Topic: Difficulty getting into gears

[jfrabat]

OK, guys, I need your help!  When I start the Jeep, the rig gets into gear fairly easily (OK, maybe it's a bit harder than in a sedan, but nothing to keep me awake at night).  But if I run into traffic, and I have to keep putting the Jeep in and out of gears, it gets to the point where it becomes almost impossible to get the rig into first.

At first, if you shift into 3rd or 4th first, you can then go into 1st, but after a while, it gets impossible to get into ANY gear.  I thought at first that my problem was the clutch, but then if it was, the clutch should slip a bit as it becomes harder and harder to get into gear, and it is not so.  I am considering changing clutches anyway (I also want to install the inertia ring I got, so might as well get the clutch done while I am at it!), but I dont think this is the problem, because typically, when the clutches fail, you ten to feel the clutch catching in the upper part of the pedal, and I feel mine catching almost all the way down.

I am thinking it could be an adjustment issue of the clutch itself, or either the master or slave cylinders acting up, or some other problem in the hydraulic part of the equation.  Now, I have never changed a clutch, and I dont know my way around it, but I do have all the manuals available (Chilton, Haynes and Jeep), and I am willing to take a shot at it, but any pointers will be most welcome about how to best get to it, and what you think the problem could be...

Thanks, guys!

Felipe

[neale_rs]

I had this problem and it improved a lot by changing the oil to Penzoil Synchromesh.  I have heard that Red Line MT-90 is also very good for the AX-5.

[Jeffy]

What are the temps there?  Not the Jeeps temp but outside.  I found when I lived in Hawaii, the humidity and the heat would cause shifting issues with 1st.  (2nd is a known problem in cold on the AX transmissions.) Like neale_rs said, you might try changing the fluid.  It would be cheaper and easier then replacing the clutch.

[jfrabat]

What are the temps there?  Not the Jeeps temp but outside.  I found when I lived in Hawaii, the humidity and the heat would cause shifting issues with 1st.  (2nd is a known problem in cold on the AX transmissions.) Like neale_rs said, you might try changing the fluid.  It would be cheaper and easier then replacing the clutch.

Temps are in the 90's.  I know 1st sometimes is problematic, but this is getting even worse by the minute.  Now I cannot put the Jeep into ANY gear while standing still (and I mean for a LONG time; as in I am missing the stoplights because I cannot get the thing into gear!), and I am having a hard time downshifting (I need to EXACTLY synchro with the gas pedal for it to fall into gear; before, I could put the gear in without even touching the gas pedal.  Of course, I would normally give the gas a slight pump so as not to abuse the synchros, but my point is that it did not used to be like this!).

I will change the fluid, and probably replace the master (maybe even the slave) this weekend, and if that does not do it, I'll have to change the clutch.  I just hope it is not the synchros on the tranny...  because if it is, OUCH!

Felipe

[jfrabat]

 By the way, I intend to change both the tranny fluid and the hydraulic fluid of the clutch system...

[Jeffy]

Temps are in the 90's.  I know 1st sometimes is problematic, but this is getting even worse by the minute.  Now I cannot put the Jeep into ANY gear while standing still (and I mean for a LONG time; as in I am missing the stoplights because I cannot get the thing into gear!), and I am having a hard time downshifting (I need to EXACTLY synchro with the gas pedal for it to fall into gear; before, I could put the gear in without even touching the gas pedal.  Of course, I would normally give the gas a slight pump so as not to abuse the synchros, but my point is that it did not used to be like this!).

I will change the fluid, and probably replace the master (maybe even the slave) this weekend, and if that does not do it, I'll have to change the clutch.  I just hope it is not the synchros on the tranny...  because if it is, OUCH!

Felipe

How and humid though?  If it's just hot, I never had problems but with the humidity, I've have to force it into 1st.

[jfrabat]

How and humid though?  If it's just hot, I never had problems but with the humidity, I've have to force it into 1st.

I dont know exatly, but I live in Miami, so I would say pretty humid!  According to the Weather Channel, it is 42% right now...

But my problem is not limited to 1st, however.  Even from 1st to 2nd its hard, and sometimes from 2nd even to 3rd you feel a little resistance.  Also when downshifting from 4th to 3rd you start to feel resistance.

I already ordered 4Qts of Red Line MT-90, and I should have it for next weekend to change.  Luckily I will be on a business trip half the week, so I wont need to be driving as much. 

I will probably drain the hydraulic fluid this weekend and replace the master cylinder just in case...  That should at least make it a little better!

Felipe

[neale_rs]

Might want try just the lube change first because I have read here that the slave can be hard to bleed (sometimes it has no bleeder).

[jfrabat]

Might want try just the lube change first because I have read here that the slave can be hard to bleed (sometimes it has no bleeder).

Well, that's news to me!  Guess I'll try the Red Line first and if that dont work, I'll get to work on the cylinders then!

[aw12345]

The first question would be how does the clutch pedal feel? if it feels the same as usual (ie no more play than it used to have) you could also have gear oil out of the trans on the clutch plate which in effect glues it to the flywheel, this makes it feel like the clutch does not release all the way. Online diagnosis is not that easy but it starts with the way the clutch pedal feels or how much freeplay the release lever has also is the bellhousing wet with a kinda sticky oil? Next question are you loosing fluid out of the clutch master?

[jfrabat]

What are the temps there?  Not the Jeeps temp but outside.  I found when I lived in Hawaii, the humidity and the heat would cause shifting issues with 1st.  (2nd is a known problem in cold on the AX transmissions.) Like neale_rs said, you might try changing the fluid.  It would be cheaper and easier then replacing the clutch.

I think you may be on to something with this, as on Friday night, I had not problems when driving home.  Red Line MT-90 was oredered, and hopefully will be put into the Jeep next weekend!  i did check the master cylinder fluid, and the level's fine, so I'll try the Redline.  If that doesn't work, i'll replace both the master and slave cylinders.  If that does not do it, then it's a new clutch!