I lost 5th gear!! Help!
06-06-2003, 03:30 PM
#1
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Last night I was merging onto the highway...nothing crazy, just accelerating normally. Shifting from 3rd to 4th the shifter bounced back like there was a wall where 4th used to be. I figured it was a fluke so I went to put it into 5th and it went in fine. BUT...as soon as I let out the clutch the shifter popped right out. I tried it a few more times and the same thing happened, sometimes accompanied by a grind
. 4th worked fine after that. I had work today so I went home and went to bed.This morning I got the fluid changed and now everything works but it's still a little notchy shifting out of 5th. What happened here? Anybody else have this problem?
I don't mistreat it or anything and this was the first problem I've had...not even a warning grind.
The car is a 2001 with 37k miles on it and I had the clutch TSB done at around 34k.
Any ideas? Am I in trouble?
06-06-2003, 05:31 PM
#2
Thanks for directing me to this thread from the other one.
It certainly wouldn't hurt to do a clutch fluid change. I'm almost willing to bet that when you got the clutch job done, those guys did NOT change your clutch fluid. Go take a look at it. Is it black? If it was changed only 3000 miles ago when the clutch job was done, it should be clear or amber. If it is black, I'm guessing that after 37,000 miles of VA seasons, that fluid could be "water-logged" and needs a change now and you might find that it helps your situation. I hope it does.
Also, make sure that you don't have your carpet bunched up under your clutch pedal. This would impede its full range of motion. PLUS, have you been finding that your clutch is engaging nearer to the floor than when it was new? If so, you might well need a clutch pedal adjustment, too.
Of course, this does preclude the possibility that you may still have a transmission issue.
It certainly wouldn't hurt to do a clutch fluid change. I'm almost willing to bet that when you got the clutch job done, those guys did NOT change your clutch fluid. Go take a look at it. Is it black? If it was changed only 3000 miles ago when the clutch job was done, it should be clear or amber. If it is black, I'm guessing that after 37,000 miles of VA seasons, that fluid could be "water-logged" and needs a change now and you might find that it helps your situation. I hope it does.
Also, make sure that you don't have your carpet bunched up under your clutch pedal. This would impede its full range of motion. PLUS, have you been finding that your clutch is engaging nearer to the floor than when it was new? If so, you might well need a clutch pedal adjustment, too.
Of course, this does preclude the possibility that you may still have a transmission issue.
06-06-2003, 05:47 PM
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Thanks for the advice. I'm working now so I can't check the fluid till in the morning. The mat wasn't bunching at all and I didn't notice any change in the engagement after the TSB, but it does let out awfully close to the floor...always has.
I'll be sure to check out the fluid first thing tomorrow morning. I really hope this will reduce the notchy-shift or at least buy me some time.
Thanks again
I'll be sure to check out the fluid first thing tomorrow morning. I really hope this will reduce the notchy-shift or at least buy me some time.
Thanks again
06-06-2003, 06:39 PM
#5
Dave22 asked for my input when he saw another post by "Former". I would not have replied here except for the fact that he specifically asked me for "any" help.
Former was experiencing grinding the last several weeks. I checked his clutch fluid and found it as I described. I changed it for him and he no longer grinds under circumstances when he would have normally ground. Fluke? Maybe, but it worked for him. I also commented that our temperature extremes (winter of -30*C to summer of +35*C) may cause more infiltration of water into this fluid. I didn't say that the black crud was bad for the fluid function but was only an indication that perhaps the general condition of the fluid (in terms of water retention) was not up to snuff.
Had I not experienced it for myself, I would have believed you when you say that the temp of the tranny doesn't get hot enough to "boil" any water that may be in the system, HOWEVER, having been under there after a lengthy drive, that part of the tranny, including the clutch slave cylinder and the first couple of inches of the fluid tube, is extremely hot. I could not hold my hand on it for more than a couple of seconds. I believe that it is possible on a very hot day, in stop and go traffic, that it could get hot enough to boil water.
I would hope that Dave22 will do this change and report back here on what he finds out.
Former was experiencing grinding the last several weeks. I checked his clutch fluid and found it as I described. I changed it for him and he no longer grinds under circumstances when he would have normally ground. Fluke? Maybe, but it worked for him. I also commented that our temperature extremes (winter of -30*C to summer of +35*C) may cause more infiltration of water into this fluid. I didn't say that the black crud was bad for the fluid function but was only an indication that perhaps the general condition of the fluid (in terms of water retention) was not up to snuff.
Had I not experienced it for myself, I would have believed you when you say that the temp of the tranny doesn't get hot enough to "boil" any water that may be in the system, HOWEVER, having been under there after a lengthy drive, that part of the tranny, including the clutch slave cylinder and the first couple of inches of the fluid tube, is extremely hot. I could not hold my hand on it for more than a couple of seconds. I believe that it is possible on a very hot day, in stop and go traffic, that it could get hot enough to boil water.
I would hope that Dave22 will do this change and report back here on what he finds out.
06-06-2003, 06:49 PM
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Originally posted by xviper
I would hope that Dave22 will do this change and report back here on what he finds out.
I would hope that Dave22 will do this change and report back here on what he finds out.
06-07-2003, 12:08 AM
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Originally posted by cdelena
but it is not recommended maintenance and it is hard for me to understand what difference it will make past the psychological.
but it is not recommended maintenance and it is hard for me to understand what difference it will make past the psychological.
Services to be performed:
Check all fluid levels, condition of fluids and check for leaks.
Check all fluid levels, condition of fluids and check for leaks.
Originally posted by cdelena
I have changed mine a couple of times and experienced no difference.
I have changed mine a couple of times and experienced no difference.
I have over 45,000 miles in Seattle weather. I think I'm due.
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06-07-2003, 01:48 AM
#8
I believe there's a service bulletin on this exact issue ........ I'd PM Tedster since I know he had the same thing happen to him when we at ThunderHill last year.
If I remember correctly, it's a plastic part in the stick shift pivot mechanism that cracks and the pieces gets stuck in the way ..... or something to that effect.
If I remember correctly, it's a plastic part in the stick shift pivot mechanism that cracks and the pieces gets stuck in the way ..... or something to that effect.
06-07-2003, 09:05 AM
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As RT says, I lost 5th gear for a few hours at Thunderhill last year. After a hot session we headed to lunch, and I could no longer shift into 5th, brick wall like dave22 says. After lunch I had Ray try it in the parking lot, same deal. But on the drive back to the track, it started working again.
Didn't have any more troubles with it after that, luckily. Once I got back to Seattle, I had the tranny fluid changed, but nothing else done. Still fine (knock on wood). A broken piece of plastic that eventually fell out of the way would fit the symptoms, but I really don't know. Guess I should have it taken apart for an autopsy...
Good luck,
Ted
Didn't have any more troubles with it after that, luckily. Once I got back to Seattle, I had the tranny fluid changed, but nothing else done. Still fine (knock on wood). A broken piece of plastic that eventually fell out of the way would fit the symptoms, but I really don't know. Guess I should have it taken apart for an autopsy...
Good luck,
Ted