Is this normal?
I have a problem going into 1st or reverse sometimes.
If I go from a neutral position into 1st sometimes it slides right in and other times it won’t until I release the clutch pedal and push it back in again then it slides right into 1st with no problem….WTF
Is this because of the straight cut first gear or is it a synchronization issue?

 

might not be the same problem as yours, but on mine it'd do the same thing and it turned out my cables were getting stuck sometimes along where it was routed through the frame. I just greased up the cables and its never happened again.

 

What year is your prelude.. If its a 97-01 mine did the same thing.. There is a TSB from honda about it.. Its has something to do with the shift forks..

 

It’s a 2001 prelude base with 10k on it...
Do you have a copy of the TSB?
I went to the dealership once already and they told they didn't want to inspect it until i removed my short shift adapter. To prove my point i removed it, same problem.... Trying to get the dealerships to fix stuff on a car under warrantee around here is next to impossible! I had to yell scream and wine just to get them to fix a noisy alternator.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by prelude2boost &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> I had to yell scream and wine just to get them to fix a noisy alternator.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Nothing like yelling and screaming over a good glass of wine, I prefer a strong Merlot myself.

Definately try and get the dealership to do something though. If they do nothing, then go to another dealership.

 

Ill dig up the tsb but also what I can do is a friend of mine works at a local honda dealership.. Ill get him to print out the tsb paper and i can scan it and send it to you.. Ill look for my work order and get him to print stuff off also..

 

Check preludeonline.com.......tons of stuff about this

 

Thanks, I really appreciate all of your help…
I look forward to showing up with that TSB so I can have some ammunition this time.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by prelude2boost &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Thanks, I really appreciate all of your helpÂ…
I look forward to showing up with that TSB so I can have some ammunition this time.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Opps.. Forgot about you.. Ill call my honda friend in a few minutes and post back here on the tsb number..

 

You cant access Preludeonline unless you pay

I have a friend with a 01 Prelude SH who has the exact same problem. Cant get that pos into reverse or 1st half the time. And sometimes you have to pry it out of reverse. I am also very interested in the TSB, please post it.

 

I tried to register with preludeonline.com several times and i just get this message...

Registration/Signup has been disabled until December 20, 2003. Sorry for the inconvienience. -PO.Com Staff

 

This is a link i found on hpoa.org....
It appears that several other people are having the first and reverse gear problem.

http://www.hpoa.org/showthread...pp=15

 

Im back...

The tsb is 01-070.. Ill get the alldata writeup on it from a friend or if someone has access to alldata online can you post the info for everyone..

 

I just noticed something.. You said 1st gear.. Here is what my car did and you can see if yours is the exact same problem..

When I was driving on the highway and went from 4th to 5th I would get a slight grind going into 5th.. A few days after this started I went to go into reverse at my house and it acted like reverse wasnt even there kinda like it was never there.. If I feathered the clutch for a few minutes I could get it into reverse but had to hold it there to back up.. I also had to push really hard to get it out of reverse..

Is this the same problem you are having..

 

Damnit.. I need to read better.. You said you had to bump the clutch to get it into 1st.. This is a normal thing with prelude trannies.. Every prelude I have ever seen has this problem.. Dont know what it is.. Your reverse problem is because reverse isnt synchronized.. Put it into 3rd then reverse and youll be good.. Also what tranny fluid are you using..

 

I dont believe the problem with reverse is because it is not synchronized. All Hondas (and almost all brands) do not put synchro's on the reverse gear and Ive never driven a transmission thats as bad. The problem with 5th gen Preludes is very extreme. Sometimes it is harder to get the shifter out of reverse than it is to get it into reverse, that is definitely not synchro related.

I believe you were right on the money with your first diagnosis. The TSB with the shift fork.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Muckman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I dont believe the problem with reverse is because it is not synchronized. All Hondas (and almost all brands) do not put synchro's on the reverse gear and Ive never driven a transmission thats as bad. The problem with 5th gen Preludes is very extreme. Sometimes it is harder to get the shifter out of reverse than it is to get it into reverse, that is definitely not synchro related.

I believe you were right on the money with your first diagnosis. The TSB with the shift fork. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Ahh.. Didnt know it was that bad to get it in and out of reverse.. Im guessing then that the tsb is probably the problem..

 

I'm using the stock tranny fluid... I will probably switch to the gm stuff after i take it back to the dealership.
The first thing i tried when it wouldn't go into first was going to second then first, this didn't work either... The problem is intermittent... The only thing i can do is to double clutch it then it slides right into first.
I have no fifth gear grind.