1st gear issues Options

[Roger999]

Hi everyone, I've been recently having some problems getting into first gear in my 97 Celica SX with a 5S-FE engine and 94000km. My Mum was the previous owner and has owned it since new, shes never thrashed it before and drives safely.

From a stationary standstill I now always get resistance getting into first gear, as if there is a physical barrier, I can however give it a bit more force and it will shift into gear but I have a feeling this isn't good for the shifter or the transmission. However if I slow to a stop, as soon as I stop I can shift it into first butter smooth with zero resistance. The resistance feels like the one you get when you try to shift into 1st gear when moving, however I'm getting this when I am stopped.

I've also tried the shift to 2nd then into first trick, it feels like it helps a bit but I think it's only going in because I'm shifting faster and with a little more force. If I do it slowly then I still get that physical barrier there. Today I tried this: clutch pedal in, shift to 3rd, shift to neutral, shift to 3rd, shift to 1st and it will go in butter smooth.

I've been driving the car for about 4 months, at first I would only get this issue once or twice a week(about 50/50 chance of getting it in first smoothly on the days I do experience it), I noticed that it often happened after it was raining. However during this period I could shift into 2nd, then into 1st smoothly, and double clutching would fix(kinda double clutch, it goes more like: try to put it in first, feel resistance, return to neutral, clutch pedal out, clutch pedal in, shift to 1st). Currently double clutching doesn't help at all.

I've also just changed the manual transmission fluid with Nulon 75w-90 (some Aussie one), and I still have the same issue, however it solved my problem with 3rd gear grinding when the transmission was cold.

I noticed that it got pretty bad after changing my wheels and tyres at a tyre/wheel place after the dude drove it on and off the car hoist.

I haven't had any issues with the clutch slipping or anything.

Any ideas?

EDIT: Also when the engine is off it goes into 1st gear butter smooth as well.

EDIT#2: I just went out and tried it again. If I shift to 3rd, then straight to 1st, it will go in butter smooth 95% of the time. If I go to 5th then straight to 1st it will go in smooth 80% of the time as well. However if I go from 2nd or 4th gear straight to 1st gear I will always get resistance. So it will only shift into first if I shift into it from the gears at the top. This was all done stationary with the handbreak up.

This post has been edited by Roger999: Apr 11, 2012 - 8:30 AM