I went to start my car and the battery was dead. So I did the push start method in 2nd gear. It started up fine and I let it run for a moment to charge the battery. I took it for a spin and I can't seem to make it shift into 2nd gear now. It runs 1st fine and when it goes to second it seems like its in neutral. (Higher rev) but it didn't catch. Then i tried to go to 3rd and it went fine.The car has a lot of miles but I'm not sure if the shift column is messed up or if second is out completely? Please help! First car I've ever bought and I don't wanna have to sink 1000s of dollars into it already.

Tell us what your car is--year, model, engine. mileage, how long you've owned it--any history of it (if you know.)

1997 subaru impreza brighton 1.8 OD says 315xxx but I don't think its exactly accurate. Not much history that I know. Just bought it as a first vehicle and I love subarus. I've owned it for just over a week now. Was doing minor body work to pass the pa inspection.

The shift column is a bit loose too. I can moved it from side to side basically in neutral from 1st over to where reverse is. When I bought it for the initial test run I was able to grab second all the way through 5th.

If you're lucky it may just be the shifter linkage--bushings wear out and even fall apart!

 

Get the car up (safely--on jack stands or ramps) and crawl under from the driver's side.  Check out the rod that links the gearshift lever to the stub-out shaft on the tranny.  Get a helper to sit in the car and run through the gears while you watch what happens.

 

But if it's not the linkage you'd probably have to get a new (used) tranny and swap it in.

 

Good luck!  Ask questions here.

as soon as the rain stops I'll take a look at it. The guy was telling me that I could just tighten the cables. Hopefully the gearshift is just too loose to find second gear.

I realized it shifts from neutral to second but not 1st to second

Does it go into and out-of all gears--even if you have to fumble around finding each one?

 

I don't know what "cables" the guy was talking about.  I'd still suggest you get under the car and check out the rod action.

 

Good luck!

No cables on the shifter. Its a steel rod with a u-joint kinda thing at the end. The bushings in the joint wear out and fall apart.