2003 Base 5spd shifting issue: Advice needed!

[NaviJen]

Hi Forum,I am a 2003 vibe (base model) owner, purchased in late 2002. HistoryAt 55k (Mar 06), the transmission literally ground to a halt on the highway. Dealer & GM family first worked together to replace my transmission (new one, not remanufactured) at no cost. Worked fine until recently (currently at 80k).Current issueStarting a couple of months ago, only when cold, I occaisonally would hear a grinding noise when shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear. When car was warm, or if I shifted very slow (to 'feel' the gear engage), no noise. Local shop (non dealer) changed the tranny fluid (used synthetic, don't know what kind).However, it's still happening. And, starting yesterday, tranny is becoming more finicky. When warm, once it did not downshift from 5th to 4th (no noise, just pressure when trying to downshift). And, I haven't been able to get it into 1st (at a dead stop) once or twice today. Can anyone tell me what the problem might be? I am taking to the dealer on Wednesday and am trying to formulate approach beforehand. (particularly since I am coming up on the 3 year/30k warranty for the replaced transmission).This is my first US car, and honestly, I'm not impressed. Instead of keeping this until it drops, I'm seriously contemplating getting the transmission working and going back to Asian cars.Thanks in advance!Boston Jen

[vibe11]

this is exactly what happened when my tranny went out. and by the way u can blame toyota for that it is not gm's fault the tranny and engine along with every thing else on the car is a toyota, except for the body styling.

[ou.grizzly]

Quote, originally posted by NaviJen »This is my first US car, and honestly, I'm not impressed. Instead of keeping this until it drops, I'm seriously contemplating getting the transmission working and going back to Asian cars.Boston Jen,I am afraid to tell you, but the Pontiac Vibe has a Toyota Engine/Transmission. So, you are driving an Asian or Japanese vehicle. Now, as for the the transmission there have been a few members who have had issues with their 5 Speed Manual Transmissions. One member in particular that comes to mind is "Joatmon." His information/saga is located here http://forums.genvibe.com/zero...age=1If your vehicle is in warranty or just coming out of warranty while this is your 2nd issue, the dealer an or GM may just foot the bill. Keep us posted.

[NaviJen]

Hi Guys,Thanks for the responses...and you are right, it is a Toyota platform (you'd think as a daughter of a 35 yr vet, I woulda remembered that!)So, what would be my response if the dealer tells me it's the clutch? What is causing this grinding noise (because don't failing clutches make that same noise)?ThanksJen

[ou.grizzly]

One would think it is not the clutch, it has to be the gears/synchros/pressure plate causing the issue. If they put a new transmission in, therefore the clutch would of been new also. Premature wear due to faulty parts. ??Like I mentioned before, Joatmon would be able to tell you more about it. You may want to send him a PM.

[prathman]

Quote, originally posted by NaviJen »What is causing this grinding noise (because don't failing clutches make that same noise)?Usually clutches fail by starting to slip, not by causing grinding noises when you shift. However, a clutch that isn't disengaging fully could cause the noises you're hearing. That should be fairly easy to diagnose by seeing if there's any friction in the clutch when it's disengaged (e.g.. do the front wheels turn freely if the transmission is put in gear and the clutch is depressed). The problem might also be an adjustment issue with the linkage between the shift lever and the transmission, but it could also be a more serious problem inside the transmission. Since the warranty is about to expire on the replacement tranny make sure you get it diagnosed soon by the dealer. Even if they first claim it's something else you'll at least have documentation that the problem already showed up during the warranty period

[NaviJen]

Well, I'm 0 for 2. Dealer owner & GM family first said that:a-I need to pay for the diagostic to see if the tranny is actually failing ($400)b-If the car needs a tranny, GM will only cover 20%.Personally, I think this is BS. This tranny has less than 30k MI on it. Granted, GM covered the first replacement, but they put in a new tranny, and it shouldn't go after 30k MI (less than 3 years, with alot of highway miles).NSimkins, can you forward my issue to the national Vibe Brand person (shoot, I forget his name) to see if anything else can be done? I love this car, but I'm not going to put $3500 into a tranmission that might fail again in 24 months!Thanks....Jen

[joatmon]

My tranny problems were bearings, never had any serious trouble shifting, but it made me swear off Japanese.Sounds like your current troubles, if internal to the tranny, would be synchros going bad, little things that help align the gears so it shifts smoother. If they were going bad, you might be able to try double clutching, that's what people had to do before they invented synchros. Another possibility is that the shifter linkages are gunked up. The shifter inside the car is connected to the tranny with two cables, and there are bushings where these cables attach to the shift mechanisms on the tranny. At one point, mine were really full of salt and road grime, when I took them off, cleaned and lubricated them, seemed like shifting was a lot smoother. Maybe yours are high friction, causing the tranny to not be able to shift fully to the position where it would drop into gear. http://forums.genvibe.com/zerofile/6856/5speed.jpg shows these at the tranny end.I have had occiasional problems, even when brand new, shifting into reverse, or first froma a dead stop, and when it happens I usually shift to neutral, let the clutch out, put the clutch in, and try to shift back into gear. Seems to spin something internal to let it shift ok. I think that's just the nature of these trannies, not something that indicates a reliability problem or a failure.having a second tranny go in a short period of time is quite frustrating. These things should be bullet proof, especially if you listen to all the hype about Toyota reliability. If they really did put in a new tranny, and they warranteed it and your still in that warranty, then it seems like they should pay more than 20%. THey don't warranty clutches, because there's no way to prove that it wasn't the driver casuing the clutch to burn up. I'd say first try the easy and low cost option, clean and lube those bushings