Hey guys, I just purchased a used 2008 Honda Civic which is manual transmission and I seem to be experiencing some trouble shifting from first to second. I'm not new to manual transmission cars, my last car I had for three years was a manual transmission and I don't remember ever having this problem even when I first started driving. And I can't forget all of the other cars I drove that belonged to either my friends or family members that were manual transmission, which I never had a problem with. Maybe this is a Honda thing, and maybe I just have to get used to it, but that's why I'm asking you guys.

So basically, when I start accelerating from a standstill in first gear it's fine, I have no problems at all. But when I try going from first to second I can't seem to find that sweet spot. What's happening is it jerks easily, almost like it's hesitating for about a second, then it kicks in. The funny thing is, I don't seem to have this problem at all when shifting from second to third, third to fourth, or fourth to fifth.

Now if I accelerate slowly and shift really slowly, I can seem to make it shift a bit smoother. However when I accelerate quickly and try to shift into second at higher speeds, that's generally where I seem to feel it the most. The only way I've been able to prevent this from happening so far is by pressing the gas just before i begin releasing the clutch, but to my understanding, that can burn the clutch which is something that I clearly want to avoid.

So am I just being paranoid here, is this just the way Honda Civic's generally are, or is it possible that I may have a problem with my transmission or clutch?

 

They've never really been great for speed-shifting, but my thought is that you might have the beginnings of a leak in your clutch hydraulic system. Have you checked the fluid level or changed the clutch fluid recently?

I ask because it sounds like when you push the pedal, the transmission isn't being engaged 100% from the engine, so you may be fighting it to get in gear. If there's air in the lines (from a leak), this will prevent the clutch slave cylinder from extending all the way.

How was the car used in its previous life? If it was beat upon by someone who didn't know how to drive it, it's possible the synchros in 1st & 2nd are worn, but I'd check the fluid route first.

 

Well as far as I was told, the previous owner took good care of the car, but of course one can never be too sure. I just picked the car up from the Honda dealership on the 15th and they did their inspectionbefore I picked it up which they say they checked and filled all fluids and a bunch of other things. Hopefully that means the fluid levels are good.

When you say that its not engaging 100% sounds like a good description because whenever I try to shift, it feels kinda like a loss of power. Is this an expensive job to fix? IT think I've got a little left of the power train warranty at the dealership so hopefully it would be covered under that... What do you think?

 

Hey iKevin,

I have a 2007 EX that does the exact same thing. And believe it or not, I had a 1987 Accord Coupe that I bought brand new and it did the same thing. I don't think there's anything wrong with your car. It's just a weird Honda thing.

 

Hey iKevin

I have a 97 civic hx and it does this exact same thing. Sometimes when I let up on the clutch and pause near the top for about a second before accelerating the jerking just goes away, but I was wondering if you ever found a way to fix the jerking issue.