Z06Vette.com - Corvette Z06 Forum - Synchro Problem, Into the Dealership, Dealership says there IS A service Bulletin!!

Hye06 · 02-20-2003, 02:59 PM

Last Saturday At the track My car kept getting stuck in fourth gear and ocassionally grinded 3rd gear. This was the first time that I got STUCk in 4th gear, however it was the 3rd time that it made a 'grind' noise as I slammed third gear at the track. I was even on the freeway with the shifter getting stuck in 4th gear

I was NOT powershifting any runs at the track, and always lifted.

So I took it into the dealership on Monday (Ostrom Chevrolet in Montebello). The service manager was really cool and knew the problem immediately. He says that this is NOT the first time that Corvettes have came in for this problem.

I called him today and he told me that they DID HAVE a Service Bulletin posted for this "synchro problem". He said that he ordered me an Ugrade GM "synchro-shift fork upgrade" He said the stock ones were made out of aluminum, and the ones I would be receiving were galvanized. Is that steel? Im not sure what galvanized is.

So Im really happy to see that everything has gone smooth so far at the dealership. Hopefully I will not have this problem again with the transmission. The car had approx. 3K miles on it. I should get the car back sometime in the middle of next week.

He said that they took out out for a testdrive and could not duplicate the problem, but assured me that even though they could not duplicate that they were still going to address the problem seriously.

Good to see that there is a service Bulletin up for this problem. So if you are having any problems, i recomend that you take off your drag radials, clean the rubber up underneath, and take your car into the dealership

i hope to have her running the following week, and hope that our "sea level" track that we race at is open.

IT L GO · 02-20-2003, 03:04 PM

[quote]Originally posted by Hye06
[b]

I called him today and he told me that they DID HAVE a Service Bulletin posted for this "synchro problem". He said that he ordered me an Ugrade GM "synchro-shift fork upgrade" He said the stock ones were made out of aluminum, and the ones I would be receiving were galvanized. Is that steel? Im not sure what galvanized is.

That's Great news for us gear jammers LOL

Rick

intofx · 02-20-2003, 03:10 PM

Did they say anything about you having an aftermarket shifter?

Matt

Hye06 · 02-20-2003, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by intofx
Did they say anything about you having an aftermarket shifter?

Matt

no because I put the stock one back in

took all of 15 minutes

**jub jub** · 02-20-2003, 06:08 PM

Thanks for posting about your synchro problem. I have been having similar problems but was hoping that it was me and not the tranny. I will be keeping an eye on this but I sure hope I don't have to take it in.

Good luck with yours and let us know if your problem is fixed.

BlackBird#22 · 03-14-2003, 02:35 PM

I just got my 2002 Pontiac Black Bird (Trans Am) M6 back from Crown Pontiac in Hoover, AL for the exact same problem. It took 5 tries to get it right. The first time 4th gear got stuck was getting on the interstate. I hit about 5500 RPMs in 3rd then shifted to 4th. 4th got to around 5500 RPMs and I pushed in the clutch. When I pushed the shifter up toward 5th, it wouldn't move. I did push to hard at first and then after a few miles I figured I needed to find the nearest Dealer. Stuck in 4th, I final made it and smoked the clutch at a few lights. When the dealer got to it, it poped right out and they couldn't repeat the problem. Same thing happen a day later and the dealer had the same problem, couldn't repeat the problem. The 3rd time it happened, I put the clutch in and tried to bump it into nuetral. After a few times pushing the clutch in and out and bumping the shifter, it popped out. This time 3rd gear was difficult to get in and out of. The dealer drove it and couldn't get into 3rd or 4th. They replaced the unit that includes 3rd gear. A few days later, 4th got stuck again and 5th grinds. They replaced the unit that includes 5th gear. Finally for the 5 visit to the dealer since it stuck in 4th again, the service manager and I took a ride and nearly didn't come back since the only gear we had left after trying to make 4th gear stick was 4th gear. A couple smokings of the clutch and losing 4th gear and getting into 5th, we got back to the dealer and a new transmission with a new clutch, flywheel, and pressure plate unit was ordered. Since I have had the new trans, clutch, etc. I have had no problems.

I found running high RPMs in 4th will make it stick if you have this problem. I warning anyone that if you have this problem, you have at most 3 more times in 4th gear at high RPMs and you will have only 4th gear with a smoking clutch. I have an aftermaket shiftet too and they didn't care and said that didn't cause this problem.

Good luck "Hye06" with your transmission.

IT L GO · 03-14-2003, 02:41 PM

3rd time is the charm or was it the 4th

Glad everything worked out for you!!

BlackBird#22 · 03-14-2003, 02:50 PM

Thanks "IT L GO." I was wondering if anyone else had this problem. I checked all kinds of Corvette and FBody forums and finally had this one emailed to me.

In the bulletin, did it say what causes this problem? I figured something was misaligned enough to be a problem, but not enough to see.

03 RED Z MAN · 03-14-2003, 08:32 PM

I just got my car back yesterday from the dealership, I was grinding 3rd gear everytime I shifted into it. They replace the 3 to 4 synchro and the 3 to 4 shift fork. Works now, that is all I care about.

SNYSDUP · 03-15-2003, 12:04 AM

Can you get the reference number for the service bulletin? I haven't seen any reference on it and was trying to find it.

mwascom · 03-15-2003, 01:03 AM

And the service bulletin number would be ?

There are some places (dealerships) out there that would deny the facts.

But klnowing the SB number, is best defense.

Thanks
Mike

**RC45** · 03-15-2003, 01:16 AM

Yes - please share rhe SB number. I am taking my car in for the stinking clutch, faulty passanger door lock and the non-synching synchros...

-Paul

Turbo666 · 03-17-2003, 04:03 AM

I've gone through all this stuff too... Im on my second clutch and had every synchro amongst other things replaced.. Had 3rd gear coonsistantly grind, popping out of 4th under load.. You name it.. I had it, FINALLY got everything taken care of. Also this time when I got it back the train track sound the tranny made when running in neutral without the clutch depressed was gone! Yay! So if the dealer tells you, you just have to live with it, tell them otherwise, mine never made that sound until they replaced the faulty clutch.

Another thing, why does the dealer insist that the problem repeat itself before they do anything? I had to bring mine in I think 4 times before it would pop out of 4th for them! Do they think your imagining it?

Oh well, alls good now!

Hye06 · 03-17-2003, 10:00 AM

I have my complete invoice in front of me, which numbers exactly are you looking for? I dont see a

"service bulletin number is...."

SNYSDUP · 03-17-2003, 10:35 AM

A service bulleitn will be a numberic sequence such as this:

02-06-03-010 021001 (this is one that was issued for battery parasitic drain).

If it is on your receipt at all it would be with the justification for parts or labor at no charge as a reference. If it's not there you would probably have to go back to the service writier or tech and ask them for it for your reference.

Thanks for helping to run this down.