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I'm lowered on H&R/ZX2.

I was driving home this morning and hit a mildly packed down drift, I was the lowest thing over it so far, and it stuck pretty good going over in mid 1st gear. Got through it though, but on the other side, I lost 1st, 3rd, and 5th gear. Driving home with only 2nd and 4th (about an hour) was interesting, but eventually I got all the gears back. Figured it was just ice jammed up in the linkage, which would make sense. But I parked it for a few hours, and I lost them again, and now I have a fairly solidish 1st, a half-engaged feel of 3rd, and still no 5th.

they feel solid, like its missing, or the clutch isn't working, but it grinds if you push hard. I checked underneath, and its all jammed with snow up over the bellows and the crossmember etc is all jammed too. I guess I'll wait a few days for when it gets warmer. I let her idle for 10 mins in a garage, and melted two little puddles on the floor. Yay for < -25C.

That was my strange car experience today.

I figure you probably tried this already, but try engaging the gears when the car isn't running, that's as good a way as any to see if the clutch is the issue.

Clutch obviously isn't the issue, or I couldn't be taking off in 2nd like I have been for the past few days.

I'd figure ice as well. Is the movement of the shaft at the trans similar in 2nd and 4th? Secondly how's the trans oil level? Thirdly your a nob for driving a lowered MX-3 in the snow.

Ryan is there a chance you bent your linkage?

Yes, I know, and yes.

Its just that I had been working all summer on a borrowed jack, so I'm just procrastinating so I don't have to use the stupid scissor one.

I need to check it out soon anyway, because I start commuting 2 hours a day starting Thursday.

I also might have broken a motor mount, because it runs perfectly smooth, but man does the whole car vibrate at certain RPM's.

Ryan wrote:Yes, I know, and yes.

Its just that I had been working all summer on a borrowed jack, so I'm just procrastinating so I don't have to use the stupid scissor one.

I need to check it out soon anyway, because I start commuting 2 hours a day starting Thursday.

I also might have broken a motor mount, because it runs perfectly smooth, but man does the whole car vibrate at certain RPM's.

Transmissions are a PITA, period. -.-

Mine whines obnoxiously in 4th, and it makes me very glad I never spend time in 4th.

I got this fixed... as you all know, the linkage on the trasmission side features a box of sheetmetal to hold the bushings in. That was jamming against ice buildup on the crossmember

That's something you'd never discover except by accident, so now we have a solution if it ever crops up again ;D