Hi guys - need some help here.

Firstly - I'm in an X3 Accent (1999 registration) MVi (1.5 litre, 16 valve, injection) - Manual gearbox.

The problem I've started getting recently is that after pushing the car hard for about half an hour, when I shift from 2nd into 3rd I get a loud crunch noise and it is a bit difficult to get it into 3rd. :(

This doesn't happen if I drive normally, and it doesn't happen going into any other gear or when going down from 4th to 3rd.

The noise is like the sound you get if you try to put a car into gear without the clutch down far enough.

Took it to a Hyundai Garage but was unable to reproduce the fault and they said I was changing gear too quickly - but the MVi is supposed to be the performance model isn't it?

I have checked the transmition and engine oils and they are all ok.

Any ideas? - because I havn't got a clue :blink:

sound like the 3rd sychro-ring is wearing (3rd is the most often used gear). is it worce when the tranny is cold ?? first I would change the gear oil, make sure you fill with 75W80 GL4 oil (best is synthetic)

The problem is worst when the engine is hot - it doesn't occur all the time - just when it's been pushed hard so I can only presume the engine is operating at just above it's normal temperature. when it is happening.

I am planning on changing the transmition oil to see if that makes any difference.

Thanks for the advice - will report back when I've got it done.

Your best bet is to get Redline MT90, many users say that this gives the feel of a new `box!.
This is sold by Demon Tweeks in U.S. Quarts......you`ll need 3.

Failing that, get your oil from a Hyundai Dealership......our gearboxes have copper/bronze components which are attacked by the sulphur content of some hypoid oils.

Cheers,
Nick. :)

My money is with Duke on this one again.
If I kept a dollar for evey gearbox that I have built from either a Excel, Accent, Lantra 96-00, Coupe 96-03, then I would be a millionaire.

Synchroniser rings or Baulk rings, both the same thing, always fail within these transmissions.
Within your warranty period, had you comploained of this problem, you would have recieved a gearbox overhaul in which they would have replaced your traditional Synchro/Baulk ring with a Dual synchro cone kit.
However considering you had not owned this car within it's warranty period, then it is just simply put "bad luck".

They still crunched after this, and you could purchase a triple cone kit. However I have not fitted one of these triple cone kits myself!

The gear oil may fix it for a while, but if the synchro/baulk ring has had it's day then it will play up again anyway.

I have the same problem, going into 2nd but get it all the time?

What sort of price range are we talking to get this fixed either dealer price or other?

Actually the car is still under warrenty - it was 5 years old when I bought it, but as I got it from a main dealer they gave me 1 years electrical and mechanical warrenty.

The only problem is my nearest dealer is in a city - and as I said - the fault mainly occurs when pushing the car hard. So by the time I get it from the main roads to the dealership, it has had a chance to 'cool off' and hence wont make the noise.

Basically what they said was fair enough - if I can't show them a fault, then they can't call in the warrenty agency to inspect the fault ... and I tried :D so hard that I got a bit over-enthusiastic and got told off for changing gear excessively fast - and I'll admit it was faster than my normal 'fast' :unsure:

Thanks for your help guys - think I'll leave the oil change for a bit and see if I can reproduce the fault exactly so I know exactly what to do at the dealers.

OK - have been chatting with a guy down my local pub (Motor mechanic) and he recons this problem is almost definitely the clutch ...

... we were chatting and I've previously told him about the crunching problem. I said I thought my clutch was slipping as in a straight line everything works fine, but when pulling away fast out of a junction turning left or right, I rev the engine up, let the clutch up, then turn and it revs a bit like when you hit the revs limiter - but at lower revs as if the clutch is slipping.

At first I thought it was the wheels spinning - but it's not (a bit of playful steering wheel waggling prooved that ;) ) - I'm goin to take it into the garage soon and ask them to A) check the transmition oil quality (to see if it has broken down) and, B) to test the clutch.

They can't say I'm reving it too hard to pull away - a clutch is a clutch and should grip - it used to be ok but now is slipping - so is worn out ... I think :blink: - and besides - Mine's the MVI (performance model) so it has no excuse to suffer from these kind of problems.

Regardless of what model level it is, it will run the same gearbox internals, and I doubt very much that it would use a higher spec clutch.

Well I can understand that - sorry - was a bit fired up when writing the last post ... I could always get a higher spec clutch fitted I suppose - but would that affect the gears / syncros more? - I'm still learning about gearboxes, syncros, etc.

No not really, just as long as you are mechanically aware of the extra stresses that are put on the gearbox when you are unfamiliar with how to use a race clutch properly.

you're supposed to bring a racing clutch up quite fast aren't you? - too slow and you'll make it too hot and it may distort?

Anyway - back to the problem in hand - do you think the clutch could cause the gears / a gear to crunch?

Hi!.......if your clutch-plates do not separate fully when the pedal is depressed to the floor, a crunchy gearchange will result.

This non-separation can be caused by a worn/distorted clutch or sometimes because of air bubbles in it`s hydraulic line.......bleeding cures this.

As your clutch seems to be slipping, replacement would appear to be inevitable!.

Nick.

The best way to know whether you have a dragging clutch or not, is to attempt to select reverse. If it always crunches, then your clutch is dragging, regardless of what anyone says. The reason behind this is that reverse is a sliding mesh gear, it will only crunch if the input shaft has not stopped spinning.

As for clutch operation, you should not allow any clutch to slip for too long, regardless of what compound it is.
More to the point that I am trying to make clear, is that with a "grippy" clutch, it will be harsh on the gaerbox during gearchange if the right engine RPM is not met when trying to re-engage the clutch.

The best way is to attempt matching input shaft speed with crankshaft speed, this way you are not putting stress on your clutch assembly.

Are you aware of how to rev match??

roughly - can do it in "normal driving" - hence no crunching - but when required to change up fast (when going down a slip road onto dual carriageway after getting stuck behind something slow) - it will crunch (no time for rev-matching at 50MPH - where I change from 2nd to 3rd in this case).

I literally just got my accent (1999) fixed because of that problem. My car had trouble going from 3rd to 4th gear, and then I heard this pop. The shifter was stuck in 3rd. The shifter was loose. It cost me 450usd to fix. The 2 cables that go from the shifter to the box frayed!!!!!!!....My mechanic could not figure out how it happened and he has been in the business for a very long time. It was very sudden because I have never had a problem shifting before. Nor were there any noises. I wonder if anyone knows if this could be a factory defect. My warranty is gone because I am the 2nd owner. If anyone has had the same problem please let me know.
Thanks

This post has been edited by ljeana2002: Jan 26 2005, 02:44 PM

Have replaced plenty of cables before, mostly young drivers cars where they flog the christ out of it.
Or where the gears are sticking or crunching and they continue to pull on the gearstick causing stress on the cables!!

I thank you for the info. I am guilty of holding on the shifter so I think I did it! Crap! and I am NOT a young driver....LOL...lesson learned, and again THANK YOU!