Manual Transmission issue
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,895
Likes: 1
From: Austin tx
St. Jude Donor '09
Manual Transmission issue
It is a 01 Vert with 88K miles on her. No mods have been made to engine, exhaust, shifter, tranny or drivetrain. It shares daily duty with 2 other cars.
1st gear and reverse are to the point that we have to force the shifter into gear. 2nd gear from 1st gear is the same way when the car is cold but seams to be fine once the car warms up. 3-6 do not seem to have any problem.
Each time we attempt to put into 1st or reverse is while we have come to a complete stop before attempting to put in gear. There is no grinding noise at any time during this or while the car is moving down the road.
The car moves just fine once in gear so no feel of clutch slipage. This is happening for the wife and me. It just started out of the blue on Saturday morning.
Has anyone had anything like this happen to them?
1st gear and reverse are to the point that we have to force the shifter into gear. 2nd gear from 1st gear is the same way when the car is cold but seams to be fine once the car warms up. 3-6 do not seem to have any problem.
Each time we attempt to put into 1st or reverse is while we have come to a complete stop before attempting to put in gear. There is no grinding noise at any time during this or while the car is moving down the road.
The car moves just fine once in gear so no feel of clutch slipage. This is happening for the wife and me. It just started out of the blue on Saturday morning.
Has anyone had anything like this happen to them?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,895
Likes: 1
From: Austin tx
St. Jude Donor '09
Well I guess spoke to soon about no grinding. I went to back it out of the garage this afternoon. Nothing but grinding noise for reverse and would not go into to gear. Turn the car off and put it in first. Took the other car to work.
Last edited by AM.MSCL; Jan 27, 2009 at 11:03 AM.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,375
Likes: 2
From: Austin Texas
Mine is starting to get this way. I suspect that the clutch has just gotten thin with age. Mine is at 70K now, so just a bit less than yours.
Kudos to you for getting it to last that long, but it's time to get it open and see if it needs a new clutch.
Kudos to you for getting it to last that long, but it's time to get it open and see if it needs a new clutch.
Racer
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 253
Likes: 3
From: The Woodlands Texas
Put the car in 1st gear with the clutch pressed all the way down, rev the engine to about 4000 RPM and see if the car wants to move forward. If it feels like the car wants to creep forward then the clutch is not releasing all the way. If it's not releasing all the way, chances are you have a problem with the clutch hydraulics.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 931
Likes: 35
From: Rowlett, Texas
Yeah, seems to have non-releasing-clutch symptoms. But, if you have not driven the car hard, the clutch itself should still be okay.
Could be the hydraulics, and you can't get to the slave cylinder without removing half the car!
Before you panic and spend many hundreds of bucks, you might try sucking the clutch fluid out of the reservoir and refilling with clean DOT3This only gets the dirty fluid out of the reservoir, so do it once a day for awhile, and the new fluid will kinda work its way down.
Then you can change the tranny fluid. Use approx 3.5 qts of Dexron 3 ATF. That can sometimes make a big difference.
good luck,
DG
Could be the hydraulics, and you can't get to the slave cylinder without removing half the car!
Before you panic and spend many hundreds of bucks, you might try sucking the clutch fluid out of the reservoir and refilling with clean DOT3This only gets the dirty fluid out of the reservoir, so do it once a day for awhile, and the new fluid will kinda work its way down.
Then you can change the tranny fluid. Use approx 3.5 qts of Dexron 3 ATF. That can sometimes make a big difference.
good luck,
DG
AMP Racing
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 10,756
Likes: 589
From: Washington TWP NJ
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2017 C5 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12
I agree.
Changing the clutch and trans fluid is an inexpensive project. It might cure your troubles.
Best of success
Changing the clutch and trans fluid is an inexpensive project. It might cure your troubles.
Best of success
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Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,895
Likes: 1
From: Austin tx
St. Jude Donor '09
Cool Thanks guys. Wife asked a valid question as to why would the clutch or tranny fluid only effect 1st, 2nd and reverse but not the other gears.
Now I just need to find a how to on the clutch slave cylinder.
Now I just need to find a how to on the clutch slave cylinder.
AMP Racing
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 10,756
Likes: 589
From: Washington TWP NJ
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2017 C5 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12
Here is a guess as to why this happens.
The gear ratio for 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th, is relatively close to engine speed when compared to 1st, 2nd, and reverse. So the synchos are better equiped to mach up the gears.
Changing the fluid will help this process.
while sitting still it, I would think it should be about the same level of difficulty for any gear, but once moving, the higher gears should get easier.
Again, a guess.
HTH
The gear ratio for 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th, is relatively close to engine speed when compared to 1st, 2nd, and reverse. So the synchos are better equiped to mach up the gears.
Changing the fluid will help this process.
while sitting still it, I would think it should be about the same level of difficulty for any gear, but once moving, the higher gears should get easier.
Again, a guess.
HTH
AMP Racing
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 10,756
Likes: 589
From: Washington TWP NJ
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2017 C5 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12
