I am trying to figure out why my car makes a certain sound and movement when I shift between first and second gear. I don’t think I am making the car lug or stall out because the RPMs never fall too low, but there is a clear “ka-chunk-ka-chunk” noise with a corresponding forward-backward lurch. I am pretty sure the car is fine, and it’s all my bad technique because my girlfriend does not get that “effect” as much as I do (really, not at all, and it’s a bit emasculating that shes such a better driver than me!). This does not happen when shifting into first from a stop, but then again, I’m not the best at that either…
It seems to happen a little more when I go straight, but I am also accelerating a bit more then, too.
I do push the clutch all the way down. Is there ever a time where I shouldn’t?
I just bought the car from my GF’s sister. I don’t know when the transmission oil was changed, but she took it to a dealership for a full exam, and I’ve taken it to Jiffy for a regular oil/filter change, too. Is the transmission oil something they check? I assume the dealer would have checked that before giving it the ok for selling.
Yes, you should be pushing the clutch all the way down, so that eliminates that as the cause.
If your transmission is damaged, it may be a little late to change the fluid, but it couldn’t hurt to do it now. Checking manual transmission oil isn’t easy. There is no dip stick. You basically look for leaks, or remove the fill plug at the top of the transmission and stick your finger in there to make sure it has oil. Personally, I find it easier to change the oil than to check it. My transmission holds less than two quarts of oil, and I’ve installed a valve in place of the drain plug, so the hardest part is removing the fill plug.
The reason I ask about the oil is that some people believe changing manual transmission oil isn’t necessary, or that it is only necessary to do it every 100,000 or 150,000 miles, but if I remember correctly, my 1998 Civic owner’s manual recommends changing the manual transmission oil every 30,000 or 60,000 miles. The fact that you don’t know when it was last changed might mean it was never changed, and that might be the cause of the problem.
This might just be your technique. Try letting the clutch out a little slower when you shift into second gear. If the noise goes away, just modify your technique, and go ahead and get the transmission oil changed, just to be safe.
Please ignore EllyEllis. He does this every time he loses an argument with me. For the next several weeks you can expect him to attack everything I say, even if it is as innocuous as a simple question.
Another thing I would try is to try to match rpm of the shaft to the gears manually by revving the motor correctly. If that minimizes the noise, you can milk it longer trying to shift this way. I did with my Civic for several years. Just a guess from a complete transmission neophyte who thinks the synchronizers may be worn.
""When is the last time you changed the transmission oil?" Good Greif!!!"
Transmission fluid (both manual and auto) should be changed from time to time. I suggest about every 30-80,000 mile changes. I would do an automatic in the 30,000 mile range.
You may want to double clutch your Honda when you shift from first to second. To do this, when you are ready to shift from first to second, shift to neutral, let the clutch out, rev the engine to the approximate rpm it should be turning in second, depress the clutch, shift to second and release the clutch. Truck drivers often double clutch and you can impress your girl friend with your masculinity.
I have 238k miles on the clutch in my Saturn and it still works fine. I have 170k on my Nissan PU and it works fine. I have been driving a stick shift for over 40 years and have never worn out a clutch or a manual transmission.
Would I care to explain that? No, because I don’t know why. I was taught to drive that way.
The materials on the face of a clutch are about the same as on brake pads/shoes. Consider how much time these spend at their friction points compared to a clutch and how long they last. I get anywhere from 70k to 140k out of my brake pads (except a set of EBC pads that only lasted 35k) and have never worn out a set of brake shoes on a disc/drum system. Yes the pads are thicker, but they also have less surface area.
Exactly how would the smooth operation of the clutch cause the gears to grind? I do fully disengage the clutch each time I shift gears although in my youth, I used to shift gears without using the clutch at all when racing.
If you’re shifting gears while still in the friction zone, the clutch isn’t fully disengaged. The same goes for starting off in first. Before you shift, or start off, the clutch should be fully disengaged.
Wow, you got quite defensive, all because I asked you to elaborate.
If you want to float gears, or shift without fully disengaging the clutch, that’s fine. To recommend the same technique to someone else who might not get the technique right is reckless. This OP is already fully disengaging the clutch, and isn’t able to shift smoothly, and now your advice is to not disengage the clutch to make it smoother? You’re just going to make this guy’s problems worse.
Forgive me, but the “I’ve been doing it for __ years, I haven’t broken anything” argument doesn’t satisfy me. I would like to know why it works. I want to understand the principle behind it.