Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Tranny problems

Here's the deal:
When I shift from reverse into first at a quicker tempo than normal the trans will grind. If I put the gearbox into neutral, let off the clutch, put the clutch back in and into first without waiting to long the trans will grind. However if I wait for a second or two it won't. One other thing is that when coming to a stop you know how you feel pressure when going to put it into first and then around 20mph it just slides into gear, well if I were to push harder around 10mph the car will grind. so. Is first gears synchro blown? I guess I'll have an answer when I go to the shop. Also a side question, is it possible to adjust the clutch linkage and is the clutch mechanical or Hydrallic? Oh yeah and finally I can't find the damn dipstick for the trans fluid, I've looked everywhere if anyone can describe or take a photo that would help out a lot. Thanks

I'll tackle your side questions.
Non-adjustable hydraulic, no dipstick - oil level plug.

Good luck with shop visit.

Given that MTX's (X=transaxle) aren't as robust as manual transmissions, I'd err on the side of caution and take the extra few seconds to shift from reverse to 1st or 2nd to first. You can also try shifting into 2nd from reverse before shifting to 1st. Also double clutching will save synchro wear but for anything 15mph or over you can get away with 2nd gear if you don't have to come to a complete stop. At any rate, good luck at the shop.

Karl