Automotive Forums  Where Car Enthusiasts Go to Discuss Cars Online

My Neighbor has a 2003 Toyota Matrix with manual transmission, recently in all gears the shifter pushes back, i.e. comes out of gear unless held in.  I had the same thing happen with my 1993 Eagle Talon and it ended up being an easy fix, the nut that holds the gears on the shaft had come loose and there was an access cover so you could get in a tighten it back up, before the nut pushes itself through said cover (wish I had known this before that happened) this was common on these cars.  Does the Matrix have a similar issue?  If not what else could be happening here?  Trying to help him not have to buy a new trans.  Thanks!  

a proper inspection by taking off or lifting the shifter boot to see what's going on is the easiest way to tell...

see if the shifter is being pushed back by something ... or limited in its movements...

so ... inspect it..  


it is also possible that the transmission syncros are damaged ... along with the blocker rings and gears..

the syncros slow the spinning gears so the blocker rings can slide on...   when the selection is not fully made the blocker ring can jump back... tearing parts of the locking teeth off the gear.. this will result in usually a single gear popping out of gear...

changing the gear lube in the transmission and draining it into a perfectly clean container for inspection.. examining the magnet on the drain plug for bits of steel ...