QuestionPete,
I hope this isn't too long of a note, I'm just trying to give you as much information as you might possibly need.
Our 1998 Dodge Neon, which was built in the Toluca plant (it has a conventional clutch and flywheel assembly, not the modular clutch) has 36,500 miles on it has a five speed manual transmission has started to be very difficult (near impossible with the engine running) to put in to or taking out of gear. This is an all of the sudden occurence, my husband said he told me about it as soon as he noticed the problem. (He likes the car, so I don't doubt that). He's the primary driver of the vehicle.
When the car is on and you try to put it into a gear it just doesn't seem to want to let you put it in gear or take it out of a gear when you have it in gear, and it won't change gears from neutral either, there is no grinding involved, (we don't force it if it doesn't want that gear, and usually we have to wait for a while with the clutch pedal in if by chance it lets us put it into a gear). At first when we talked about it and he sounded as though it was just shifting hard, so we changed the transmission fluid, (used the Mopar M.S. 9417 transmission fluid that we got from the Dodge dealer) the problem wasn't resolved. We did notice that the fluid was kind of brownish in color and didn't smell the same as the new stuff, I'm not sure if you could define it as having a smoky or burnt smell though.
You can switch the gears with the vehicle off and when it's turned over it stays in that gear, no lurching at starts, no slipping of engine speed, grinding or chattering or any other unusual noises, (that part seems pretty normal), but to change gears you really have to turn the car off, you'd have to force it otherwise (not a good idea). We have not driven it hardly at all since last weekend when we noticed the problem (backed out of and pulled back into the parking spot a couple times) Today I drove it to a nearby transmission shop that's within a couple miles of where we live.
Transmission mechanic tried to see if clutch cable would adjust, which it would not. (But I took it out of gear twice after that without trouble (both times I was coming to a stop and pulled it out of second both times). I had to restart car to put it back into gear). Haven't been driving in higher than third, and at low speeds (can start in third without giving excessive gas or killing it, but I don't like driving it in this condition). I don't know if the clutch cable is binding on something, if it's stretched or faulty (I doubt it's disconnected or snapped, but I could be wrong) or if the clutch itself and not the clutch cable is the problem. I understand that about an inch is the right amount of freeplay for pretty much all standard transmissions. Could it be that there's too much freeplay at 1.3 inches and the clutch cable isn't giving the length required to disengage (therefor warranting a new clutch cable because it isn't manually adjustable)?
I could, of course be wrong, but I think we've have it narrowed down to the clutch or the clutch cable. (Before the transmission shop that's what I thought, clutch cable or clutch. They had a free assesment, and he said he thought it was the clutch cable, but after having difficulties with not being able to adjust the cable, he thinks it could be either or). I'm hoping for the cable, it's less expensive, but I am prepared for the possibility of clutch replacement being required. It seems a bit low in miles to need a new clutch though, and we aren't putting many miles on it (a little over 5K per year). I'd like any insights that you may have on the issue.
Thanks so much for your time!
Heather
AnswerHello Heather
It sounds like a cable to me thire might not be any adjusment left on this cable because whe u and your husband forceng it in gear can strecth the calble i would tell the tranny shop to replace the cable and i bet it works if the clutch were bad it would slip and u would have no power in gear . Let me know how u make out good luck to u hun and u have a prety name pete
