Sorry if my answer seems stupid, but, When you say its difficult to get it into 3rd, does that mean it will return to neutral sort of, or will it hit another gear instead?

I do not have the manual version, but, I do remember from my early driving days that my instructors car was a bit iffy, and you actually HAD TO let go of the stick in between 2nd and 3rd, while changing, else it would drop in 5th instead. Now I assume that this is not your problem..

May I ask if you know what oil was put in the box from the dealer, and from the other place you went?

There has been a few threads about which oil to use on manual boxes, and some are much better than others, also includes shifting behavior, so maybe that's worth looking into for you.

The fact that you also have problems with reverse could point to a lubrication problem, either in the box, or in the connections between your stick and the box.

 

Most of the time it shifts fine, like any other car should. It's just the times that I try putting it in 3rd and it feels like there is go gear there. I have to do the same process as reverse.

I think it was Mobile 1 75w90 that was used for the transmission by the place I had change the fluid.

 

I think it was Mobile 1 75w90 that was used for the transmission by the place I had change the fluid.

The GV's manual transmission needs GL-4 gear lube. Last time I checked Mobil does not make a GL-4 gear lube, only GL-5, which is incompatible with the synchros in the GV's transmission. The additives in GL-5 with cause the synchro rings to wear prematurely. Use GL-4.

Kootenanny's comment about having to let up on the clutch slightly to engage reverse is true. Its a common quirk of manual transmission in general, not just the GV's. Mine is exactly the same. This is the reason Honda went to the trouble of synchronizing reverse gear in their transmissions. It helps this issue somewhat.

Your problem with a "missing" third gear is mostly likely a shift linkage problem or an internal issue in the transmission itself.

 

My 06 GV is the same...sometimes it won't go into reverse unless I let up the clutch just enough to turn the shafts a bit, then it snicks right in. Just a quirk of the car, I mostly ignore it.

Third gear, I think that's more a problem with slack in the locator in the shifter assembly...usually happens to me when I'm trying to jam it into third too fast, if I just slow down and let it happen everything is fine.

 

Could this fix my problem?
http://www.suzuki-forums.com/2g-2006-grand-vitara/34862-pops-out-1st-gear.html

Or would something have to be done for the reverse and 3rd gears also? I get the problem mentioned in that TSB too...