Goldtrom

Hi All,

A few month back my shifter became hard to engage when the car was stopped (sitting at a light). I used to always shift into second then first (before the problem), to get the car into gear.... After the problem started, I used third, second, first. Now it won't go into third! I can get it to go in by pushing down the clutch and tapping the gas peddle (shifter is in neutral).

Seems like tapping the gas shouldn't do anything since the engine is not connected to the tranny when the clutch is in... right? So, I though maybe I needed to bleed the clutch. I did that and it didn't help... Any ideas?

One more thing... the car shifts fine once it is moving...

Any help greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Rob

RED MX5

It sounds to me as if your clutch is not fully disengaging. Does the clutch feel normal? First thing I'd do is check the clutch fluid level.

cameroncarnes

Try changing your tranny fluid with some good ole' GM Syncromesh

xviper

Does it shift OK if your engine is off, foot on clutch? The fact that you can shift OK when moving tells me that you will be able to do it with engine off. Your clutch pedal may be down, but I'm thinking that your clutch is not disengaging. If you can shift both when moving and when the engine is off, I doubt it's your transmission or the fluid, although it wouldn't hurt to change it anyway if it has not been done in more than a couple of years. Have you or anyone else been messing with the clutch pedal adjustment rod? Maybe it's worked its way loose?
Since you've bled the fluid (and I can only assume that you've done it right), it might be time to take a look at that adjustment rod at the base of the clutch pedal. It's not a hard thing to do but if you don't understand what it is you are doing, best to leave that to someone who does.
Is there anything else you may have left out? Messed with the slave cylinder? Anything?

Goldtrom

Hi Xviper,

My car shifts fine with the engine off. I checked the rod on the clutch and both nuts are very tight and don't look like they could move. I mentioned the clutch bleed because I too thought the clutch was not disengaging. I just don't know why . I thought maybe the 4 year old fluid could be the problem, but I flushed it with about 1/2 liter of new dot3 and the peddle feels more "springy" then it did before. So, I think I did the clutch bleed correctly.

What else can I do to figure out the problem? I've done the "does the car move with clutch down and in gear" test, and it didn't seem to move at all. How do I test the slave/master cylinders are working? I'm guessing I'll just have to bring it to a shop and let them figure it out ...

Thanks!

Rob

Race Miata

It takes a big extent of clutch-not-disengaging-when-floored problem to move the car so it's not a definitive test. How far from the floor does the clutch pedal go before getting the car to move in 1st gear? Try adusting the clutch pedal pushrod so that the clutch engages higher and see if it helps. Easy and cheap enough test (free) to perform.

xviper

I would still suggest to target the clutch system. Which part is yet to be determined. Double check the results of the clutch bleed. As a last step, did you rapidly pump the pedal after you topped up the reservoir and capped it? (Not a full stroke pump, but just a few quick pumps at the top couple of inches.)
Also, how did you bleed it? Did you use the pedal to pump it or did you use some sort of vacuum bleed? I found the vacuum method did not work well as too much air got between the threads of the bleeder screw.
As mentioned, when you can get it into first, where is the clutch friction point as you lift up on the pedal and begin to feel the car under power?
It's entirely possible that your clutch disc is completely worn down. A pedal rod adjustment may resolve this but this still will not resolve a worn clutch. How old (miles) is on this clutch?

Goldtrom

Hi Guys,

Hm.. I didn't do the rapid pumps on the clutch, but the problem existed before I bled the system. How do I tell if there is air in the system? The peddle feels good and springy.... BTW I used the peddle method....

The clutch has 30K miles on i. I had the TSB for the clutch noise done around 22K miles.

I adjusted the rod and the problem got "better". I can now get it into gear by tapping the gear (i.e., trying to shift into third, feeling resistance so going back to neatral, then going back into third with no resistance). I put the rod at the end of its adjustment range... There is only one nut on the rod (not two like I thought). I loosend the nut and turned the rod till it reached the nut. Then I tightend the nut back down. The end without the nut is flush with the threads of the peddle, is this ok?

So, I still have the problem, but it is much better... Must be the clutch ... What else could be wrong? Should I bleed the system again?

Thanks again!
Rob

xviper

This is only a final step to ensure that the plunger is "loaded". In time, it will load itself anyway just through normal use.
Although this is not excessive, there have been reports of people burning up their clutch after 5K miles. How do you normally drive the car? Lot's of hard starts? High rpm rapid shifts? Yours "could" be nearing its end.
This tells me that it's a clutch engagement/disengagement issue. So, it could be any part of the clutch system. Have you noticed the fluid going down?

Goldtrom

Hi Xviper,

Thanks for the fast reply!


Most of the time I'm very easy on my transmission. I don't shift too fast (at least since the whole thread about what it does to the tranny). I don't do clutch drops (only 4 have ever been done on this car). I have taken it to the track a few times and I've been practicing my heel toe on it.

I'll check the fluid levels, but I haven't noticed them going down. Aren't the only things left then the clutch itself and the slave cylinder? How do I figure out which is the problem?