when i shift to reverse...

[nycstanga]

sometimes when i shift into reverse, my clutch feels like it is not engaged. i'll try to move it down and it gets spit back out and makes a loud noise... it doesnt happen all the time.

also recently ive been having trouble downshifting from 3rd to 2nd. it gets very tight when trying to go down into 2nd and takes more force than it used to... whats goin on? what could be wrong? would a short-throw shifter fix this, because i plan on getting one anyway

thanks
-sean

 

[mitsurugi_78]

hope this helps

It sounds like you have worn out syncro's in the trans which is pretty common...try putting it into 5th then putting it in reverse and see if it still grinds the gears...as for issues when shifting from 2nd to 3rd, you may also have clutch problems...?have you noticed any difference in the play in your clutch pedal? does it engage right away when you start to let out the clutch? It may be time for a new clutch?

 

[nycstanga]

hmm so can i check the syncros or something? how do i do that? what else should i do?

its not shifting 2nd to 3rd... i can bang that fast. its downshifting 3rd to 2nd... it gets into neutral easily but then gets a little stuck while trying to move down to second.

 

[TrophyHead]

How is your 1st to 2nd shift? Is your shifter popping out in only Reverse?

 

[nycstanga]

its fine 1st to 2nd and yes only in reverse... but not every time just once in a while

 

[jaackal]

try first gear then reverse or fifth gear then reverse

 

[nycstanga]

also now sometimes my clutch just doesnt engage. i've gotten stuck at green lights where i just cant shift it into gear whatsoever... if i try shifting it up in a gear the car slowly rolls forward but it never moves out of neutral. same thing shifting down a gear. it happened two times and just seemed to go away after a few minutes of sitting there... i tried playing with it going from 5th to reverse and 2nd to 1st but i cant get it in any gear except reverse with grinding. this is NOT all the time but happened two times (too many.) i tried shutting the car off and shifting gears and it worked fine, didnt drop out or anything. put it back on and it didnt work, just had to sit it out and mess with it for a few...


one time something strange also happened. i put the car in first gear and the car started to tremble... if i dropped the clutch slightly it got to a radical earthquake unless i rev'ed it into high rpms and took off slowly like that.

who can analyze the symptoms haha i need a good 5.0 doc!!! does it sound like clutch? tranny? shifter? (plz dont be a tranny lol)

 

[Daggar]

also now sometimes my clutch just doesnt engage. i've gotten stuck at green lights where i just cant shift it into gear whatsoever...

This makes me think that your clutch is just out of adjustment or is worn out. Try adjusting your cable (if you can) then report back and let us know if you're cured. You CAN temprarily adjust a stock cable and quadrant to help trouble shoot. Lay up under the dash. Push the clutch with your hand then use your thumb to push the quadrant up towards the top of the car while you pull the clutch pedal back out. One or two clicks is all you need. If that cures your problem then you know that either your clutch is worn and soon need replacing, your quadrant is bad or has missing teeth, or your cable has stretched to the point where it's causing the stock quadrant trouble. If you know the clutch to be good (relatively new) then the quick cure would be a new quadrant and firewall adjuster (might as well replace the cable with an OEM quality at the same time).

Good Luck!

 

[TrophyHead]

I would do what Dagger recommended and also change that fluid. A dry case will kill you.

 

[nycstanga]

okay... thats good reading info ahha... well at least it sounds like the clutch and not the tranny. from what i know right now that would be the best of both worlds if something was broken...

the car works though... is this something i should try doing when this happens again? or should i jsut do it whenever?? remember it has only happened two times in a matter of two months...

what fluid?? it cant be from my low coolant light can it?? i had the low coolant light on today when it just happened but when it happened the first time it wasnt on so i dont think it has any relation.

say i wanted to get a new clutch. what other parts would that require me getting?? what kind of price range?? can a clutch be installed with basic tools and some asking around of what to do?? what companies should i be looking at??


thanks for the help

 

[Daggar]

The fluid he's referring to is the tranny fluid. Good call. Go to Jiffy lube and have them check the level if you're not familiar with it.

Don't jump ahead of yourself with talk about replacing the clutch just yet. Try to get the problem diagnosed before you start pricing out the cure.

 

[nycstanga]

well i am trying to build a dependable car and if a clutch is known to wear out around 100k miles or soemthing (mines at 104) then it should probably be chucked cuz i was told that not much has been replaced on this car...

 

[nycstanga]

how long would something like that take at jiffylube and approx how much would it cost?? what other of their services should i take advantage of all at once? id like to get it all done and out of the way cuz i dont know when this kind of stuff has been done before.


btw a lil off topic here but my defroster also smells bad like rotten egg lol what could this be??

 

[TrophyHead]

Rotten Egg smell usually means watered down gasoline. Go to a different gas station.

 

[nycstanga]

i dont use any particular gas station so i dont think that is it...


edit : its only when i put anything to do with my vents on...

 

[89MustangGX]

As for reverse -- that gear is not synchronized in most T5's, so the grinding doesn't mean anything's wrong.

The 5th to Reverse is a pretty common way to avoid it.