Why would a Plymouth colt manual transmission keep popping out of gear?

Answer 1

I too had this same problem with my 1991 Plymouth Colt GL. Apparently there was a Service Bulletin regarding all Mitsubishi manual transmissions made before November of 1991. There is an issue with them grinding and jumping out of gear.

In my years of driving, I've only had this issue happen a handful of times... until I bought this car.... If you know what you are doing, you can actually drive a manual transmission without using the clutch pedal to transition between gears. It is VERY difficult because every vehicle is different, and knowing the shift points is something that you learn throughout ownership. It is at these shift points the shifter can slide right out of the gear its in, and with the right speed and RPMs, can slide into another gear. My transmission seems to pop out of gear at these points.

I don't recommend that you avoid using your clutch by ANY stretch of the imagination, but when you get stuck someplace without a clutch, knowing how to use the shifter into gears and what speeds and RPMs can save you hefty tow bills and get you to places on time, saving you at least SOME inconveniences. A clutch or transmission job is what I would call a major inconvenience... though on the 1991 Colt, its really not THAT bad.

Something else to consider, seeing how Plymouth badged the Colt-Mitsubishi over 18 years ago, the transmissions that came with these vehicles are likely to be worn out and often replaced by an inexpensive "junkyard tranny". The 1989-1996 year gap on Mitsubishi transmissions have COUNTLESS combinations in transaxles, gear ratios, and bell-housing designs, but most importantly, shifter linkage variations.