Lately my car has been feeling weird going into 4th gear. It feels like im 90% there, im just not getting that satisfying clunk that i get in all the other gears. It feels like there is something in the way that prevents me getting into 4th all the way. I try pulling on it harder and it physically wont go in. I thought that this might all be in my head, and that i'm actually am into gear all the way, but 2 times i've actually had it just pop out of 4th into neutral with just me driving normally. This doesn't happen all the time, I can still get it into 4th with that satisfying clunk the majority of the time. Whats going on here?

 

If it's been >30,000 miles, it's time to change the gear oil. Catch the old oil in an open pan and see what it looks like. A sheen of extremely fine brass is normal. Lots of brass in gritty-and-bigger chunks may be worrisome and bits of steel are a problem.

 

Actually, not too long ago i had my clutch replaced, new gear oil was added then. But coming up soon im going to change the flywheel, so i can have it changed again. I've heard on some vehicles it could be the shifter seat and/or bushing, does that relate to my car? I can rule out that its not a synchro because it does the same problem as described even when the car is turned off.

 

I wonder, if you go to the top of the transaxle and wiggle the arms where the shift cables connect, do you have a lot of play/wobble?

 

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/560/img0944wg.jpg/



Wow, dangling sensor in the way....





What is this sensor anyway, it as the number 11 on it. its been disconnected ever since i had the car.



http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/801/img0946v.jpg/

 

I'm not familiar with Tibs, so I couldn't tell you.





As far as being chunky into 4th gear goes, it's a problem that I've got too. The actual cause of the two 'stages' of engagement is probably due to the way that 4th gear is designed to mesh, and/or its age. The reason that this is a problem is due to slop somewhere in the gear selector, allowing that resistance to be taken up in the cables and bushes.



Establishing exactly where that slop is coming from is another issue though. It'd possibly take two people to really track it down, but you can certainly start by trying to wiggle the selector arm, as Stocker suggested.

 

That looks like a connector. Possibly a temperature sensor, look carefully by the thermostat housing for a spade terminal with no connector on it.



That (whateveritis) was blocking 4th from going into gear?