Something REALLY wierd happened last night...

[850CSi]

I was on my way home, when the strangest thing in the world happened to me...
I had to make a quick turn to clear an intersection, so I shifted into first and smashed the gas and nearly bounced off the rev limiter and found my shifter not to be going where I wanted it to.
What followed was a strange series of events. Basically, 1st and 2nd gear were inaccessible, and the other 3 gears felt very wierd, and it was very difficult to shift. I couldn't stop, because I wouldn't be able to take off from 3rd gear. By some good fortune and skill with a messed gearbox and timing, I managed to make it home. Here's the wierd part. I pulled into the driveway and finally decided to try to figure out what was wrong [I couldn't experiment on the road; priority #1 was getting home safely]... And it was working perfectly. As if nothing had ever happened. I decided to take it around the block to just see... Sure enough, nothing was wrong. Gears felt a bit looser than usual, but that's probably because shifting had become a war while I was driving home and this was smooth in comparison.

It's not the clutch for sure.

I still have no idea what happened.

Is there something wrong or was it just a really strange occurence? Should I drive it?

[850CSi]

I just went out and drove it again around the block. Didn't get the chance to redline it, but got it up to a good 6000 in 1st gear [similar conditions to what caused it to go south but around 1000 less RPM], and absolutely nothing is wrong. Maybe just MAYBE my shifter is a bit slicker than it was before, but I can't see any other possible difference.

Quick look at the engine bay and underneath revealed nothing.


I'm dumbfounded.

[mazda6er]

I know very little about manuals, having never driven one, but is it possible you threw the e-brake on by accident?  

[850CSi]

I know very little about manuals, having never driven one, but is it possible you threw the e-brake on by accident?

No, it can't be anything like that. The gear gates were way off. It was really wierd.

[Run Away]

Sounds like one of the cables controlling the side to side motion of the shifter might have come off. So you could access 3rd and 4th, with the stick being able to move side to side while still pushed forward.

Or did you actually have access to 3rd, 4th AND 5th (that's the cruicial part, did you actually get it into 5th?)

Can't explain how it fixed itself though.

[280Z Turbo]

Check the linkage maybe???

The Saab had a loose gearbox too, but now that's in the junkyard. The transaxle was toast.

[giant_mtb]

:blink:  My first guess is the linkages, as well.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

The linkage is a good possibility, a place to start atleast.

The other thing i was thinking was that you possibly overheated the clutch, i've had this happen to me once(in a older 80's VW GTI). I overheated the clutch and it would still move(i still had all the gears) but man did shift feeling go way down, also the clutch was constantly slipping(making the ratios seem messed up). I let it cool down for about 10 minutes and it worked fine.

[850CSi]

Sounds like one of the cables controlling the side to side motion of the shifter might have come off. So you could access 3rd and 4th, with the stick being able to move side to side while still pushed forward.

Or did you actually have access to 3rd, 4th AND 5th (that's the cruicial part, did you actually get it into 5th?)

Can't explain how it fixed itself though.

I'm really not sure if I got it into 5th. But at the same time, looking back... I doubt it. Speed was way too low. I was concentrating on traffic and not causing an accident, so I really can't be sure.



Are linkages a big deal or a simple fix?

Anyways, i'm leaving the house right now. Wish me luck.

[TBR]

Sounds like one of the cables controlling the side to side motion of the shifter might have come off. So you could access 3rd and 4th, with the stick being able to move side to side while still pushed forward.

Or did you actually have access to 3rd, 4th AND 5th (that's the cruicial part, did you actually get it into 5th?)

Can't explain how it fixed itself though.

I'm really not sure if I got it into 5th. But at the same time, looking back... I doubt it. Speed was way too low. I was concentrating on traffic and not causing an accident, so I really can't be sure.



Are linkages a big deal or a simple fix?

Anyways, i'm leaving the house right now. Wish me luck.

Good luck, my brother just spent over $400 on his brakes unexpectedly, I hope that something similar doesn't happen to you.  

[850CSi]

I just got back, drove a good 20 miles or so...

It seems to be normal, except just a bit slicker than usual, a bit more fragile?
Or it might be just me. The difference isn't THAT visible so I may just be noticing something that isn't there.

[TBR]

I just got back, drove a good 20 miles or so...

It seems to be normal, except just a bit slicker than usual, a bit more fragile?
Or it might be just me. The difference isn't THAT visible so I may just be noticing something that isn't there.

It would probably be worth your trouble to drop it by a mechanic and just have it looked at. Don't want it screwing up again, especially if you spend a lot of time in heavy, fast traffic (and, since you live in Chicago, I suspect you do).

[850CSi]

The linkage is a good possibility, a place to start atleast.

The other thing i was thinking was that you possibly overheated the clutch, i've had this happen to me once(in a older 80's VW GTI). I overheated the clutch and it would still move(i still had all the gears) but man did shift feeling go way down, also the clutch was constantly slipping(making the ratios seem messed up). I let it cool down for about 10 minutes and it worked fine.

That makes sense, but I don't recall ANY change in the way the clutch felt. I smelled a bit of nasty clutch-burn scent when I got out of the car, but that's likely more because I had to take off in 3rd gear twice [both downhill, though... I got really lucky with signals and timed myself well]. I've messed up a clutch before, and I know the smell. This wasn't even close.


Let's say what DID happen was that I overheated the clutch. Shouldn't it be normal now? Are there any long term effects? Wouldn't I have felt something wrong with the clutch itself?

Most of all, should I be concerned about the shifter being a bit more slick than usual? Or am I worrying over nothing?



The linkage explanation Ben gave makes sense, but then how the hell did it fix itself? And what caused a linkage to be knocked loose? Is it just a normal occurence on a high-mileage car?



The clutch was replaced around 3,000 miles ago, and I've treated it well. I do a lot of quick take-offs and I'll drive fast off the line [not irresponsibly fast. I'll floor it all the way to speed limit and then hit 4th and cruise], but have been treating the clutch well.
IIRC, when I pulled out of the mechanic's after the clutch was replaced, shifting was noticably more slick and precise than before...

[saxonyron]

Wow - that's a good one Faris!  Maybe you were abducted by aliens or something, and imagined the whole thing.   I had something like that happen in my '86 Coupe GT about 15 yrs ago but it was a broken gear.  Couldn't get into Reverse or 3rd. That was a big ordeal.  My boneheaded bro-in-law grenaded my clutch a couple yrs ago by shifting at redline and feathering the clutch til it glassed over and blew to literally shreds......hmmm.  That gets me thinking - maybe you feathered your clutch and smoked it up/overheated it, but didn't blow it.  Then it wouldn't engage properly, giving you a "temporarily" blown clutch.  After it cooled off and wore thru the overheated glassy layer on the clutch plate, you were good again.  I dunno - I'm guessing here, but it almost sounds like your clutch was blown.  But then it repaired itself.  Sounds plausible, but then again I've been drinking Warsteiner all night.....  

[Run Away]

Yeah, I've done that to my linkage when I rebuilt it all to grease it all up so if would shift smoother, what I described. I jsut don't know how it fixed itself. Linkages are usually held in by pins with cotter pins, and I've talked to a few guys who's cotter pins have broken and the pins have backed out. Does this transmission use rods or cables to shift?

Maybe take off the center console where your shifter is and make sure all cables are attached properly. Wouldn't hurt to change your tranny fluid either, makes a huge difference in shift smoothness, and also you can look for metal shavings to see if there is any damage internally (just to rule out the possibility of something breaking inside)

[280Z Turbo]

Maybe take off the center console where your shifter is and make sure all cables are attached properly. Wouldn't hurt to change your tranny fluid either, makes a huge difference in shift smoothness, and also you can look for metal shavings to see if there is any damage internally (just to rule out the possibility of something breaking inside)

The Saab had NO FLUID and ALL SHAVINGS on the dipstick. It never did what you're describing, though. It just kinda stopped moving forward in all gears.

So it's a good idea to check that on a used car if possible. I will from now on!

[Raza]

Maybe your car just hates you.

[850CSi]

Maybe your car just hates you.

Quite the contrary; it's been very reliable for an Audi 1.8T with nearly 90K miles...

[850CSi]

Oh, and I just got back from another trip. I think it's completely normal again.

If it acts up again, I'll try checking under the center console and changing the tranny fluid. Then again, I'm probably not keeping the A4 that long [unfortunately].

[giant_mtb]

Oh, and I just got back from another trip. I think it's completely normal again.

If it acts up again, I'll try checking under the center console and changing the tranny fluid. Then again, I'm probably not keeping the A4 that long [unfortunately].

Why not keeping it for long?  :blink:  

[TBR]

Oh, and I just got back from another trip. I think it's completely normal again.

If it acts up again, I'll try checking under the center console and changing the tranny fluid. Then again, I'm probably not keeping the A4 that long [unfortunately].

Why not keeping it for long?  :blink:

Because he is spoiled rotten . His dad is going to get him a nice new car when/if he gets accepted to University of Chicago or Northwestern.

[850CSi]

Oh, and I just got back from another trip. I think it's completely normal again.

If it acts up again, I'll try checking under the center console and changing the tranny fluid. Then again, I'm probably not keeping the A4 that long [unfortunately].

Why not keeping it for long?  :blink:

Because he is spoiled rotten . His dad is going to get him a nice new car when/if he gets accepted to University of Chicago or Northwestern.

The kid has a good memory, folks.

The reasons he gave, and that the Audi's miles are stacking up. I'm putting a lot of mileage on it, and I really don't want to be driving a late-90s A4 with over 90K miles everyday. Especially a Turbo. I wish I could keep the A4 forever... not the case.

Actually, we might decide as soon as ACT scores for tomorrow's test come out; if they're good enough.

It couldn't have been timed better. I saw 2 new E90s yesterday, and WOW those things were NICE...
I'm determined. I got a 28 on my first ACT, a 2000 on my SAT [I hate that test]. My target is no less than a 36. If I average my own records for every section of every practice ACT I have ever taken, I would end up with a 35. Those 'records' were all set within the past week, including one today (34 in Math).

Anything over a 32 is top 1%. I got this down, God willing.

[TBR]

Oh, and I just got back from another trip. I think it's completely normal again.

If it acts up again, I'll try checking under the center console and changing the tranny fluid. Then again, I'm probably not keeping the A4 that long [unfortunately].

Why not keeping it for long?  :blink:

Because he is spoiled rotten . His dad is going to get him a nice new car when/if he gets accepted to University of Chicago or Northwestern.

The kid has a good memory, folks.

The reasons he gave, and that the Audi's miles are stacking up. I'm putting a lot of mileage on it, and I really don't want to be driving a late-90s A4 with over 90K miles everyday. Especially a Turbo. I wish I could keep the A4 forever... not the case.

Actually, we might decide as soon as ACT scores for tomorrow's test come out; if they're good enough.

It couldn't have been timed better. I saw 2 new E90s yesterday, and WOW those things were NICE...
I'm determined. I got a 28 on my first ACT, a 2000 on my SAT [I hate that test]. My target is no less than a 36. If I average my own records for every section of every practice ACT I have ever taken, I would end up with a 35. Those 'records' were all set within the past week, including one today (34 in Math).

Anything over a 32 is top 1%. I got this down, God willing.

I will be lucky to get a nice laptop for my graduation gift,  I wish I had your parents!  

[850CSi]

Oh, and I just got back from another trip. I think it's completely normal again.

If it acts up again, I'll try checking under the center console and changing the tranny fluid. Then again, I'm probably not keeping the A4 that long [unfortunately].

Why not keeping it for long?  :blink:

Because he is spoiled rotten . His dad is going to get him a nice new car when/if he gets accepted to University of Chicago or Northwestern.

The kid has a good memory, folks.

The reasons he gave, and that the Audi's miles are stacking up. I'm putting a lot of mileage on it, and I really don't want to be driving a late-90s A4 with over 90K miles everyday. Especially a Turbo. I wish I could keep the A4 forever... not the case.

Actually, we might decide as soon as ACT scores for tomorrow's test come out; if they're good enough.

It couldn't have been timed better. I saw 2 new E90s yesterday, and WOW those things were NICE...
I'm determined. I got a 28 on my first ACT, a 2000 on my SAT [I hate that test]. My target is no less than a 36. If I average my own records for every section of every practice ACT I have ever taken, I would end up with a 35. Those 'records' were all set within the past week, including one today (34 in Math).

Anything over a 32 is top 1%. I got this down, God willing.

I will be lucky to get a nice laptop for my graduation gift,  I wish I had your parents!

lol.

I did good today. My guess is around a 32-33. I think my top 1% goal was accomplished.

[Run Away]

Pfft, I'd love to get a laptop as a grad gift. My grad is in about 13 days and I'm not expecting anything.

[TBR]

Pfft, I'd love to get a laptop as a grad gift. My grad is in about 13 days and I'm not expecting anything.

Then maybe I am spoiled rotten too  

[850CSi]

Life isn't fair why am I so spoiled...

Seriously. Like I might understand that I'm getting this as a result of really really high scores in the effort of getting into one of the world's best universities, but still...
It's not like I'd refuse, or that I wouldn't do the same to my kids if I had the money, but...


Ah hell the world is an unfair place it's just important to be happy with what you've got. I know people my age who drive nicer cars than what I'm going to get.

[TBR]

Life isn't fair why am I so spoiled...

Seriously. Like I might understand that I'm getting this as a result of really really high scores in the effort of getting into one of the world's best universities, but still...
It's not like I'd refuse, or that I wouldn't do the same to my kids if I had the money, but...


Ah hell the world is an unfair place it's just important to be happy with what you've got. I know people my age who drive nicer cars than what I'm going to get.

I certainly would accept a nice new car in a heart beat, but I have no intention of buying my kids any car much less a brand new luxury model, no matter how much money I make.  

[Raza]

Oh, and I just got back from another trip. I think it's completely normal again.

If it acts up again, I'll try checking under the center console and changing the tranny fluid. Then again, I'm probably not keeping the A4 that long [unfortunately].

Why not keeping it for long?  :blink:

Because he is spoiled rotten . His dad is going to get him a nice new car when/if he gets accepted to University of Chicago or Northwestern.

The kid has a good memory, folks.

The reasons he gave, and that the Audi's miles are stacking up. I'm putting a lot of mileage on it, and I really don't want to be driving a late-90s A4 with over 90K miles everyday. Especially a Turbo. I wish I could keep the A4 forever... not the case.

Actually, we might decide as soon as ACT scores for tomorrow's test come out; if they're good enough.

It couldn't have been timed better. I saw 2 new E90s yesterday, and WOW those things were NICE...
I'm determined. I got a 28 on my first ACT, a 2000 on my SAT [I hate that test]. My target is no less than a 36. If I average my own records for every section of every practice ACT I have ever taken, I would end up with a 35. Those 'records' were all set within the past week, including one today (34 in Math).

Anything over a 32 is top 1%. I got this down, God willing.

I will be lucky to get a nice laptop for my graduation gift,  I wish I had your parents!

lol.

I did good today. My guess is around a 32-33. I think my top 1% goal was accomplished.

You did well today.  

Actually, I don't think so....

[Raza]

And come on guys, I'm more spoiled than any of you.