Urgent Help: Can't get car in first gear. [updated, still need help]

[jbrown7815]

Cars 5 spd transmission has been acting weird lately.

Well tonight on way home I came to stop. I cannot get it in first gear to save my life. I can force it into something higher and try to launch like that.


When car is not started gears seem to shift fine.

OK, so I can put the car in 1st while off, and start it and take off like that. Feels weird, but works. I can also get to all the gears except 1 when car is on, just a bit hard to get to.




What does this mean?


How can I check fluids? Pedal feels spongey


Plz help, this is my only mode of transportation. :(

[trev0006]

sound like the clutch master cylinder

[jbrown7815]

sound like the clutch master cylinder

Expensive to fix?

[A4natomical]

Expensive to fix?

shouldnt be too bad if you can do it yourself.

i just had to do this with my tacoma. it was actually pretty fun trying to out smart the bad master cylinder. for example i only had about 2 seconds of clutch depression before it started to grab again by itself. so i had to shift super fast. starting was the best part, i'd be at a light in neutral and have to put the clutch in, get it in gear and let the clutch out before it stalled itself. did that for about 2 weeks. fun stuff.

[jbrown7815]

I don't know what I'm doing enough to do that.


Is it just replacing a part? I don't have the money for something like this.


Why does this shit happen to me. :'(

[jbrown7815]

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/de...3-1613578.html


Is that what I need?

[A4natomical]

I don't know what I'm doing enough to do that.


Is it just replacing a part? I don't have the money for something like this.


Why does this shit happen to me. :'(

for the toyota, i think it was only around 70 bucks, but i have no idea for this german car we call audi.

[jbrown7815]

But of course I don't even know if the this is actually the problem.

[A4natomical]

try seaching. im pretty sure this happened to someone else.

[jbrown7815]

I'm not seeing anything..

[A4natomical]

http://audizine.com/forum/showthread...ck+parking+lot

this is the one i was thinking about, but i searched "stuck in parking lot" lol. cuz i remember him saying that.

[Condo]

I had the same problem last year and it ended up being a being a bad clutch. I was told at the time that it also may have been a bad slave cylinder. If the pedal feels different, that may be the problem.

[A4ringedONE8T]

Are you still on the stock clutch? With the car off, does it go in first? Start the car in 1st, can you let out the clutch and take off like normal?

[Ptwiggens]

Are you still on the stock clutch? With the car off, does it go in first? Start the car in 1st, can you let out the clutch and take off like normal?

I was about to ask these questions!

[jbrown7815]

Are you still on the stock clutch? With the car off, does it go in first? Start the car in 1st, can you let out the clutch and take off like normal?

Yes stock clutch. Yes car goes in first when off. Going to try this now.

[jbrown7815]

OK, so I can put the car in 1st while off, and start it and take off like that. Feels weird, but works. I can also get to all the gears except 1 when car is on, just a bit hard to get to.

What does this mean?

[jbrown7815]

Well, BRB, going to try and run it to stealership see what they say...

[old guy]

It means that your clutch is dragging (not fully disengaging). The reason you can shift after you are moving is because the synchronizers can force the input/output shafts to match speed. You can't get it into first since the output shaft is not moving at all. your problem is one of two things. You could have a hydraulic issue where you master cylinder or slave cylinder isn't working properly. If this is the case you are probably experiencing a very low clutch engagement point. Typically as the clutch wears the engagement point gets higher, not lower. If it isn't a hydraulic issue then you will need a new clutch.

[jbrown7815]

Ok so I just took it to the dealership.


Everytime I came to a stop I had to cut car off to put in first,

Then Right when I got there, it started acting normal[ish] again.

On drive home I was able to get into first while on easily, as long as I wasn't moving or going very slow. The rest of the gears felt almost normal.


Dealer guy said it probably is clutch, but he didn't even look at it.


What now?

[old guy]

At what point in your clutch pedal travel does the clutch begin to engage? Just off the floor, halfway up, or closer to the top? Typically the stock clutch engages around halfway to 2/3 of the way up. If your clutch engages very low I would suspect the clutch master cylinder or even possibly the throw out bearing. Are you getting any noises when depressing the clutch?

[jbrown7815]

At what point in your clutch pedal travel does the clutch begin to engage? Just off the floor, halfway up, or closer to the top? Typically the stock clutch engages around halfway to 2/3 of the way up. If your clutch engages very low I would suspect the clutch master cylinder or even possibly the throw out bearing. Are you getting any noises when depressing the clutch?

I barely barely let off the clutch before it starts engaging. I can kinda hear some clicking.

[old guy]

I barely barely let off the clutch before it starts engaging. I can kinda hear some clicking.

That is definitely not normal for a stock clutch. The clicking is also a concern. If the throw out bearing is shot it lowers the stack height of the clutch/pressure plate/TO bearing assembly and causes a low pedal and is usually accompanied with some noise. A worn master cylinder can also cause a low pedal. You can perform a quick (and crude) check on the master cylinder like this: Motor on, in neutral, rapidly pump the clutch pedal several times and on the last pump try to put it in first gear. If it goes in easily you probably have a hydraulic issue. If the engagement is still poor you will most likely need to replace your clutch.

[jbrown7815]

. Since I took drive to dealer, it gets into first easily as long as I'm not moving... while started or not.

[old guy]

. Since I took drive to dealer, it gets into first easily as long as I'm not moving... while started or not.

Try pumping the pedal as I previously suggested and see if it raises the engagement point any. If it does it's a good indication of a hydraulic issue that probably isn't going to go away on its own.

Edit: Although it may be working now, a low engagement point with a stock clutch is not normal. It would be best to figure it out now before it leaves you stranded.

[jbrown7815]

Alright, I'll give that a try. Hopefully it stays driveable like this for a bit.


I don't have money to replace clutch right now.

[vdubstreets]

Try pumping the pedal as I previously suggested and see if it raises the engagement point any. If it does it's a good indication of a hydraulic issue that probably isn't going to go away on its own.

My guess is either Slave/Master or clutch. That test that Old guy said should give you an idea what your up agaist.
I had the slave go on my jeep 3 times, what a pain in the ass that is because its internal to the tranny had to drop the tranny and transfercase.

[jbrown7815]

It's acting normal now.


when I release the clutch, it kinda shakes a bit until fully engaged.

WTF?!!?

[old guy]

It's acting normal now.


when I release the clutch, it kinda shakes a bit until fully engaged.

WTF?!!?

Hate to say it but I recommend you start saving your $$$ because a new clutch assembly is in your near future. Hydraulics are not going to cause shuddering. Defective clutch will.

[jbrown7815]

Great, well I think I'm going to go with the Southbend FE SS

How much does it cost to get flywheel resurfaced?

[Condo]

Great, well I think I'm going to go with the Southbend FE SS

How much does it cost to get flywheel resurfaced?

Good choice on the clutch. Southbend will resurface your flywheel for free and ship it back to you with your clutch.

[jbrown7815]

Good choice on the clutch. Southbend will resurface your flywheel for free and ship it back to you with your clutch.

Oh sweet.



I just don't wanna buy the clutch until I know that it's the problem..


It seems to work fine right now.