Shifter- Not going back to Center Point...Help

kho

Registered Member
Joined
8 June 2007
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Location
MN
Finally I'm a NSX owner. Love it so much every time I drive.
A question for you guys...
When putting shifter back to Neutral- it should automatically pop right back into the center below Gear 3 and sit above Gear 4?.
Every time I put my shifter back to Neutral, it stays above where ever the gear was. I tried my buddy NSX too, and it pops right back to the center above gear #4.
My question is.. Do I have a short Shifter Kit? Or does it need to be lubricated? I don't think it needs to be greased, just because it's only 30k miles.
 

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Finally I'm a NSX owner. Love it so much every time I drive.
A question for you guys...
When putting shifter back to Neutral- it should automatically pop right back into the center below Gear 3 and sit above Gear 4?.
Every time I put my shifter back to Neutral, it stays above where ever the gear was. I tried my buddy NSX too, and it pops right back to the center above gear #4.
My question is.. Do I have a short Shifter Kit? Or does it need to be lubricated? I don't think it needs to be greased, just because it's only 30k miles.

It might be something wrong with the springs below the shift boot... You'll have to take the console trim off to see whats going on. I've never heard of this issue but it doesn't sound like a transmission issue. I could be wrong though. Let's see what Larry B or another one of our gurus. :)

Nice picture by the way! Lookin sharp!
 
When you move the shifter side to side does it feel smooth or stiff?
The levers in the gearbox are springloaded to move back to the center position, and I don't remember any kind of spring in the shifter mechanism. If this is the case, and you're not afraid to get under the car, remove the cover from the shift mechanism and check for proper action. If the 2 levers in the gearbox work correctly, it would seem to be the cable or the shifter itself.
Miner
 
Moving side to side- It's stiff. Worse case, it's the cable or shifter itself correct? Not transmission?

So what do I really need to do? I've never opened up the shifter nor gone underneath to check it out yet.
 
I would go underneath and remove the plastic cover on the gearbox. It is on the forward side of the gearbox, and has the 2 shift lever cables going into it, and is held be 2 or 3 bolts (10 mm hex head I believe). The shift cables connect to the gearbox shift levers with cotter pins and small shackles. Remove the pins and you can check the action of the 2 shift levers in the gearbox. If they are smooth and return to center, its the shifter or cables. Then work you way forward to the shift lever.
You can start at the shifter side and work back, but its pretty much as easy to lift the car and go underneath as it is to remove the trim panels from the shifter and center console.
Miner
 
Having replaced the shift lever a few times and installed a couple short-shifters, I can say that the side-to-side movement of the shifter does not affect the cable movement. Your problem is under the console.
 
Yes mine is doing the same thing. Its the cables on my car.....particularly the side to side cable. My up and down one is fine. Basically the side to side cable comes into the bottom of the transmission at an angle. Mine actually kinked just a fraction which caused a little roughness in the cables movement. Just enough to cause the problem that you are describing. You can remove the trans cover and take out the cotter pin on top of that cable and pull on it. If you feel a catch in it going in or out, then that is where your problem is.
 
I think most of you have said it already. The spingloading and return to the 3/4th gate is controlled by a spring INSIDE the trans shift levers. However if for any reason the cable is binding, as mentioned above by the "kink" in the cable, that is the issue. I would be hard pressed to think the mechanism inside the trans is the problem.

Follow above to prove it by taking the cable off the trans. The smaller arm controls the gate, and once the cable is off, you should see it return to center (3/4th gate) once you move it to either side then release it. Make sure you start with the shifter in neutral:).

If the car has had a short shifter, or had the trans removed previously, something may just not be right with the assembly/reassembly.

HTH,
LarryB
 
i've noticed this occasionally as well. of note, the the pins on the shift levers are supposed to be greased before the cables are re-attached to them. I'm going to try to regrease these in the spring (shin-etsu grease is specified in the service manual). I missed this step when replacing my clutch master/slave.
 
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