2002 Honda Civic Gears are Stiff

Hi tauseefakhan,

Since it is only affecting the 2nd and 4th gear, it should be a gear shift cable fault. I believe reverse should not be easy to engage as well.

Thanks for your time, Reverse is fine. Many Thanks

Are you able to shift into 2nd and 4th easily when engine is not started?

Hi there,

I have a similar issue I would like some help with. I have a 2001 Civic Coupe with about 90K mi on it.

Switching in 2nd, 3rd and 4th is a little difficult. The movement is not smooth b/w gears and if I put it in neutral for a moment and then shift into gear, then it's ok. Like you suggested, sometimes, shifting into reverse is a problem too.

Do you still reckon its a gear shift cable fault? Is this expensive to replace and get installed?

Thanks for your time!

Hi TheG0202,

With so many gears in question, it should not be a gear shift cable fault.

When engine is not started, are all the gears easy to shift into?

When engine is started, with vehicle stationary, is it easy to engage every gear? You must release the clutch before engaging the next gear.

When vehicle is moving, does up shifting from 2 to 3 and 3 to 4 becomes difficult with signs of gears crashing?
Are the symptoms similar or more pronounced when down shifting?

When was the last time you replaced the trans gear oil?
If it was recent, was the correct type of oil used?

Hi KHLow2008,

With the engine off, it's still hard to shift into the gears.

With the engine on, it's the same - gears are resisting (releasing the clutch each time).

I find that when I transition from 2nd-3rd or 3rd-4th, it resists, but then, if I bring it back to neutral and then go into 3rd of 4th, it transitions normally. The transmission feels like the gear is being resisted from going into its full position, i.e. resisting.

Finally, there doesn't seem to be any difference when down-shifting.

I bought the car used about 6 months ago (I live in Houston) so not too sure if/when the transmission oil was changed or what was last used.

Thanks for your help!

If the gear shift seems very loose and has a lot of free travel, the linkage is bad and you would have to check for worn bushes.

I believe it is not going to be too costly to repair it.