your experiences / guidance is really needed!
my car is in with garageR at the moment, i bit the bullet and drove up the distance on the basis of having some issues that no-one else could give the experience needed..

the problem - 1st-2nd gear very difficult to select, have to really really delay change so it doesn't crunch, or it will crunch. It is also difficult selecting reverse. Gears are very notchy even when car is hot hot.. the car wasn't like this when i first got it, silky smooth. The car is an 04 with 27k on the clock, the clutch also bites very high up the pedal, only thing i have done is do the 27k service a little early when i first got it, gear oil was swapped out for Amsoil mtf. Rob has started by greasing the clutch fork but it is still the same and he is looking into other possibilities before having to take the box off! Have seen the honda bulletin about greasing bits up although this only appied to 00-03 and have sent this on.. any help would be really appreciated..

 

I'm gonna start with the good old clutch fluid check - is there fluid? Have you ever flushed it? Also, does the car's clutch still hold the car or is it slipping?

 

never been flushed, only 27k car.. haven't personally checked the fluid for the clutch, i assume the garage will, they are an honda specialist..

clutch isn't slipping, although it bites fairly high on the pedal...

 

personally check the fluid in 3 places!!
1) clutch master cylinder reservoir (cap under hood)
2) clutch master cylinder piston (in the car, follow the clutch pedal up...til you see a plunger going into the firewall...is it leaky/do you see fluid coming off/is it dirty?)
3) clutch slave cylinder (under car, follow a rubber line to your trans, it goes into a rubber boot, pull the rubber boot off but be careful not to tear it, check that side for leaks as well)

if those all check out, change your tranny fluid.

 

Mine needed changing at 12k. It was probably 8 years old at the time.

Change your clutch fluid and trans fluid.

 

so seems like the sensible approach is check for possible clutch fluid leaks, poss change out clutch and gear oil.. certainly before considering anything as big as box off..

further to this i have always felt the clutch isn't disengaging properly, i.e. when you put your foot on the clutch, lets say to approach a stop you can still hear the whirring as if not dis-engaged properly.

 

You have a six year old car, and afaik the fluid should be changed every three years. If nothing else, you need new clutch (and bake) fluid. If you've never even checked it, I'd start by replacing the brake and clutch fluid (can be done with two bottles of DOT3 if you do it yourself) regardless of anything else, since the car needs it. If you still have a problem, go from there.

 

sorry to highjack but i kind of have the same issue. i have an MY01 ap1 with 55k on it now. i have this same issue pretty much. my clutch fluid is very dark ish. kind of like dark grey in the bottom. also would this issue because my a leaky master cylinder? inside the firewall at the top of the clutch pedal there is clutch fluid leaking there. (this is my issue- rev matching 4th to 3rd after rev match im at 3500, and ill ride that down to 2500 and push in clutch and it will not disengage. this only happens in a lower rpm of a gear. never happens above 3000-3200rpms. anyone? thanks....sorry about the highjack

 

I had a similar problem due to a leaky master cylinder.

 

your clutch would disengage because of a leaky master cylinder as well? only on lower rpm clutch disengagements? im in a pickle. either a take of my exhaust and wideband and vafc2, and take it to the dealer...or spend 70 dollars on the master cylinder and save myself the hassel of doing everything else...again. then i have to put everything back on. im just debating on wether or not to take everything off. i have a 12 month powertreain warrrranty on it.