Today I was leaving a friends neighborhood, taking a right turn onto a main road that is somewhat of a blind turn. I couldn't see anyone when I was at the stop sign but as I pulled out to make the turn I saw a car pretty close so I gunned it in first gear (I have a manual transmission) - red line came up pretty quick and I'm pretty sure I dipped into the ~7500 rpm range. When I came to a stop at the next light, I could not get the shifter into first or second gear and it wouldn't even move over to the left side of neutral. The problem lasted for about 15 minutes with me starting in 3rd gear from stops but after those 15 minutes I was able to put it back into 1st and 2nd gear. I'm sure it was caused by the red line run but could someone help explain to me what exactly happened/caused it and do I have anything to worry about for the future?

Thanks a bunch.

 

To my knowledge, you're the first owner who has ever reported anything like this. Engine speed should not have an affect on shifter positioning so this one stumps me. Did you drive all the way to the next light in first gear after having got on it from the stop sign?

 

No, I shifted to second right away and then up through 5th gear before the light - the light is about half a mile from the stop sign.

 

After your initial high RPM run, did you experience a stiff clutch pedal?

 

Okay, so you were able to get into second gear after your initial full-throttle run up in first gear. And you're saying that at that light when you went to start moving again, you could not get back into first gear (I'm assuming you had taken the car out of second gear and into neutral as you waited at the light)? This means all was fine until you went to start off again - is this correct? And that you couldn't even move the shifter over to the left for a first or second gear insertion... right?

When you accelerated hard in first, did you shift really hard and with a lot of force into second?

One thing some folks on this site have reported is that after winding the engine up hard, to high RPM's, the clutch pedal becomes quite stiff and they have to pump it several times before it loosens back up. You are not reporting this, but did this happen with your car?

I have to step out for a while so it might be a little bit before I can get back with this. Your problem is interesting.

 

I'm beginning to see that pattern, Paul.

Shifting into 2nd at high RPM's does some kind of harm, or shocks one of the components in the clutch.

 

The problem you're thinking about, I suspect, is the one involving the stiffer clutch pedal after aggressive runs through the gears with high RPM's. This is largely due to our hydraulically operated clutch system, the delay valve, and the dual mass flywheel. The thing he has described which is a first for me, is where he states that he could not even move his shifter to the left of the neutral gate for a first or second gear shift. That is really what's getting me. The first thing that comes to my mind is a problem with the shifter linkage, a shifter fork, or a bushing(s). But he stated that after around 15 minutes, he was able to drive the car normally. Weird.


To the OP;

Can you delve into a little more detail with this? One other question. To your best impression, does everything seem to be acting normally now? Have you tried to duplicate the problem (I know... I'd be very reluctant to do this one myself).

 

^i've had his symptoms before in another vehicle.

I was at a light, and for the life of me could not get the truck into 1st gear.

 

Checkvalve sticking?
Or maybe oring leak at slave...
I don't know, but the system is easy enough to troubleshoot at first glance, no?

 

Thanks for all the input so far. No, my clutch pedal was not stiff at all. I drove the car all day today with no problems - everything seems to be working fine. And yes, I am pretty hesitant to try and recreate the problem haha. As far as the hard shift into second, I guess I could have made a hard shift, once I got pretty high up into the rpm's I shifted pretty quick. You might be onto something there.

 

Good to hear things are working to your satisfaction now. While cars don't heal, you may have just gotten lucky.

 

Bringing old thread back lol. Were you able to solve this issue? My type s 6spd has been very difficult to get into 1st, 2nd, and reverse since a few weeks ago, and sometimes I have to take off in 3rd from dead stop. It sounds exactly like the issue you described except I don't push my car and always kept rpm below 4k before shifting. I have changed the trans fluid with GM Synchromesh and it helped a tiny bit and problem still exists about 50% of the time....

 

What the mileage on your car? Original clutch? I just went through a ton of issues with my clutch. Solved it by replacing the clutch, flywheel, master, and slave cylinders. Expensive but now it shifts like butter. If it’s not going into gear, the clutch is not fully disengaging when you press the pedal down. Start with the cheapest parts and go from there.