I have a 2006 Scion xB, Manual, Stock, about 2500mi, and a month old. Lately weird things have been happening when its cold. The other day when I was taking my wife to the doctor and I pulled out of my driveway, put it in first, and started to depress the clutch, it jerked like I had a performance clutch or something in it, kinda scary. Did it again when I got to the stop sign at the end of my street. But not again after that. Then, the next day, I went to work for PT (about 2hrs) and when I came back to start it, it wouldn't start, like an old car does in the cold, kept cranking but wouldnt start. Took about 5 long attempts for it to start. Once again, was a one time thing, hasn't done it since. Now last night, I was going to the store, and when my car is cold, I shift at 2000rpms still the cold light turns off, as to prevent damaging a cold engine. In 2nd and 3rd gears right after shifting and appying the gas again, it had a very slight studder, felt like it was underpowered. Anyone know anything? I don't want to take it to the dealer to look like a retard since I can't make the problems happen more than once.

 

Not that it is necessarily the same thing, but the clutch 'grabbing' after not being driven overnight when it's cold used to happen in my MGs. It was a tiny bit of moisture settling on the flywheel/clutchplate. It evaporated after one or two uses of the clutch. (The same often happens with brakes, and their first application in the morning can be grabby.)

The not starting or shuddering when shifting I don't know.

Tom

 

Sounds like you are babying it too much. Shift at 2k RPM? That's way too low- you'll lug the engine which damages it more than higher revs will. You shouldn't go full throttle when it's cold, just take it easy. I usually drive mine at 3k RPM. I've noticed it'll sometimes hesitate at low RPMs (like when starting from a stop) when it's cold.

Don't know why, but the little engine sometimes takes a little bit longer to start than other times. It's only happened to mine twice. I had a similar problem in another car but don't know if it's the same reason as the xB. It had to do with the valve that's supposed to maintain fuel pressure in the line when it's off. The work around was to let the fuel pump pressurize the line by turning it to run a couple seconds before cranking.

 

I have an auto, but I say you warm it up untill the blue thermometer
goes away, that should take away some of the problems

 

I have the same symptom with taking awhile to start in cold weather-many many times. It would crank for quite a long time before the engine fires up. So I guess that's normal seeing we both have that symptom.

Shifting at 2,000 rpm is a bit low and like stew32 said it might lug the engine.

as for "warm it up until blue thermo goes away" quote ROBs-xB the Owner's Manual specifically states "Engine should be warmed up by driving, not in idle. For warming up drive with smoothly turning engine until engine coolant temperature is within normal range." Page 146 direct quote.
as for "drive with smoothly turning engine" I don't understand, but Engine should not be warmed up in idle I do understand.

Unless you mean warm it up by driving.

 

Yea i'm not going to warm it up by idle even if the manual told me to, I don't live in the greatest neighborhood.

 

I have an '06 xb with the auto transmission, i start mine in the morning, let the engine idle down till it levels out at about 1000 RPM then i go. Usually the transmission shifts kinda hard till it gets warmed up, when the blue light goes out. But after that it is ok. I drove a '97 Ford f150 ex-cab pick-up before that which was a 5-speed and i had the same issue you were talking about when it grabs when ever you first take off. On my truck i found that after i put the clutch in to start it, if i released the clutch and allowed the trans to spin until i was ready to go it wouldn't grab. verses starting it and holding in the clutch till i was ready to go. So you might give that a try, some cars just don't like cold weather.

 

Okay, I guess. I just never had the problem with my 5 previous manual transmission cars (and I lived in much colder, wisconsin with those) and they were all old with 100+ thousand miles. Even on my Civic that had a 6-puck clutch.