Shifting Problems

[adammethner05]

I've been doing some searching and I don't believe I've found what I'm looking for, so I figured I'd see if you guys could diagnose my shifting problem.

Well, the problem is, it doesn't shift out of neutral at all. A few months ago, I went out to my car one day and tried to get it into gear, and it just wouldn't do it. Checked the clutch reservoir, and it was empty, so naturally I filled it and was on my way. Didn't bleed the clutch or anything. For about a week I had to pump the clutch a few times to get it into gear (usually just for like first and second), which I'm assuming was because air got into the line but after that it was smooth sailing, almost as if whatever the problem was just kind of disappeared.

Which brings me to my recent problem. About a week and a half ago, a close friend decided it would be a fun idea to make me extremely extremely angry, so I went out and drove my car like a complete asshole. I admit it, I was stupid to drive like that. But damn, I was mad. Anyways, towards the end, I started to smell burning clutch, or what I assume was burning clutch (smelled like ass). My car reeked like this smell the next 2 days, then after that it kind of went away, but it seems like whenever I'd get to like 3500rpms the smell would come back again, or anytime I was done driving and got out of my car I could just smell it. Anyways, as I was pulling into my driveway yesterday morning, I went to shift from 2nd to 1st and it just wouldn't go. Now it's back to not shifting again, but this time the clutch reservoir is still full.

Now from my previous problem, I checked the area under the steering column, clutch pedal, etc. and noticed brake/clutch fluid, which I've learned was the slave cylinder leaking. Please correct me if I'm wrong. But I haven't noticed it since then, and I checked right after my car quit shifting yesterday and I didn't notice any down there. So here's what I'm wondering, should I just replace the slave or master or both? Or is this a clutch related problem? I know I'll probably be replacing my clutch soon either way, that smell is terrible. It's weird though, it never slipped, didn't make any noises, and I never had any trouble shifting at all between the two incidents. But suddenly yesterday it decided to get stuck in neutral.

Sorry for the really long post, but I figured I'd just go in depth explaining the problems I'm having with my car, so that diagnosing them could be easier. Keep in mind that this car has just over 140,000 miles, and I'm not sure if the clutch or anything else has been replaced or not. Thank you all for your time, and any input/questions would be much appreciated.

 

[loser_635]

since nobodys replied Ill take a shot at it.

Got this from the Haynes Repair Manual

| 31 Unable to select gears

1 Faulty transaxle
2 Faulty clutch disc
3 Release lever and bearing not assembled properly
4 Faulty pressure plate
5 Pressure plate-to-flywheel bolts lose

Hope that helps.

 

[Locke]

Air is compressible, oil is not. When you have air in your clutch system, the clutch will not fully disengage when you press the clutch in, which will wear out your clutch and cause shifting problems.

The clutch master cylinder is attached to the firewall, and is damaged when oil is leaking into the cabin around the master push rod. The slave cylinder is on the transmission, who's rod actuates the fork.

Replace/rebuild the clutch master cylinder, inspect the slave cylinder for damage and function, bleed the system and go from there. You may have glazed your clutch.

 

[adammethner05]

Thanks Locke, I'll probably go buy the master cylinder rebuild kit and see if that'll do the trick. At least it's only around $15, which isn't bad at all.

Oh and sorry Defiant for posting in the wrong part of the forum.

Well I got the clutch master cylinder rebuilt and put back together yesterday, it was easy and only took me around half an hour to do everything. I bled the clutch lines today, and I still can't shift out of neutral. I think it's time to do the inevitable and replace my clutch. Any other suggestions before I take that route, or is that what's probably the best idea for my situation?

 

[kanderson]

I had the same problem on my truck and it turned out to be a cracked clutch fork that as the crack got bigger and bigger got harder and harder to get in gear, until it finally wouldn't go at all. I had to drive it home with no clutch, sucked at stop signs : )

Also, I don't know what burning clutch fluid smells like, but if you were leaking it could be that?

 

[adammethner05]

I'm not sure exactly what happened, but it looks like I'm just gonna end up replacing the clutch. To top it all off, my Talon that I just got up and running again about a week ago took a shit on me last night. Driving down the road, and my car like went into neutral, so I pulled over and started tinkering with this sensor that's been screwing with me since I got the car (I have replaced it once already, $30ish from Satan), come to find out the tranny fluid decided it'd be fun to go completely empty. Filled it back up and drove it, had first and second gear, but when it went to shift into third, it was like it went into neutral, then on it's own to first gear and got stuck in first, so I said to hell with it and drove home in first gear. Don't worry I didn't drive fast or anything . Oh yeah this is an automatic transmission by the way. When I got it home I tried driving it around the block and it did the same thing, shifting into first after failing to hit third gear. And the transmission is making some strange noises, so I'm sure there's some bearings or something bouncing/grinding in there somewhere. Yay, now I have 2 broken down DSM's with basically the same problem.