I started to get these symtoms last year, but it's getting worse. When the vehicle ( 2001 CL Type S, with rebuilt factory trans, 133,000 miles, 25K on replaced trans) is parked and the temperature falls to freezing the shifter is difficult to place into drive. I'm not talking about artic temperatures, I'm in NC. I put the shifter into sport and it was very difficult to move the lever up and down. When driving the car the trans wouldn't downshift or upshift using the sport shift. Only heard a clik. finally after about ten miles the sport shift started working. Is this a problem in the trans? Is the shifter a cable or an electrical switch? Would relacing the fluid with a synthetic help? I saw this problem on another post, but no one replied. Thanks for the help.

 

When you put it in drive does it operates normally? It is normal for there to be some resistance when moving the lever from D5 over to the left to engage SS (enough to prevent accidental engagement of SS) but there should be only a slight amot of resistance when going up and down.

might want to take the console apart and clean it. did any liquid get spilled iin there?

 

No, nothing spilled in the console. The real problem is that the trans will not shift into different gears using the sport shift. I've since seen some discussion that the cable becomes corroded on the trans side, preventing smooth movement. I'm thinking the cable binds and doesn't actuate the shift lever. At first glance I'm not sure how to remove the console. Where do I start?

 

I believe the sport shift is completely electronic, so when you select up or down, there is no cable being moved. Just electrical pulses.