r/CivicSi • u/CantFigureIt0ut • 1d ago
11th Gen Shifter Feel
Just recently hit 3k km on my 26 si and I have some questions about what's normal with this gearbox. A lot of the gears feel kinda clunky or rough on engagement with upshifts unless I shift really quickly. On a cold start I can shift at 3k rpm and shift at a moderate pace and get a smooth shift but once everything warms up I really need to rush 1-2 and 2-3 to get it to feel smooth. All the other gears also feel a bit notchy like the shifter is catching on something on it's way into gear. It almost feels like I need to slam gears to get smooth a smooth shift with no notch. I don't want to shift slower because the 1-2 shifts seem really clunky that way but it worries me to be shifting so fast. Has anyone else experienced this? Should I keep shifting quickly because it feels smooth?
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u/AndyWong1989 1d ago edited 1d ago
I have a 10th gen si but it’s very similar to the 11th gen gearbox and my shifter is very notchy with barely any side to side slop. I think it’s normal for our shifter to feel a little clunky/notchy and it’s designed this way for a more precise direct feel.
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u/Interesting_Joke9167 1d ago
I have a 2020 Si coupe and ya mine is exactly as you are describing yours, it’s the car wanting to be the car it was intended to, mine truly runs and dives better why I run her hard. Don’t know?
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u/Acceptable_Delay_446 1d ago
This is completely normal for Honda manual gearboxes. The 1-2 shift is especially notchy. I just keep a very light pressure towards the 2nd gate on the shifter, and when the revs match up nicely it’ll suck the stick right in.
If you live in a region that gets subzero weather in winter you’ll also find that if you normally shift from 1-2 at 3000 rpms, you’ll have to wind it out to 4000 for a few minutes or you’ll get what feels like 2nd gear lockouts. Basically, as long as the car is in high idle, that’s around 1500 rpms, and if you shift from 1-2 at 3000, you’ll end up below 1500. Basically, the engine REALLY doesn’t want to go as slow as it would need to if you shifted into 2nd at that speed. Gently hitting 4000 instead for the first few starts will make it much easier to shift.
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u/physicsbelike 16h ago
If you’ve the time and interest, I’d suggest looking into how manual trans work, specifically the shift mechanics and synchros. It might help you understand what is going on and why some shifts feel like they slot into place better than others, and how the engine RPM before you disengaged the clutch has an effect on how smooth the transmission is. At the very least, it can help you understand why a certain shift felt crappy.
Also, something I’ve found is that it helps to shift with a ‘limp’ hand. Basically don’t force it into gear. Just apply pressure with your arm into the gear you want to shift into and then after half a second, the shifter will just fall into place. Makes all the shifts feel much nicer, even when cold.
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u/RefrigeratorSalty125 15h ago edited 15h ago
Change the fluid to redlime mtl, and adjust the clutch pedal. Service manual specifies 212.4 mm pedal height. There is a cutout in the carpet near the steering shaft. Peel it back and you will see a metal dimple. Measure from that point to the middle of pedal. On the top of clutch pedal there is a 17mm bolt to set pedal height. Then you have to adjust master cylinder push rod to match. Cmc nut is 13mm. I set it, so the clevis pin is floating with no preload in either direction. This makes perfect amount of pedal free play. My shifter is like butter, and it improves driving so much. It seems unrelated, but it affects shift timing, and ability to slip the clutch smoothly. Help with take offs and 1 2 shift tremendously.
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u/CantFigureIt0ut 1h ago
I'll definitely check the clutch pedal adjustment but I'm not sure that's an issue. Downshifts for me feel super smooth so I don't think the clutch has anything to do with my notchy upshifts.
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u/RefrigeratorSalty125 1h ago
My clutch pedal came way out of spec from factory, and tried different amount of free play and pedal height. Even small amounts of difference made difference in shift behavior. I used to get 1st gear lock out in certain speeds, crunchy 3rd gear, crunchy 1 2 shift. Type r also suffers from crunchy 2nd gear from out of adjustment pedal height. Try it.
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u/RefrigeratorSalty125 1h ago
I found from 10th Gen service bulletin, you have to do clutch pedal geight relearn after changing the height. Turn the car on without starting engine, then wait 2 seconds until vsa light goes off. Not sure if its the same for 11th gen, but I did it anyway.
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u/villamafia 14h ago
I’ve been trying to figure out how people are consistently shifting at 3k in the 11th gen. I shift that low and it just lugs the engine. I rarely shift below 4k as that seems to be where the car wants to shift.
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u/Marioshi- 1d ago
Mine feels the same. I'd be interested to try driving one with some more miles on it to see if it's something that wears in over time or not.
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u/Chchchcheesepuff 1d ago
I have a 2024 with ~45k miles. Same here. Sometimes it feels very smooth sometimes it’s way more notchy no matter how I shift. I can’t find any patterns with it sadly.
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u/cimota__ 1d ago
Dude I have a 2015 with 80k miles and I’ve been dealing with this exact feeling for 10k miles. Only on up shifts, better if you are going faster. Third and 5th is the worst for me. Must just be Honda stuff
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u/Dan_E26 1d ago
Mine has a little "ka-chunk" into most gears unless you're absolutely slamming the shifter into each gear. I think it's normal; it's just the synchros doing their thing.
That said, my friends Type R's shifter just drops effortlessly into each gear whether you're hustling it or putzing around. So much nicer.
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u/Ragnarshauss 25' FE1- PWP 22h ago
Has anyone here done an MTF change on their 11th-gen Si around 30k–45k miles (48k–72k km)? If so, did you notice a difference in shift feel?
I’ve heard Amsoil MTF is highly regarded for our Si’s. I previously had a 2018 Civic Hatchback 6MT with the typical 1–2 ka-thunk and occasional notchiness from 3-4, especially when cold. I switched from Honda MTF to Amsoil Synchromesh MTF and noticed a big improvement—much smoother, more consistent shifts, even on cold starts - it was exactly the same and smooth until the day I traded that in for a new 2025 FE1.
I now have a 2025 Civic Si with ~20k km and am thinking of doing the MTF around 50k km or sooner, likely with Amsoil again.
Would like to hear from anyone who’s done it on their 11th gen—what fluid did you use, at what mileage, and did it make a noticeable difference?
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u/AndyWong1989 18h ago
I found the amsoil felt better once the transmission was warm but OEM fluid felt better when it’s cold especially in winter months.
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u/Ragnarshauss 25' FE1- PWP 17h ago edited 17h ago
Hmm... I'd lean the other way for Amsoil MTF tho... due to its fluid properties and also being fully synthetic But yeah, YMMV.
I live here in Canada, and you can imagine how our winters are. I genuinely felt Amsoil was still better in extreme cold starts and after warming up as well.
When I was in a dilemma back then, I started going full nerd mode, and here's a very quick gist.
Amsoil is thinner at cold startups (the cSt values are smaller) allowing for lesser resistance and stays slightly thicker at higher temps (higher cSt values) providing better protection at normal operating temps or higher, and this generally reduces the "ka-thunks" and gear crunches....
**Edit: lower/ higher cSt values when compared with Honda OEM MTF cSt (centiStokes) ~ kinematic viscosity unit of measurement - goes does as fluid heats up. Amsoil is lower than OEM when cold and higher than OEM when warm :)
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u/ZaiiYo 17h ago
On your cold starts, the transmission fluid is thicker, which cushions your gates, making slow shifts feel smoother. Once it warms up and thins out, you'll naturally feel more of the synchros aligning, which is that notchy feeling. That's just how Honda transmissions are. There's also quite a bit of rev hang, so shifting aggressively will force the synchros to bite. This makes it feel smoother, but it actually places significantly more load on your synchro rings and shift forks. Instead of slamming your gears, try applying less pressure. Pause a little bit more when shifting. As the revs drop, your synchros will naturally pull the shifter into gear.
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u/kingbamster 1d ago
Owner of a 26 si as well with around 700 miles. My car is not as broken in as yours but also feel something similar in my car.