kjain1986

Hello Everyone,

I tried posting this on another forum for Scion tC's and wasn't able to get any help. I really could use some advice if anyone has any:


I am having the following issue with my '09 manual tC with 67k miles:

Intermittently gets stiff/stuck in first gear. That is to say, at certain points during a drive the car goes into first gear fine, however its significantly hard to pull out of first gear. Usually happens once or twice then the problem goes away for a while.
Usually occurs after cold start, and after driving on the freeway. I usually have to re-engage the clutch and then try again and it releases out of first gear at that time.

Note: There are no problems going into first gear, or going into second gear. Only coming out of first gear. Also there is no grinding when the car is stiff coming out of first gear. Also don't have the problem when the car is turned off.

Car has no modifications, just stock from the dealership.

Also - I had the clutch replaced at 30k miles by the dealer.

Since I have never replaced the differential fluid can this be the problem? Your suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

____

divisii

ENEOS trans. fluid should help. IMO, It's something with the cone-syncros.

myr6goesfast

iTrader: (2)

Was there a reason why the clutch was replaced that early?

kjain1986

The clutch wore out at 30k miles. Thats what the dealership told me anyway. I didnt believe it because I drive the car fairly gently, mostly freeway driving.

Are cone syncros something different than regular syncros? The dealership also told me it may be the "syncros." They said it would cost $1700 to diagnose, and $2300 to replace/rebuild. $4500 for a new transmission.

However, after reading about syncros on this forum and another, it seems that most people who have a syncro problem have grinding between the gears, my car does not grind, and it has no problems going into first gear...do you think that may mean something else? or could it still be the syncros?

myr6goesfast

iTrader: (2)

Start by doing a trans fluid change. I have 70k on my '09 and changed it twice already.

ESEMRFOZZ13

yeah mine does this also, no grinds just sticks coming out of 1st. not always but often.

engifineer

Clutch should have lasted 3-4 times that long. Are you the only owner aka you know for sure it hasnt been beaten on? Something caused that clutch to wear out way early

Erager09

My 09 grinds a little going into 3rd, shifting up or down, until the trans is good and warm. But if I slide it to neutral and let the revs drop a bit it doesn't have the issue. But it slides OUT of gear without a problem. I actually have had the dealership replace part of the trans (wouldn't agree to a new trans). They did a list of stuff and its doing it again less than a year later. BUT new that im pushing 10psi through it daily they'd laugh at me for trying for any type of warranty lol...

I don't know alot about the inner workings of a clutch but would this come up if the clutch was not actually disengaging? I know you can slide out of gear without the clutch but if there's any type of torque on the trans it wont really do it easily. If he has to hit the clutch again could it be whatever pulls the clutch off the flywheel not working?

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ITSAXA

My TC just started doing this also,it hangs up when trying to shift into 2nd gear,no other problems but it sticks.push clutch in but shifter won't come out of first.if I wait 3 seconds and try again it will come out of first.

My car is stock and has a easy 39k miles


I plan to get new trans fluid and check hydraulic clutch for air.

I'm guessing it's trans fluid though or it's time for new clutch.

Kcrump

Did you ever get this resolved? I'm having the same issue.

andreutxi

Mine also gets stuck in first. Can anybody share how they fixed it pretty please?

Kcrump

How long has yours been doing this? Mine started about 6 months ago

andreutxi

I bought this car used 4 months ago. Its happened twice. Started a few weeks ago. If you get the answer from someone please share. I have asked a couple people directly that seem to have same problem. Hopefully they'll answer.i just don't want to get ripped off.
At my oil change place they told me to flush the transmission fluid for $175. I'm sure that would be good for the car, but i don't think that is the actual problem.
In a website somebody said they changed their slave cylinder and it ended up being there master. But they weren't specific about their problem
Ty

GaddamThisTC

I had the same exact problem. I did both of these at the same time but I'm sure both contributed.
Use seafoam in your transmission. 1/3 bottle.
Also I tried to delete the clutch through the valve and I notice the air was coming out of the threading of the bleege well on the slave cylinder I used a minute back pressure vacuum system which kept negative pressure on the vacuum leader valve. So basically you need to lube your slave cylinder with lithium grease white lithium grease as well as bleed the air out of your hydraulic clutch while flushing the flute as well with brake fluid. Now I run smooth as butter
sorry Google talk2txt. Um

Troygbiv

Ok so I finally fixed this, had this problem for a few years, I know this thread is old, but it was the first one that came up in Google and I want to be able to provide my experience because I was dealing with this for YEARS.

Symptom: I usually stop my scion and place it in gear, then let it sit overnight. In the morning on a cold start when I went to go I noticed I couldnt shift it out of 1st or 2nd gear (after having immediately gone into reverse to back out of my driveway, I can put it into 1st but not get out again), I had to release the clutch pedal and depress it again and hope it would release. But I distinctly also recall that pressing the clutch pedal the engine felt like it was still in gear, as though it wasnt releasing the clutch at all. I could tell this because the engine felt as though it was slowing the vehicle down rather than coasting. It wasnt until I released and depressed the clutch again that it seemed to release the clutch and allow for me to pull the shifter out of gear. Another symptom I think that is related, if you live in a cold climate, when temperature gets to freezing, you will notice that when you shift from first to second the shift is 'rough' you might feel the gears rubbing as it 'slides' into place.

The one thing I did to fix it, as others have stated above, CHANGE the transmission gear oil. I dont know how long my 2007 Scion tC went without gear oil changes but I was on 138,000 miles. I changed it using an Amsoil GL4 gear oil, I havent had either symptom since then, both the stuck gears and the rough shifting from first to second. It is all gone, I also changed the slave cylinder but that was not the problem, I still had the two issues mentioned above with a new slave and a system that was correctly bled by a good technician.

Why amsoil? I chose it after reading this paper: http://www.goodsenseoil.com/G2457-GearOilWhitePaper.pdf

The gear oil isnt expensive, if you have a flat level surface you can do the change yourself, I did it without lifting the car off the ground. Of course this is for manual transmissions, this is a great video to watch, contrary to the video instructions below, you can torque the bolt for the drain plug there is enough room, well at least there was for my 2007.

Troygbiv

Follow up to this original post, I didnt actually fix it, in fact I probably covered it up for some time.

I did change my transmission fluid and it helped greatly with the second gear clunk, but I didnt realize that at the time my mechanic had also bled my brakes (had rear caliper replaced) this helped somewhat with the issue, but months later the issue returned. It was locking up terribly.

As of about 4 days ago I had the master cylinder replaced, I used an Aisin replacement part from rockauto (I believe the OEM one is an Aisin unit). So I have had it replaced for about a week now and I havent had a lockout yet.

Some info about how I avoided a lockout in first. Depressing the clutch for a lengthy period of time or under certain operating conditions would definitely cause a lockout in first or second. I altered my driving behavior some, typically I would ride out the clutch when engaging in first or second to 'scoot' through the food pickup lane or back out of a parking space, which never was a full depression of the clutch (after feathering) when going from rear to first. My best guess is there was an issue with the master cylinder maintaining pressure and ever continued feathered press on the clutch caused it to slowly fail until it locked out. Instead I would not feather and release the clutch and pull it out of gear after scooting forward. This helped to avoid that situation for a long time.

My hypothesis about the lack of pressure buildup occured to me when I realized that after a new clutch had been installed the lockout was not causing a full release of the pressure plate, i could feel the clutch 'dragging' and the car shuddering with my foot all the way down in first. Sometimes i had to stall the car because of the lockout.

Funny enough my mechanic indicated that the master cylinder was unlikely the culprit. However after he pulled it out he said a 'pocket' of very dark fluid came out of the unit. Uncertain the cause, but he mentioned that the other portion of fluid was fine it was like emptying out sediment at the bottom of the master unit itself and not the fluid reservoir. I have had it this way for over a week and I have not had a lockout yet, I still do drive slightly altered though, trying not to feather or rest on the clutch pedal when scooting through the food checkout or picking up my son in the car line.

But my hope is its master cylinder related, it definitely seems much better.