Issues Shifting Into Gear From Stop
 

Car wont go into gear while at a stop. ill press the clutch in and try to shift into first but it wont go in. If i put the shifter back to neutral then try to shift back to first it goes in no problem. Issue started happening after i got the car back from the dealership (valve spring recall) they said they couldn't replicate it and that maybe it was because of all the mods i had. The thing is sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't. Its not just cold days or when the car is warm. its kinda random. I notice that it happens when the car is at a full stop, if the car is slightly moving forward i don't have the problem. Also the car shifts fine through all other gears while moving. The times that i have been able to consistently reproduce the issue i noticed its not just 1st but all gears, which makes me think its not a synchro problem. ill step on the clutch then try shifting into 2nd/3rd/4th..etc but same issue, if after i move the shifter back to neutral all gears go in after that. I also noticed a slight clunk sound that happens randomly when it wont go in (happens rarely).

Any ideas, im so stumped? i do have the clutch pedal adjusted so im thinking that might be it, maybe the clutch is slightly still engaged but i don't have any other issues like stalling or moving forward while at a stop. also if that were it why would it be on the first shift attempt only? its not the shifter, when the car is off it will shift into gear...

I don't have much insight but I have the same issue as you have described. I have not adjusted the pedal and have no transmission mods and I have noticed it as far back as 2013. It's very inconsistent so I have pretty much ignored it, although I believe the amount of occurrences are increasing.

Well, that's aggravating -:(

Do your mods include a shirt shifter?

Have you checked the clutch fluid level?

You might consider bleeding the clutch system.

Maybe re-check the clutch adjustment?


humfrz

no short shifter installed. i thought maybe it was the shifter at first but it cant be it considering the issue is very situational. it wont happen if the car is turned off, the shifter going in very smooth. yea i need to check the fluid and re-check the clutch adjustment. Its super weird and confusing lol. Is their like a sensor on the transmission that prevents shifting into gear? i know some cars will have something that prevents you from shifting to save you from money shifting, at least i think they do...

yea i had this issue on my first transmission, i had it replaced under warranty over a year ago because it would have issues shifting into 4th gear while moving (i believe it was a synchro issue). it would also have this issue if i recall but it wouldnt happen very often. after it was replaced with a new transmission i never had it pop up but since i got it back from the dealer for the valve spring recall its happening more often. its weird that it started happening after i got the car back but i have no clue why the recall work would have effected the trans.

Are you shifting immediately into first as soon as you clutch in? If so, does it go in easily if you wait 2-3 seconds?

no it will also happen if i wait too.

It's just your clutch dragging. Bleed and/or adjust up a smidge. The dead giveaway is that you have no trouble when the engine is off. There's a limiting device in the first gear syncro but that's only for downshifting.


You got dis. :party0030:

Those two may be related - :iono:

(maybe the clutch is not fully disengaging?)


humfrz

PS - I see Ultramaroon already covered it - :thumbsup:

(that old guy is not as slow as I thought he was - :D)

I had similar issue. It was clutch drag from aftermarket clutch


Ended up removing my entire clutch and put the OE one back in

Thanks guys! Ill adjust the clutch pedal. Its weird though i thought if it was a clutch issue that it would happen all the time not just the first shift try. But that does make sense, it only happens when the car is on. I also have an aftermarket clutch, hope its not that causing clutch drag but the clutch pedal.

There is an other possibility, If you are stopped with the clutch depressed the gears stop spinning. some times the teeth are not aligned and do not want to engage. Try letting the clutch pedal out with the shifter in neutral and then depress the clutch pedal and engage the shifter. Or, with the pedal still depressed, pull the shifter into an other gear (2nd) and back into first.


This used to be a comin problem with older style gear boxes, cold gearboxes, or warn gearboxes that have the leading edges of the gears warn. Remember when not spinning the syncros do not work.


Some quick experimenting should let you know the area of trouble.

I otta :slap: you for not telling us that upfront …. but, I won't, because you're new - :D


humfrz