Shifting problem (cable shifter)

[jelloslug]

Last night I had to drive through some deep water (almost up to the door) and now I am having trouble getting my car into gear. I have to push VERY ******* the shifter, then there is a pop and it's in gear. You almost have to make a "running start" from the previous gear to get it in gear. All five gears were like this when I started out this morning but by the end of my trip (30 miles) it was much easier to shift. I'm not having any trouble with my clutch and I checked to make sure it was adjusted properly. A quick glance at the cables last night did not show anything out of place. Is it possable to have gotten water inside the tranny? What elese could cause this?

 

[sdpatt]

Sounds more like the clutch isn't fully releasing. Can you select reverse without grinding? You said you checked the clutch adjustment, but did you lift up on the clutch pedal to adjust the cable tension? The clutch and throwout bearing are not "hermetically sealed" and may be subject to water intrusion. Particularly the throwout bearing. The transaxle has a protected vent on the top, driver side of the casing, but unless you had water up above the center of the wheel, that shouldn't have been a problem.

 

[jelloslug]

It will go into reverse fine with no grinding. I pulled up on the clutch pedal and it did not click (that's the only way I know how to adjust the cable). The shifter almost feels rubbery, like something is flexing that is not suppose to.

 

[jelloslug]

OK, I just went out and drove it around the parking lot. With the car off it will go into each gear fine. Car on, clutch in, I am hearing almost a hissing sound from the clutch area. Clutch out in nutral no noises. Sometimes it will not go into first at all, sometimes it slides right in. Second is easier, third seems to have no problem. Reverse is fine, no grinding at all. I looked under the car again, I saw nothing that could be binding up the cables.

 

[sdpatt]

Does the "hissing" sound like friction between the clutch disk and flywheel/pressure plate? A non-releasing clutch would be the primary cause for a difficult entry into first gear, but it would also make is very ugly getting into reverse. Could the shifter cables have been damaged? How does it shift when the engien is not running? If still stiff and difficult to get into gear, it is not the clutch. Check out the linkages.

 

[jelloslug]

Yes the hiss sounds like friction, but it is not unlike a bearing sound also. I normally don't sit there with the clutch in listening for noises, so it could have been there all along. With the engine off it shifts smoothly into all gears. I am having no problems shifting into reverse though, its very odd. Its too wet for me to crawl under the car (I'm at work right now anyway). I'll have to check the cables throughly tonight.

<small>[ July 01, 2003, 11:07 AM: Message edited by: jelloslug ]</small>

 

[sdpatt]

Since the shifter moves into all gears smoothly with the engine off, you should concentrate on the clutch. The engine is apparently not fully un-coupling from the transaxle input shaft.

 

[jelloslug]

I took it for a drive during lunch, it seems to be a very intermittent problem. Some times it goes through the gears OK, some times its a fight. The only thing that seems to be static is there is not grinding or fighting to go into reverse. After playing with it for a while, I not 100% sure it not a cable problem. If you shut the engine off and try to put it in gear, it behaves just like it does when its running. After you force it into gear though it goes into gear easier while it's off.