Honda Car Forum

Hello Everyone,

I've been experiencing a strange but worsening problem each winter (Arizona
Winter). When the car is cold, in 30-40deg. weather, the take off in first
gear is not smooth and the car actually 'shudders' somewhat. After the car
has warmed up to normal operation temperature the problem goes away. I took
it to a transmission shop and they think my clutch is okay. I was concerned
because I took it to a 1/4 mile track and abused it a little and thought my
clutch was slipping. I have 116K miles on it now and I don't expect it to
drive like brand new, but this problem only seams to be worsening. Any
experience with a similar problem or have insight on what may be causing
this? Thanks in advance with any help / suggestions you can offer.

Troy

"Troy Lumley" <Troy.Lumley@cox.net> wrote in message
newslcsd.173676$bk1.7688@fed1read05...
> Hello Everyone,
>
> I've been experiencing a strange but worsening problem each winter
> (Arizona
> Winter). When the car is cold, in 30-40deg. weather, the take off in first
> gear is not smooth and the car actually 'shudders' somewhat. After the car
> has warmed up to normal operation temperature the problem goes away. I
> took
> it to a transmission shop and they think my clutch is okay. I was
> concerned
> because I took it to a 1/4 mile track and abused it a little and thought
> my
> clutch was slipping. I have 116K miles on it now and I don't expect it to
> drive like brand new, but this problem only seams to be worsening. Any
> experience with a similar problem or have insight on what may be causing
> this? Thanks in advance with any help / suggestions you can offer.
>
> Troy
>
>
I have had this symptom in cars where the engine was getting funky. In my
old Volvo it was usually the points (that's how old it was!) and in my 300ZX
it was the injectors. In both cases the problem wasn't much better when the
engine was warm, but I could see that happening. The 300ZX responded to a
bottle of injector cleaner every time (with about a hundred miles of
driving), but if it has been a while since the last tune-up it's probably
time for that, too. I think once you get the engine in good form the clutch
won't feel grabby at take-off.

If you want to be sure it is the engine or it is the clutch, let the engine
warm up sitting in the driveway and see if the first takeoff is smooth. If
it is, look to the engine; if not, must be the clutch.

Mike

Thanks for the input Mike. I don't think it's the engine since I had a full
tune up, timing belt, valve adjustment done at 85K (only ~30K) ago. Since
this problem is a 2+ year old problem that seams to get worse, I have to
believe it is isolated to an area in the powertrain other than the engine. I
just had a fluid change in the transmission 2K ago too. Although I suppose
it could be related to fuel injectors if they react to cold weather. Summer
is not a problem and the symptom does not exist then. Any other thoughts?
Thanks again.

Troy


"Michael Pardee" <michaeltnull@cybertrails.com> wrote in message
news:9YydnchT2MG_JSzcRVn-2g@sedona.net...
> "Troy Lumley" <Troy.Lumley@cox.net> wrote in message
> newslcsd.173676$bk1.7688@fed1read05...
> > Hello Everyone,
> >
> > I've been experiencing a strange but worsening problem each winter
> > (Arizona
> > Winter). When the car is cold, in 30-40deg. weather, the take off in
first
> > gear is not smooth and the car actually 'shudders' somewhat. After the
car
> > has warmed up to normal operation temperature the problem goes away. I
> > took
> > it to a transmission shop and they think my clutch is okay. I was
> > concerned
> > because I took it to a 1/4 mile track and abused it a little and thought
> > my
> > clutch was slipping. I have 116K miles on it now and I don't expect it
to
> > drive like brand new, but this problem only seams to be worsening. Any
> > experience with a similar problem or have insight on what may be causing
> > this? Thanks in advance with any help / suggestions you can offer.
> >
> > Troy
> >
> >
> I have had this symptom in cars where the engine was getting funky. In my
> old Volvo it was usually the points (that's how old it was!) and in my
300ZX
> it was the injectors. In both cases the problem wasn't much better when
the
> engine was warm, but I could see that happening. The 300ZX responded to a
> bottle of injector cleaner every time (with about a hundred miles of
> driving), but if it has been a while since the last tune-up it's probably
> time for that, too. I think once you get the engine in good form the
clutch
> won't feel grabby at take-off.
>
> If you want to be sure it is the engine or it is the clutch, let the
engine
> warm up sitting in the driveway and see if the first takeoff is smooth. If
> it is, look to the engine; if not, must be the clutch.
>
> Mike
>
>

"Troy Lumley" <Troy.Lumley@cox.net> wrote in message
news:_yxsd.176177$bk1.131006@fed1read05...
> Thanks for the input Mike. I don't think it's the engine since I had a
> full
> tune up, timing belt, valve adjustment done at 85K (only ~30K) ago. Since
> this problem is a 2+ year old problem that seams to get worse, I have to
> believe it is isolated to an area in the powertrain other than the engine.
> I
> just had a fluid change in the transmission 2K ago too. Although I suppose
> it could be related to fuel injectors if they react to cold weather.
> Summer
> is not a problem and the symptom does not exist then. Any other thoughts?
> Thanks again.
>
> Troy
>
Not a lot of thoughts, although the lubrication of the splines the clutch
disk rides on may be troublesome in cold weather. Unfortunately, that is one
of the many clutch problems you wouldn't be able to do anything about
without a teardown - not an attractive prospect any way you look at it.

Is that a hydraulic clutch? (My son's '94 Integra is.) That would rule out
cable problems, and I can't think of any hydraulic problems that would
account for it. Flushing the system with clean fluid would be cheap and
easy, but a bit of a long shot.

One other uninviting prospect is that the clutch disk probably uses the
rubber shock dampeners so many Acura clutches use instead of springs. I
wonder if they get too hard in the cold?

Mike

"Michael Pardee" <michaeltnull@cybertrails.com> wrote in
news:TfGdnS84uOTCji7cRVn-uA@sedona.net:



>
> One other uninviting prospect is that the clutch disk probably uses
> the rubber shock dampeners so many Acura clutches use instead of
> springs. I wonder if they get too hard in the cold?
>
> Mike
>
>
>

They might get hard from age,too.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik-at-kua.net