I haven’t owned a manual transmission in a while so I need to know if this is normal. When shifting into any gear I have to force the shifter into gear with quite a bit of force. Almost like it’s hitting something and then going into gear. There’s no screeching or grinding. It does the same thing when pulling out of gear.
See if the dealer has another one, check if it shifts the same way.
You said in another post that this was a Carmax purchase with the remainder factory warranty. You should use it as a first step.
Please tell us that it did not shift like that when you test drove it.
I might be off base here but you might want to check if you have a return period because like someone else here I wonder why it was back on the market so soon.
@“VOLVO V70” It wasn’t shifting that hard when I test drove it. I was told it was sold to carmax because the business that bought it was going under and sold it to the carmax. So would you say that something like this warrants an inspection by the dealer?
@texases the dealer doesn’t have any more manual transmission dodge darts. Sadly manual transmission vehicles are a dying breed here in california.
Statements by used car dealers and what you read on the internet are always true aren’t they.
Check with Carmax about the shifting first then a dealer next. As second owner you need to find out just exactly what your warranty coverage is.
@“VOLVO V70” I know I may not have been told the whole truth. But my warranty still covers this particular problem I’m having.
The idea above about testing another version to see if it does the same thing is a good one. Transmission shifting force varies from car to car. My Corolla shifts effortlessly from gear to gear except into first or reverse it can be a little balky sometimes. But that’s normal.
One time the Corolla’s clutch master cylinder went faulty and then it became difficult to shift gears, acting like the transmission was resisting the gear lever. At one point it got so bad I couldn’t shift out of neutral into first at a stop light. I could tell it was the MC because if I pumped on the clutch pedal a couple times quickly it would return to shifting from neutral to first effortlessly. You might try that, see if it helps. Replacing the MC fixed the problem for me.
I’ll look around at dealerships and see if I can find another stick shift dart
I think it is a fallacy to think one can walk on to a dealers lot and demand to drive a vehicle to judge if it is as good as the one purchased from a competitor. If your not a prospective buyer a salesmen will tell you the new cars are not available for this.
You have the benefit of having your car inspected by the service department for concerns as you vehicle is still under warranty. If your concerns are dismissed you can request to drive a similar vehicle to compare but this would be done as a courtesy, you are a Carmax customer and while the vehicle carries a warranty there are limits to the dealers requirements, the dealer is not obligated to prove your shifting is equal to other vehicles.
If you feel there is a problem with your car take it to the service department and have it checked.
A little update. I just when to move my car and the shifting problem is gone. Could it maybe be a temperature problem? It’s about 35 degrees right now.
Yes you should be in a warmer climate, have you considered Phoenix Arizona?
Honestly, I don’t know the temperature of you transmission, it should be close to the temperature of the engine. How long ago that it was last driven is a factor. A manual transmission at temperatures less than 20 degrees F will be more difficult to shift than one at 90 degrees.
- Make sure you are depressing the clutch petal fully. You might have to adjust the seat forward a bit. 2. If the tranny balks at going into 1st gear at a stop, just let the clutch out (still in N) then push the clutch in and try again. The gears may line up better and slip into gear easily. 3. A cold tranny will feel sluggish until it warms up, just shift a bit slower thru the gears for a few miles.
All of the above is normal and just a matter of you getting familiar with the car. If the problem persists it might be a mechanical problem. Have a mechanic check the fluid level in the tranny. There is no dipstick for a manual tranny. Also the clutch operations should be checked to confirm the clutch is releasing fully.
“would you say that something like this warrants an inspection by the dealer?”
If the car is covered by the factory warranty, why would you not take it to a dealership as a result of this complaint? Who knows if there might even be a factory recall related to this problem?
Even if they can’t do anything currently to relieve the problem, having your complaint noted in their records would give you warranty coverage if a more serious problem related to the shift mechanism takes place after the warranty coverage ends.
Here is an explanation from another dart owner This is caused by the CDV (clutch delay valve)… It is essentially a bottle neck on the connection from the master to the slave cylinder (or the other way around). It makes it so that the fluid inside cannot move through as quickly, normally installed to make it easier for “new” manual drivers… The problem Dodge didnt take into account is that there are people that are used to driving manual cars WITHOUT these installed, making it more difficult for them to drive the way they know how. This can be even more predominant when its very cold outside. It causes the fluid to be even more “thick” and travel through the valve even slower… If you want a fix for this issue keep your eye on this thread by @Bullfrog
replace OEM clutch master and CDV with Wilwood #projectracecat)
Also explains why it was happening in the cold. Thanks for all the help everyone!
Thanks for the feedback. Another case of manufacturers thinking they know what is best for us.
Is the OP saying they are not going to use the warranty but replace the parts and possibly voiding the warranty on the clutch?
@“VOLVO V70” This was from a modding website for dodge darts. It’s an explanation on what is happening and a possible work around. But I definitely don’t possess the mechanical knowledge to do such a modification.
The question still remains, are you going in to check with the dealer about warranty work?
Maybe these cars were fitted with that delay valve in an attempt to make the clutch last longer and prevent all out hot rodding.
I know that at the drag strip here over the years there seems to be an abnormally high number of small cars which are mostly Subarus and Chrysler products.
More than a few young guys show up on test and tune night with the new car paper tag in the window and beat on those cars from 5 P.M. until they run them off the track late night…
I’ve quite often wondered how many of those people were at the dealership on Monday morning carping about the clutch or transmission; demanding warranty of course.
@“VOLVO V70” since I have $0 deductible it can’t hurt to take it to a dodge dealership and see if anything is wrong. Just in case. I don’t trust those guys at carmax. Who knows if they have ever even worked on a manual tranny outside of the classroom. Taking it to the dealership next thursday, I’ll post the results.