Civic cold weather clutch/transmission

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

2003 Honda Civic EX sedan 5-speed manual transmission with a 4-cylinder v-tech engine
Hi all. I have had this issue for a few years, but find that it only happens in colder weather. We (the car and I) are originally from Florida, so the occasions for problems may have lasted a week(s). I could never replicate the issue for my mechanic because it would warm up so quickly. We (the car and I and a few others) now live near Seattle, WA. Faced with a new landscape, we have done well on the hills and steep mountains, but the colder weather is another thing. I thought I would have a tough time adjusting, but my poor car wants to give up.

The problem:
The gears do not ‘catch’. It can be from a dead stop or shifting through the gears. Instead of a normal, smooth transition around 3000rpm, the car will shudder and even stall if the accelerator isn’t depressed and reved bringing the rpms up to 4000 at least. So in the car pool lane I get to sound like “that guy” while pulling away from 6 year-olds. (“That guy” in a civic is a sad sound anyway.)

The conditions:
It only happens in colder weather, and only after the colder weather has set in. It was fine through the summer here in Washington state, and it even made it through a November cold snap without showing signs of coming back.
The lower gears are most affected. Stopped into 1st. 1st to 2nd. 2nd to 3rd. Occasionally, but not often at all, 3rd to 4th. Once ever from 4th to 5th. I have not noticed it in reverse ever.
It is a problem I can manage around be driving differently - shifting very quickly at very high rpms, but I do not want to cause more harm. Plus I have a kid in the car a lot. I don’t feel safe, nor do I want to be stranded.
It is intermittent. For the most part, it does not happen on the initial start up and drive for the day. Leaving the house and making it to a destination be it 1 mile or 20 miles away, I may never encounter the shuddering or may only notice it near the end of the drive. It can occur during a trip and then ‘heal itself’ for a time and then reoccur in the same trip. One day it might not happen and other days I’ll give up trying to drive.
I never have issues starting the car.

I do not know if it is the clutch itself or a fluid/pressure issue.

Maintenance:
87000 miles. Dealership scheduled maintenance for the entire life of the car.

I appreciate any input and will answer any questions that I can.
I am in a new resident in the suburbs Northeast of Seattle, so if there is a mechanic or dealership anyone suggests, please let me know as well.
Thank you!

2

So are you tying to describe to use an Idle issue? Will the car idle at a stop? Or are you saying it wont completely go into gear…transmission wise? Please let me know.

What I THINK I hear is that she…the car…wants to stall between shifts… Yes no? IF SO…that would be your Air Idle Control valve…not exactly LOVING the new colder climate… Let me know if I got it right and I can go further.

Blackbird

3

The car will idle without any issue. The issue is only when moving (or trying to).

4

Sounds like maybe the engine lacks low-end stable torque, or severe clutch chatter.
Starting from a standstill you shouldn’t have to rev even to 3000rpm.
On flat ground you should be able to ease out the clutch in 1st gear without touching the gas pedal.

If you routinely rev to 3000rpm as you start out it’s possible you’ve botched up the flywheel and pressure plate surfaces and the result is clutch chatter.

Try getting up into 3rd gear at low speed, foot off the clutch, and floor the accelerator from 1500rpm.
Does it pull smoothly?

5

This is not sounding like either a clutch or transmission problem. It is sounding like an engine problem. It could be the outside air temperature sensor or a mass air flow (MAF) issue, but you should get a check engine light with it.

If it were the clutch, I would recommend that you get the fluid exchanged. It uses brake fluid that absorbs water, and the water could be freezing. If I suspected the transmission, I would recommend a fluid change as well. Check with Honda for the type of fluid it uses, but whatever it uses, put in the synthetic version of that fluid. Many manual transmission now use ATF instead of gear oil and Honda has a new, synthetic ATF that helps with the cold shift problems that Honda automatic transmissions have suffered from.

6

circuitsmith - agreed. 3000 rpms is too high for the initial going into motion. I tend to shift just below 3000rpms going in to all other gears while driving. The rev is only necessary when the problem occurs, otherwise it drives normally.

I will add that as I slow and drop rpms or downshift the shudder does not occur.

Keith - there is no engine light with the issue. I am not at freezing temps yet and never was in Florida.