Hello folks,

I have a 97 esi that's manual and ever since yesterday I have been having trouble shifting. It's a struggle getting into any gear. I have basically had to get away with being in 2nd to get around because I was able to get it into that one. When it was changing it felt like the oil was really thick (if that makes any sense). Last night after driving for about 5 minutes it came back but this a.m. it was even worse. It was close to -25 with the windchill

Does this sound like a normal issue considering how cold it has been? The tranny oil hasn't been replaced in a while though? Just want to see if anyone thinks my tranny is about to grenade on me?

Thanks for your help!

Hello.

Yep, it could be the Oil. Change it and see if that makes a difference.

Ghislain.

Could be shifter cables. If it is the viscosity of the fluid, it must be 80W90 or thicker, and it would get better after a 2km drive to warm up. Try a synthetic, or a blend 75W90.

I could see the first few shifts being affected by the cold, but not after the car has warmed up to operating temperature (after driving around, not idling). You may have some cable issues.

I'll bet it's the bushings at the shifter linkage.

Ryan I don't think bushings could be that bad.

My bet is the cable as well. There is a solid rod running through the braided steel cord in the cables, this tends to break. Making shifting almost impossible and it feels like a spring loaded shifter, you can usually feel the stretching.

Quite possible the seals in the master or slave could have gotten messed up with the freezing temperatures.

If, like you said it starts to shift ok after 5 minutes or so I'd have to say it's probably just really thick fluid. If you drive it again and after a few minutes it starts to shift normallay I'd say change it and maybe put a quart of something a bit lighter in there.

I use half Redline MT90(75w90) and half Redline MTLight(70w80) and it works quite well in my winter car, only reverse is hard in -20.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I think that's a good enough mix to run well in the winter and avoid any unwanted wear.

So get a load of this. Last night same thing is going on. Car started and can't get it into gear. Second I can force and after driving I can force it into third and back into second but no chance on first gear. I get pissed and park it for the night. This a.m. same thing. I can force (no grinding or anything just tough)into anything but first. I get to the GO parking lot and by that time I'm able to force it into most gears but it's really tough. I turn of the car and I can shift it like butter. Completely smooth. I turn the car back on and it's hard again.

If I take my foot off the brake while the clutch is in and try to put it in second as soon as I feel in the gear box it resisting as if about to enter the gear the car is actually try to start to move forward?

Is my clutch not disengaging properly? Need adjustment or something? The only thing out of the ordinary is I took the car in last week to a new shop for a new power steering belt & oil change and two days later this starting up... coincidence?

Thanks for any help guys!

Like I said, check the master and slave for leaks....

Mine used to freeze up when i would go on a downhill. Then, I would be frozen till I parked it on a uphill for like 20 min or so, then everything was back to normal. It was the Slave cylinder I think.

Hope that helps.. I ended up getting new master and slave cyl, on the tranny I got 2 weeks prior. Now parting that out if you need parts..

man... and I just spent $800 on a new power steering belt, brake service, oil change, rotation etc. That was last week. Now this... sweet. I hope that's it. Those parts seem pretty reasonable. I'll try and get it into a shop tonight. Too cold to try and work on it in the driveway

Thanks for all your input guys! I'll keep you posted.

Dave

That's it?
A DSM always costs $200 more than you have.



NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU HAVE.
Lol

Could be you clutch peddel assembly aswell, and a transmission will warm up at idle, do to all the internals spinning once you let the clutch out.

I'd also check the position and motion of the shift fork @ the slave, this will illiminate some posibilities. There is also a chance that the spacer wasn't installed that goes between the tranny & motor, but that would only contribute not cause the problem.

Good luck.

Clutch pedal assembly issues only affect the 1g's. I wish we had a better design like the 2g's.

The diagnosis is in... air in the hydraulic system. They bled and cleaned everything up. Works like a charm now apparently. It's going to cost me $65 plus tax in the end.

Ah, the smile on my face right now!

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and suggestions!

Cheers,

Just out of curiosity, was it a up hill down hill thing at all??

Well they said the level of fluid was at the min so I wonder if that had an impact? My driveway is really steep. But I only drove it from there to the GO parking lot. Neither a level or steep surface made a difference.

While I was driving it seemed to work after a bit but the service manager said he could get it to work no problem by double pumping the clutch. Maybe I was doing that without realizing the time it would work. You know when you get annoyed you just start doing things and reacting.

Now he did say it's working "now"... if it changes get it back so it can be looked into further.

Here's hoping to not having to take it back.

Sounds like a good explaination, hopefully it was right!
Good luck.. glad to hear its better

sounds like a friction disc problem.

I had the exact same symptoms with my car, but I blew up my friction disc. lol.

When I dropped the tranny, it was literally 3 pieces.

But going by the pull I did about 30 seconds before it started messin up, my cause was justified.

But it's either master/slave or friction disc.

Small chance but could be clutch fork, or throw out brearing but I wouldn't cound on it.

Gavin