Shifting into 1st gear when at a stop...

[redpepSi]

Has anyone noticed that sometimes there is an ever-so-slight "engagement" or lunging of the car? VERY slight, but noticeable. I'm wondering if I've got a problem with my clutch, or if it needs to be adjusted in some way. It doesn't happen every time, but enough to concern me.

[nycclaye]

google the style of driving of rev-matching if your doing it even from the slightest roll.

if not, and your completely stopped, I'd say that's not normal. I push in the clutch, put it in first and my car stays still til i let go of the clutch.

[redpepSi]

nah - i've been driving MT cars for a long while now, and never felt this. it's only when at a dead stop. it's like this - depress clutch fully. as i shift into first (just engaging the gear - NOT giving it gas at all), you can feel a slight lunging or rocking of the car. and it only happens the first time. if i were to keep the clutch depressed and put into 1st again, it won't do it. odd...

[shipo]

Originally Posted by redpepSi

nah - i've been driving MT cars for a long while now, and never felt this. it's only when at a dead stop. it's like this - depress clutch fully. as i shift into first (just engaging the gear - NOT giving it gas at all), you can feel a slight lunging or rocking of the car. and it only happens the first time. if i were to keep the clutch depressed and put into 1st again, it won't do it. odd...

If you pull to a stop and wait a minute or so and then engage first gear do you still notice the lurch?

[redpepSi]

it will happen pretty much every time as long as it is the first time i am shifting into gear after the clutch has been depressed. if i keep the clutch in, go back to neutral, then go back into 1st, it won't happen. i just don't want this to be a problem down the road that gets worse. i'm going to have the dealer check it when i go for my 1st oil change. also thinking of going Synchromesh or similar for my MTF.

[shipo]

Originally Posted by redpepSi

it will happen pretty much every time as long as it is the first time i am shifting into gear after the clutch has been depressed. if i keep the clutch in, go back to neutral, then go back into 1st, it won't happen. i just don't want this to be a problem down the road that gets worse. i'm going to have the dealer check it when i go for my 1st oil change. also thinking of going Synchromesh or similar for my MTF.

Are you saying that you are coasting to a stop with the car in gear and the clutch disengaged, come to a stop and change down to first and feel the lurch? Asked another way, are you coasting/braking to a stop in gear or in neutral?

[BigT]

It sounds like the clutch friction disk may be sticking slightly. This causes what you are describing. When you push the clutch in and the clutch friction disk sticks the tranny gears keep spinning and when you try to put it in first the syncros basically push so hard trying to match the speed of the gears that it causes the car to move a little. Then the clutch disk breaks free and it goes in gear. Then if you keep your foot on the clutch and take it back out of gear it will go back in easily because the disk is already broken free.

This is most frequently caused by a contaiminated friction disk. If you have a leaking rear main seal (engine) or input shaft seal (transmission) you could be getting oil on the friction disk, causing it to stick.

If your clutch isn't disengauging all the way (clutch worn out or misadjusted) it can cause a similar problem, but it usually will just speed the tranny gears back up when you take it back out of gear (foot still on clutch) and will do the same thing when you put it back in.

[redpepSi]

thanks for the insight! this is troubling on a few fronts, 'cuz i've got a whopping 5K miles on my car. +1 for the technical greatness.

[redpepSi]

Originally Posted by shipo

Are you saying that you are coasting to a stop with the car in gear and the clutch disengaged, come to a stop and change down to first and feel the lurch? Asked another way, are you coasting/braking to a stop in gear or in neutral?

No - standing perfectly still, and putting the car into 1st. BEFORE i give it gas.

[shipo]

Originally Posted by redpepSi

No - standing perfectly still, and putting the car into 1st. BEFORE i give it gas.

Hmmm, okay, you're sitting in neutral, clutch engaged. You then depress the clutch pedal and select first gear (I think I have it now). If that's the case, the clutch disk and input/main shaft are still spinning when you select first gear and what you are feeling is the abrupt halt of said spinning. Once stopped, and as long as you don't reselect neutral and reengage the clutch, you shouldn't feel it again.

[redpepSi]

Exactly! So it sounds as if this is NOT normal. I will get the dealership to check this out. If it is the aforementioned problem(s), it sounds as if this will be a not-so-quick trip to the Honda place...

[shipo]

Originally Posted by redpepSi

Exactly! So it sounds as if this is NOT normal. I will get the dealership to check this out. If it is the aforementioned problem(s), it sounds as if this will be a not-so-quick trip to the Honda place...

Uhhh, well I wouldn't go that far. I've owned manual transmission equipped cars from Asian, North American and European manufacturers, and every single one of them exhibited this characteristic to a certain extent.

Think about it this way, when you are idling in neutral with the clutch engaged, the clutch disk and input shaft are spinning as are many if the internal transmission components (main gears, synchronizers...), and when you disengage the clutch, they take a moment to bleed off that rotational energy. If on the other hand your car didn't exhibit this characteristic to some degree, I'd say you have a problem with a bearing or something that is causing the main shaft to slow down too quickly.

[redpepSi]

oh, ok. thanks for all your input. i'm probably blowing it out of proportion, then. still gonna bring it up to those fools, though. wanna go on record in case anything pops up in the future.

[shipo]

Originally Posted by redpepSi

oh, ok. thanks for all your input. i'm probably blowing it out of proportion, then. still gonna bring it up to those fools, though. wanna go on record in case anything pops up in the future.

A very wise plan.

[Nomar06]

Unless you get it on paper, it will not be on record. So you will prob waste a couple of hours for them to tell you there is nothing wrong and end up with a paper saying nothing is wrong.

This has happened to me at the local dealer. Spent about 2 weeks in and out of the shop with nothing to show for it cause "we dont record that as it was not a technical problem" Therefore, I was not able to file a complain to H of A. It was nothing major, just the workers being stupid but still pisses me off.

[nycclaye]

I know. there's very few tech's at the honda's i've been to that are willing to help

[redpepSi]

yeah, that's what i'm afraid of. i'm going in today, and i'll report to you guys as to what transpires tomorrow...

[kingcuongo]

any updates red?

[FA555]

Is your arm so big that the inertia from them moves the car. That and chalk me up for another owner whose car does not have this problem.