I'm not really sure what happened other than "it stopped working," but I have an 04' Sunfire with around 120k which won't shift into gear.
The shifter and cables are fine, the clutch has pressure but just won't engage. No funny noises, won't shift into any gear, I haven't tried clutch-less shifting.
I'm not too familiar with these cars, but I think the clutch and flywheel are both fine. If I had to guess it would be the clutch fork as there is no mating going on between the clutch disk and the flywheel. Am I on the right track?
I'm familiar with dropping a Mk4 VW transmission. How hard would it be to repair the GM? I don't need this car anymore, so my choices are to either sell it as-is, or repair it and sell it. I'm guessing a mechanic would charge $1000 just to fix it, I'd rather do it my self.
Is this a common problem? How hard would it be to drop the transmission and start looking for broken things? Lastly, am I going to need any special tools? Every time I work on the VW it seems that I always need to order some stupid shaped tool, I do all the work on my VW but as it is a Diesel I've never worked on a gas engine, nor do I really know what the gasoline-specific parts are or do.
Also, I wasn't sure how to check the transmission oil, so I opened the red cap above the transmission and poured in 16-20oz of some Pennzoil GM transmission oil. I have no idea if it was or wasn't overfilled, but when I ran it a few minutes after there was no change. Either way I figure the oil will get drained and replaced anyways.
Will it shift with the car off? If it does it's probably a clutch issue.
On the inside my car looks like a fighter jet.
Also, if you can work on a Volkswagen then a gm car will seem like cake work.
On the inside my car looks like a fighter jet.
Rob Dotterer wrote:Will it shift with the car off? If it does it's probably a clutch issue.
I have no idea if it's shifting at all. It feels like it is, but I just realized that if I jam it into first gear while the car is running, it should make a hell of a grind and force itself into gear.
Just a thought but check your slave cylinder resevour for the fluid level.If the fluid is really low or out,that means the slave which is internal has leaked into the trans and the slave is toast.Idk throw out bearings generally make racket before failing but,who know's it could be done as well.
Ron Love wrote:Just a thought but check your slave cylinder resevour for the fluid level.If the fluid is really low or out,that means the slave which is internal has leaked into the trans and the slave is toast.Idk throw out bearings generally make racket before failing but,who know's it could be done as well.
Ron on the f23 trans the slave and throw out bearing are one in the same.
The car should clunk into gears if it's not with the car off then you know you have a problem. If your not sure it's in gear try moving the car with the brake off and the engine off. If it downs move it's in gear.
On the inside my car looks like a fighter jet.
Another forum is telling my to just pull the transmission and take a look. If that isn't too hard, can someone tell me which transmission (A Getrag?) is in the car so I can google a guide?
I'll decide on pulling it after I check for the other things you guys mentioned.
f23 getrag is in the car.
If the clutch pedal goes to the floor and comes up on its own; the master and slave should be at least somewhat working. It might need a bleed because of a slow leak. I had a leak for about 50k miles. it would be fine then all the sudden one morning it would NOT allow me in gear without a bleed (pumping it about 50 times before hunting for first would sometimes work if i didnt have a bleed buddy and needed the car). mine was the o-ring on the connection to the trans from the reservoir going bad.
"A car just isn't a car without a little blood, sweat, and beers." -- Shadowfire
I'm saying a stretch shift cable.
1 and 2 gear share a shift fork, 3 and 4 gear share a shift fork, and 5 and Reverse share a shift fork. So way all shift forks are broken or bad.
FU Tuning
The reservoir near the firewall is good, I had to replace the cables because one rubbed off earlier in the year.
I'll try pumping for a while and then see if 5th gear works.
I must say that the car on its own has a hard time shifting into first, I usually have to rock it from second and then shove it into first to get it to get into gear. I usually just take off from second anyways, so I can see that the cable may be stretched.
Though I did try it just after starting in reverse and felt nothing with no movement. I will try jamming it into reverse without the clutch to see if there is any sort of movement/noise.
Thanks for the replies.
Could also be you r shifter may be out of alignment and need to be recentered. You take the cable clamps off on the shifter and there is a c pin on the back you push in to lock it in center position then clamp them back on and slide the clip back out. You could take the cables off the trans and manually move the lever and see if it goes into gear.
On the inside my car looks like a fighter jet.
Try putting it in gear at the tranny. If you can get gears there then your problem is cable/shifter inside the car related.
First is always more difficult and it is best to go to second and then first.
FU Tuning
I just tried shifting into gear at the transmission, and tried all gears at the shift lever, nothing happened. The cables are great, and the clutch pedal has good pressure but there is no movement or sound at the transmission.
How hard is it to pull and ID the problem? I'm thinking bent clutch fork still or something. If it was a broken clutch disc or PPlate I think I'd feel/hear it. Anything else would leave metal bits and make grinding noises right?
So your getting no gears what so ever?
If so it is not a shift fork. You have 3 of them, no way they all broke.
When your moving the shifter at the tranny, you hear no movement inside? There is a pin that goes through the shifter (at the tranny). This pin holds the shifter to the the shaft that goes inside the tranny and moves things. It is possible this pin snapped. I have broken one myself.
While trying to shift it at the tranny or while someone else is shifting the shifter inside the car watch the shifter at the tranny. You should see it move. You should be able to tell if the shaft going inside the tranny is moving or not.
FU Tuning
If you mean the large pin which is attached to the shift plates that are operated by the shifter cables, then yes that part is working fine. I put it into 1st, 2nd, and 5th gear manually and tugged and pulled and everything was fine. Everything outside of the transmission looks great and seems to be working perfectly. It really feels like there is no clutch action going on, although any clutch related systems outside of the engine appear and test out fine. This is why I think it could be the clutch fork--if this car even has one.
I think you might be meaning one thing and saying another.
Shift fork?
I have said it before. inside the tranny we have 3 shift forks. One for 1 and 2 gears, one for 3 and 4 gears, and one for 5 and reverse.
If you are able to put it in gear manually then your shift forks are working.
So if you put it in gear manually. Get in the car and start it. What happens?
Then you let out on the clutch (with it still in gear), what happens? include noises etc...
FU Tuning
I mean this guy for clutch fork:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/fms-m-7515-a/overview/
I just wrote something and decided to so sit in the car for a second.
I pumped 50 times, nothing, I jammed it into a few gears, nothing, but then I felt something.
I tried reverse as it was safer. When the car is in gear and I let out the clutch, the car DOES move backwards, but by only a super tiny amount, like it is rattling it self backwards..
So what, something isn't letting the clutch mate with the flywheel? Like a clutch pressure plate?
Someone on another forum told me to pull the slave cylinder as it should be on the bell housing, that would disengage the clutch and may be busted. Is this something I can do in under an hour to test?
That picture from summit. We do t have those. Those are for cars with regular throw out bearings. Our throw out bearing is hydrolic and built into the slave inside the transmission. You repace the whole thing at one time. It's 4 screws and you have to remove the trans to get to it.
On the inside my car looks like a fighter jet.
As Rob said.
If your clutch pedal is working then your TOB/slave is not busted.
FU Tuning
Ok, so back to square one.
If I yank the transmission would any problems be obvious? I'll remove the clutch and associated parts.
Also is the transmission under 200 lbs? If I can't figure out the problem I'll throw it on the front seat of the beetle and find a cheap mechanic somewhere to take a look at it, maybe bring it to the junk yard or something.
DZL BTL wrote:Ok, so back to square one.
If I yank the transmission would any problems be obvious? I'll remove the clutch and associated parts.
Also is the transmission under 200 lbs? If I can't figure out the problem I'll throw it on the front seat of the beetle and find a cheap mechanic somewhere to take a look at it, maybe bring it to the junk yard or something.
Tranny is about 75 pounds.
It depends on the problem truly.
FU Tuning
Just an update.
I jacked the car up and put it in second gear, the wheels spun just fine but I was able to stop each wheel and hold it there with my boot. Is this normal?
One at a time yes. Bot no the car should stall.
On the inside my car looks like a fighter jet.
As said above, if you've tackled a Mk4 VW, then this will seem like a cake walk.
Used transmissions are fairly cheap out of a salvage yard; rebuilds are available everywhere for a little bit more...
Hollander Parts was where I was able to locate my used one.
I'm a 6ft. tall, 250+ lb., man, and I proudly drive the Sunfire. My wife drives the half-ton 4x4...
