I know it's been a while since I've been around, and apparently everyone with this problem 2 years ago has either left, forgotten or is just not around anymore...

This is a common problem on track/kicks that are offroaded. Changing the fluid wont solve the problem and parking it with the sticks in special places is merely a way to deal with it, but not fix the original issue. The transmissions are top loaders with the shifter coming right out of the top of the tranny. The linkages are in their own chamber, not the same chamber that the oil runs in. What happens is water gets in around the stick's base and freezes, making it hard to move the linkage. The best way to fix it is to park the truck in a heated garage overnight so that it thaws all the ice, then pull the console out, invert the in-cab shift boot(stretch it up out of the way) and do the same to the floor shift boot as well, pull it up and out of the way. Now you can reach through the hole in the floor, find the base of the shifter where it goes into the tranny, and push it down giving it a little turn counter clockwise to release it and the shifter will come out in your hand. Use a large syringe, shop vac or some other means of suction along with a piece of tubing to stick down in the hole and suck out all of the water that you can(you'll be amazed how much there can be in there). Once you have gotten out all of the water that you can, blow a hair dryer or heat gun down into the hole if you'd like to try to get it even dryer, then blast away with WD40 trying your best to cover all of the linkages inside the hole. Once it's all dryed and sprayed, put everything back together (just like you took it apart, but follow the steps in the other direction) and you should no longer have the freezing problem until after the next deep water crossing! LOL!

This.


I had this problem a couple years ago, and there's a thread about it somewhere.  Ended up being water in the top box like Digger said.  Once you suck it all out and spray it down, you'll be good.

EDIT:  Here's the thread.

http://www.zukiworld.com/forum/general-suzuki-forum/tranny-gurus-needed!-aasaabig-problem!/45/

So after pulling boots off and pulling the shifter out, would new boots and seals make any diference, or is this going to be a regular service I should do after a wet trail run?

The boot comes with the gear lever so unless its split I wouldn't bother. Like Digger said, plenty of grease around the linkages will help stop them freezing. Some grease around the top and bottom of the boot will help keep the water out.

A really great idea from the head suzuki tech guy i used to talk to at ASMC HQ back when i worked there.  He actually suggests this to ALL Suzuki/Geo 5-speed 4x4 owners.

When you park and turn off your motor put the transfer case into 4 wheel neutral.  And then put the transmission in 3rd gear and leave it in 3rd.  When you start your car the next day leave it in gear and start it.  Let the car warm up (usually as soon as the temp needle starts to move is considered warm)
Depress the clutch and take the car out of gear
then put the transfer case back into 2wd
then just drive normal.

He says even though the 4WN disengages the drive gears the motor is still turning stuff inside the transmission thus warming up the internals of the tranny for use.  He says this is a great way to keep the tranny running for years and that all owners should start the trucks this way.  And in your case it may come in handy.  Try it...4 wheel neutral won't hurt anything so why not.

Does this work for the frozen shifter or is this just something that should be done at all times? I'm gonna try this as a temporary fix untill I can get a chance to try to get the water out.

If you are using synthetic gear oil in a 5spd trans it must be GL4 not GL5 which is for rear ends and is to slippy for syncros to work. I have also had my shifter freeze and couldn't get it over to reverse. A sharp smack with my had got it moving so there must be moisture in there that freezes.

Yeah. I'm having the same problem the first guy was having. I leave it in any gear or even neutral, the next morning its frozen stiff. Won't move at all until the temp outside warms up. We've been getting right much snow here in Virginia lately and it really sucks not to be able to use my sidekick in it.

A couple of quick points...

First - keeping water out of the shifter mechanism - as Rhinoman says - the #1 shifter boot, the one that "seals" the shifter to the transfer case or transmission  only comes with the shifter, making replacing it an unnecessarily expensive job - but - it can be replaced with a section cut from the end of a steering rack boot - your local parts store probably has a selection of such boots, choose one where the narrow end of the accordion pleat matches the outer diameter of the transfer case/transmission boss, cut it a few pleats longer than you need and then lube the narrow end with liquid soap and slip it over the shift lever, pull the pleat down over the transfer case and secure it with a tye-wrap.

Second - the reason not to use a GL5 oil in the transmission has nothing to do with how "slippy" it is - GL5 oils are designed for use in differentials with hypoid gears and have a higher level of EP (extreme pressure) additives - older GL5 oils used sulpher as an EP additive and the sulphur would destroy the soft brass of the synchro rings.

Newer GL5 oils have been reformulated to work with the so called yellow metals and these GL5 oils can safely be used in a transmission.  Mobil One 75W90 is one such oil, and I have been using it in the transmission on my Suzuki Swift for over a decade with no ill effects - I also have it in both the transfer case and transmission of my GV.