problem.

 

hm...i have that first gear problem. and the 5th gear one. My tranny was replaced about 11k miles ago (when i got the car)

hm....so there was a recall?

 

As far as gear stick, it can happen with any manual transmission. Like drift said, the teeth might not line up right when you go put it in to gear. But that's hardly a Prelude-only issue..... every manual tranny I've driven I've had to do that occasionally. There is nothing wrong, so long as you don't jamm 'em. The quickest and easiest way to line them up is to put it into neutral, clutch and put it in to any other gear, then back into first and it will slip right in.

Epoxy, if your tranny was replaced already, good chance the thing was beat up bad. If you don't treat it like a Kenworth 18 gear the tranny should last forever.

 

nah..it only had 3k miles on it.

 

So you have only 14,000 miles on a five year old car?????

 

Ive had similar wackiness with my 2000 lude...Dont worry...

 

It can also be from the syncros. They make hard to put in in first when they get even a little wear.