I have a 96 Eclipse RS (2.0) with manual transmission.
It has 132k miles on it, but it has been running great. During the last week a problem has developed. I now can hardly put it any gear and it requires a lot of strenght to shift.
I had it for an oil change at speedys and they told me that I may need to replace the transmission.
For a while, I have heard a funny noise when it went above 4k RPM. It started after the 120k mile service and its a high pitched whistling sound. I am not sure if it is related.

I was wondering:
- Has anyone had a similar problem?
- Is it the transmission?
- How much am I looking at (roughly). I am not sure if I should replace it. I love the car, but it may be time to give it up (although I have had no other problems whatsoever).

Andre

 

Hello and welcome to MF andre75.
First off, where did you have your oil changed? How do they know that you may need a tranny change? Other than having a hard time shifting to move your car?

Check your transmission fluid, look for metal flakes. You know what...I would just change your fluid, no need to check anything except for what comes out...look for metal specs then. I'm thinking that the fluid is old or is even low.

 

Hello John,

Thanks for the welcome ! It is always when I have problems that I find good boards, but then again thats what they are for.
I had it at SpeeDee around the corner. They didn't say they knew for sure, since they didn't run a diagnosis. I told them to have a quick look since I am having trouble getting the gears in (it takes a lot of strength and seems to get worse fast). On the receipt it says they checked the transmission fluid and the lady told me it was clean, but if I would trust a mechanic I would't be posting here ;-).
So mainly I think it must be something more serious, since I can hardly shift. They said the clutch was fine.
Sometimes I heard a little grinding noise when i tried to switch gears, which makes me believe it may have something to do with syncronizing speeds of gears during switching (I am a noob when it comes to cars).

Andre

 

sounds like an issue with the hydraulic part of the clutch.
check the clutch reservoir for fluid... if its low, you have a leak and need to get it repaired.

 

The car has been standing around for about 3 months, not sure if that has anything to do with it.
So how do I check the clutch reservoir?
How much is such a repair going to set me back?

 

well the clutch resevior is in the engine bay. Im not sure where it is on your car. I know on the turbo model it was on the right side. And as for the cost to fix. Its hard to say. A small tranny fluid fix is cheap, and if you have any other problems, like a bad master cylinder then it could be alittle more. But i dont think even that will cost you that much. Since your having trouble with every gear it seems that its not the tranny itself.

 

I took it to AAMCO the other day. They noticed there were hydraulic leaks. They replaced the master and slave hydraulics (cost $412). Then they told me the clutch is still slipping. Now I am just repeating what they told me, since I know nothing about the car.
On the RS, the clutch is attached to the flywheel. The part costs $412. The labor is another $400. If I get this fixed, I am looking at around $800 more (or $1200 total). The car with 132k miles on it may not even be worth $1200, so I told them to stop working on it.
No matter how you spin it, I have to pay $412 anyways. So its more like is the car worth the $800?
They say it drives, but the slipping clutch will generate heat and eventually take out the transmission too.
Any bright ideas how I can get this done for less?
I don't have the knowledge and tools to fix it myself but knowledge can be aquired and tools can be bought. I am just not sure if I am up for it.
I just wanted to ask if what the guy tells me does make sense.
He says the car is driving now, but won't be for long.

 

I dont think a bad clutch could really break the tranny. All it will do is slip and you may end up having trouble shifting because the clutch wont engage correctly. Maybe look a this http://auto.howstuffworks.com/clutch.htm it has a good visual.

 

Ya, i agree.. I dont think it would ruin your tranny.. Your clutch would just be completly shot..

The squeling noise, could that be the throw out bearing goin?

 

The squealing could likely be the TOB. Are you pressing in the clutch when it squeals? If so, then yes, be ready, lol.