bMa912

Hey Guys,

I am currently dealing with something that I have never encountered before and was wondering if anyone has any input on the situation.

Just alittle background, I self taught myself how to drive manual and am unfortunately not very mechanically inclined. Work done to mine and my family's previous cars were mostly sent out to garages. This could potentially be a silly question, something I'm doing wrong or an easy fix and I apologize in advance if it is.

Sometimes when I am in bumper to bumper traffic and riding on first gear alot, my s2k tends to like stutter. The best way i can describe it is as if im constantly engaging and releasing the clutch 3 times a second. There's power, then nothing, then power, etc. However, when I change to second gear, it goes away. The engine is not on the verge of stalling as it is around 2-3k rpm but the power isnt consistent. This would tend to happen about 5 minutes into bumper to bumper traffic. However, once I get fast enough to go into second gear, the whole thing resets and it's fine until another 5 minute later. This has been really annoying cause it literally looks and feels like my car is jerking back and forth and on the verge of breaking down whenever I am in traffic. However, if I am not in traffic, runs like a charm. I hope someone knows what I'm on about. Maybe I'm just doing something stupid?

Also, its feeling alittle stiff to change gears as of late (moving the shift knob into gear). I understand that the cold weather does affect the stiffness of the shift but sometimes it will not even go into first gear unless i shift into second and back into first. I read somewhere on the internet that this could be a synchro issue with the tranny. Is it a more likely possibility that I need a fluid flush or to grease up something?

Thanks in advance for your help guys. I just wanna get an idea of what's happening before (if need be) bringing it to a mechanic.

Cheers

s2kcanuck

Funny you should post this just after I've made a similar one under a different topic name. Yesterday on the way home from Vancouver Island I got caught in that infamous 5 o'clock stop-and-go traffic going down Taylor Way and on to the merge lanes at the Lions Gate. It was first gear almost the entire way for more than 30 minutes. Once in a while if I didn't apply enough gas the engine would "shudder" because I was incorrectly lugging it. Not good for the entire drive train. Fortunately the transmission was fully warmed up so I didn't experience any shifting issues.

I do have problems with first gear and second gear if the transmission is cold, and Alex has provided some interesting DIY tips I'm inclined to try. If that doesn't work I'm gonna be out almost $2500 for a complete tranny repair. Take a look at his response in my "That old AP2 transmission issue ..." posting made yesterday.

Cheers!

bMa912

Haha, yeah. I actually was gonna post in a reply to your posting but i didn't wanna hijack your post. The funny thing is, I do apply enough gas and it's not so much that the engine shudders but its more like the power keeps choking. Unfortunately this is very hard to describe and I wish there was a better way to put it into words.

I did see those recommended DIY by Alex but unfortunately I am not very mechanically inclined haha. Perhaps I will be able to complete some of the DIY if I read the walkthroughs carefully. Fingers crossed.

alSpeed2k

I'm not quite understanding your problem, Brian. Have you had your jedi friend, try replicating the problem? Or perhaps, does it happen if you try driving his car?

Also, the DIY's aren't overly difficult. I could probably help you out if you need it.

S1 S2

I experienced this a few times... not enough gas in first gear.

Chuck S

Stop and go driving in heavy traffic with a manual gear box gets a lot of stuttering when you brake and don't depress the clutch. Same way with too little gas on acceleration. Ya can't creep with a manual gearbox like you can with an automatic. Accelerate, coast, brake. Repeat as necessary.

Holding the clutch to the floor all the time is not good for the throw out bearing. Put the car in neutral.

-- Chuck

alSpeed2k

^Chuck S makes a very good point! Do not ride your clutch and make sure you step down all the way when engaging the clutch; letting it out a little while in gear will cause it to stutter.

bMa912

Chris watsapp'd me and said "LOL, he called me your jedi friend". And he said no, he hasn't experienced the same problem.

If you are offering to help with the DIY's, I will be forever grateful. Definitely want to be more hands on with my car but unfortunately don't know where to start. I promise they'll be a free dinner in it for your too

The seems to be the general consensus ><

I think you nailed it Chuck. When I am in bumper to bumper traffic, I tend to leave the gear in first and just hold down the clutch. This is probably what's causing it. I think the main reason why I do that is because my shifter is alittle stiff and being the lazy idiot that I am, don't feel like shifting constantly between neutral and first. I'll stop holding down the clutch and put it into neutral to see if that problem subsides.


Chuck is god

CCAP1

Had this happen to me once or twice as well. Feel it starting to bog, apply more gas, starts jerking, dump clutch. Very annoying. Sounds like it's happening quite often to you though..

legin_k

Sounds like heat bog to me. Hot air is less dense, and when you're not moving forward much the air in the engine bay gets quite hot. Suck that in to the intake, a/f goes super rich and it bogs out until you get enough air flowing in the front again. Happens to me a lot when it's hot and/or humid in stop and go traffic, especially if there's a slight wind from behind.