Shifter wiggles like neutral even if engaged in gear

[stockfl5]

Hi everyone!

This is my first manual, and I’ve done 400 miles on it so far. Earlier when I was driving, I shifted from 1st into 2nd and felt a small crunch. After that happened, whenever you put it in gear it will engage perfectly fine, but if you have your hand on the shift knob you notice that it will easily wiggle around as if you were in neutral.

I looked around online and the general consensus is that I messed up the shifter bushing.

#1, is that the problem?
#2, what made that happen so early into the car’s life?

I attached a video of my issue.

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[stockfl5]

Here's another video. This one is of a weird sound it is making when I move around the gears. The crunchy sound you hear is similar to the sound I heard when the problem first started, which I described as a small crunch.

 

[TypeRD]

Like any car, if you think you broke something mechanical, then yeah, get it fixed! It’s under warranty too!

 

[stockfl5]

Like any car, if you think you broke something mechanical, then yeah, get it fixed! It’s under warranty too!

Yep, I'm in contact with the dealership about it and taking it for service Friday. Still makes me a little nervous about if it could happen again because I don't know what did it.

 

[TypeRD]

That’s the nice thing about cars. Pending something catastrophic, they’re fixable. Just see what the dealership says and report back. The only thing we can really do on this forum is speculate a wide variety of potential causes…which I don’t think is super helpful to you.

 

[type r fanatic]

Mine does this too, it wiggles a little in 1,2,5,6th gear. Not in 3rd and 4th. I think it’s normal. It slots into gear just fine there’s just a little play in it when in gear

 

[stockfl5]

Mine does this too, it wiggles a little in 1,2,5,6th gear. Not in 3rd and 4th. I think it’s normal. It slots into gear just fine there’s just a little play in it when in gear

I was finally able to get in and speak to a very knowledgeable tech at my dealer's service department today and sit in one of the FL5s in the showroom, and it seems like it was some temporary insanity on my end. I think it was the crunching from the shifter that made me think I messed something up, but after he reviewed the video he said that sounds like the material in the shift boot rubbing due to the cold weather we were experiencing at the time.

Rather be crazy than my car be broken though.

 

[type r fanatic]

I was finally able to get in and speak to a very knowledgeable tech at my dealer's service department today and sit in one of the FL5s in the showroom, and it seems like it was some temporary insanity on my end. I think it was the crunching from the shifter that made me think I messed something up, but after he reviewed the video he said that sounds like the material in the shift boot rubbing due to the cold weather we were experiencing at the time.

Rather be crazy than my car be broken though.

So just to confirm the fl5 in the showroom had the same wiggle in 1,2,5,6th gear? I was worried something was wrong with my car too

 

[Chilly613]

The amount of wiggle seems pretty normal, but if you want to improve and lessen the wiggle, the Hybrid Racing detent springs will firm it right up.


https://www.hybrid-racing.com/produ...rings-16-21-civic?_pos=2&_sid=ee27c3442&_ss=r

 

[TDC50]

The one gear that does not like to be hurried on the Type R is 1st to 2nd.

 

[stockfl5]

So just to confirm the fl5 in the showroom had the same wiggle in 1,2,5,6th gear? I was worried something was wrong with my car too

Seems like everything is fine for both of us!

 

[stockfl5]

The amount of wiggle seems pretty normal, but if you want to improve and lessen the wiggle, the Hybrid Racing detent springs will firm it right up.


https://www.hybrid-racing.com/produ...rings-16-21-civic?_pos=2&_sid=ee27c3442&_ss=r

Appreciate that, I was looking at maybe getting a short shifter or something like that.

 

[Icehawk]

Bear in mind a short shifter may make the 1-2 shift "worse", by that I mean you may need to shift even slower in order to avoid any crunchies. I haven't used in one a cable shifted manual but my experience with them in Miatas (direct shift) is not positive - higher effort and it becomes much easier to beat the syncros.

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