Okay I've been wondering about this for awhile, but my boyfriend reassures me that nothing is wrong with the car. However, I will not be satisfied until I hear some replies from experienced S owners.

From neutral, I push the clutch in and before I can shift into first gear, I feel (and hear) a slight "clunk". This doesn't happen every single time, but it happens often enough that I worry about it. My boyfriend says that is normal, and that we don't feel it on other manual tranny cars (like my old del Sol and his Mercury Cougar) because the engine isn't so close to our feet like it is in the S.

Is it normal to have that little "clunk"? By the way, it doesn't seem to happen when shifting to any other gear, only when I am going to shift into first.

 

very normal, dont worry about it. there is a fix for it though, they have to grease up a bolt in the rear end. the problem is more of an annoyance than anything else, im not giong to worry about.

 

At exactly what point do you hear/feel this clunk? Is it as you are pushing the shifter into first? Or have you not even touched the shifter yet?
If it is shifting into first, try this: After you push in the clutch, wait 3-4 seconds before you push the shift lever into first. It should no longer clunk.
When you have your car in neutral, your engine is connected to the transmission (clutch engaged), thus spinning the tranny. If you push the clutch in and immediately go to first, you are suddenly stopping that spinning tranny. This is the clunk you hear/feel. By waiting the few seconds after you push the clutch in, you are allowing your tranny to slow down and stop. In either case, no big deal.

If you are getting the clunk by only pushing the clutch in and NOT touching the stick yet, then we can discuss that later as it could other things at work here.

 

I just got an 03 and every once in awhile (especially when the car is cold) I feel that same clunk. A little clunky going into second too sometimes. Its not a grind so I'm not worrying about it... seems to smooth out when the car warms up.

 

xviper... it happens after I push the clutch in but before I even attempt to shift into first. That's why it was kind of a concern to me. I haven't tried to shift and it's making that noise. It does happen more often when the engine is cold, though. Thanks for reminding me about that, Eternal706

 

The simple act of pushing the clutch to the floor while sitting still should not normally provoke a "clunk" unless your idea of a clunk and mine are different. Is it only something you hear or do you also feel it in your foot? If it is only something you hear, it could be as simple as when the drive train is cold, the clutch is just a little sticky and it is finally disengaging. If it something you also feel in your foot, it could be the actual clutch pedal pivot point that is a bit stiff and a bit of lubrication will cure that. It could also be the seal on the clutch piston as it travels in the master cylinder. There could be a slight ridge that it passes and this goes away when things heat up. Again, not a problem unless it becomes "all the time" and really starts making noise or begins to affect your clutch operation.

ps. After your latest description, I believe it has nothing to do with anything in the "rear end" of the car as while the tranny is in neutral, there is no direct connection to the rear end as yet.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Eternal706
[B]I just got an 03 and every once in awhile (especially when the car is cold) I feel that same clunk.

 

I get that clunk too. don't worry about. Everything is still fine after 2yrs of clunking

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ole yeller
[B]


I got a slight "clicking" I can feel from 1st to 2nd and sometimes 2nd to 3rd.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by xviper
[B]
I think it's only your shift linkage at work.