Weird-ass problem: an update

"I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker" (qaaaaa)
02/12/2019 at 21:37 • Filed to: None

I picked up my car from the tire shop today (sidewall was blown out, but a replacement tire was all of $60). Shop said it didn’t need an alignment and wasn’t pulling either way, which is a damn lie, but I wasn’t going to pay for an alignment anyways. Just gonna half ass one myself- front toe is the only adjustable alignment va riable on base model Mk3s as far as I know, so I should be okay doing it myself in a parking lot. Now, onto my weird problem...

A while back I noted a recurring problem where I would not be able to put my car in gear. It felt like the lockout for 1st when the car is moving was on all gears. It happened a few times previously, always while driving and on hot days. Well, this evening, it happened again, but this time, right after I turned it on, AND it was cold out so I’ve got no clue. But! Here’s a new symptom. I noted the issue when I tried to reverse out of a spot and heard grinding on reverse, which I was not locked out of. So, noting this, I tried to go into reverse without clutching out- the response was exactly the same. Could this be a symptom of a bad throwout bearing or maybe pressure plate? My car has a cable clutch, not hydraulic, BTW. Perhaps another more mechanically adept Oppo can postulate? After sitting a minute while off, the problem went away, like it always does.

Blurry picture of a kitty for your time and thoughts. Hint hint, I may start posting fur face fridays...

DISCUSSION (16)

Dogsatemypants > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
02/12/2019 at 22:01

The last cable clutch i had when the throw out bearing started to go it would start to disengage at heavy throttle imput in 4th and 5th.

NKato > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
02/12/2019 at 22:01

Could be gear synchro? I don't know.

vicali > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
02/12/2019 at 22:13

Mk2 and mk3 vw tend to be pretty easy to shift. I barely used the clutch in my mk2 once I was moving.

Will it stall if you let the clutch out in gear with the brakes on? At the top of the clutch pedal or bottom?

Throw out bearing chatter like crazy- they make a ton of noise when they go.

Your cable might be stretched and not engaging fully.

TheRealBicycleBuck > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
02/12/2019 at 22:16

It sounds like the clutch is not completely disengaging when you step on the pedal. Before you start tearing your car apart, c heck to make sure your floor mat hasn’t slid forward and is preventing the clutch pedal from reaching the floor. You can guess how I learned that one.

The next thing to check would be the cable. Make sure the mounting brackets are secure from one end to the other. Sometimes a mount fails and the cable gets too close to the exhaust, causing it to get hot and lengthen just enough to keep it from fully disengaging the clutch.

A throwout bearing usually makes a lot of noise when it goes bad. If it’s making noise and it sounds different between clutch in and clutch out when sitting in neutral at idle, it could be the bearing.

Discerning > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
02/13/2019 at 00:37

Yo u would be able to hear if it was the throw out bearing. Do you hear anything under the car as you press the clutch pedal?

As others stated, check the cable mounting and make sure it is tight and not stretched. What you are describing sounds exactly like a faulty clutch master cylinder, but since you’re cable driven, you likely have occasional slack somewhere in the cable.

Maxima Speed > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
02/13/2019 at 01:22

I feel like a slush- box swap is the way to go. Will fix all you problems

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > vicali
02/13/2019 at 08:04

Yeah it stalls, near the top, where it grabs. As far as I know, that’s how it’s supposed ti be? I don’t hear TOB chatter, but it’s so loud that I don’t think I would.

Woul d stretched cable be super intermittent? It fixed itself after a few minutes of swearing.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > TheRealBicycleBuck
02/13/2019 at 08:05

I’ll check those, thank you! Last night when this happened I had the thought of "maybe the mat is in the way" and moved it, but it made no difference. Only have to push the pedal in like half way to shift as it is, so the whole thing might be out of adjustment.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Discerning
02/13/2019 at 08:05

Why would slack be occasional? Guess I'll touch parts of the cable where it touches stuff with 3 in 1.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Maxima Speed
02/13/2019 at 08:06

Good one!

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Dogsatemypants
02/13/2019 at 08:12

Hm. That doesn't happen here.

TheRealBicycleBuck > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
02/13/2019 at 08:43

“Only have to push the pedal in like half way to shift as it is...”

That’s a red flag for sure. If you’ve been driving it like this for a while, then one of two things ha s been happening. Either it has been out of adjustment for a long time, or you’ve been shifting it while the clutch is still partially engaged. Both situations are hard on the clutch plates and there may be a lot of excess dust in there. That’s not good for the throwout bearing.

There’s usually a breakover point where the feel of the clutch changes. That’s where it’s disengaged enough to allow a shift, but the plates are still rubbing on each other. Pushing a little further moves the plates far enough apart to keep them from touching. That’s the right place to be to prevent excess wear on the parts.

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
02/13/2019 at 09:11

I had the actual metal bracket assembly holding my clutch pedal fail in my 89 Civic. It stress fractured itself apart. I don't know if that's an issue VW has or not but something to maybe look at.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > TheRealBicycleBuck
02/13/2019 at 11:04

Hm. My understanding was that that ’s just how they are on VWs? No mechanic has ever said it's out of adjustment and my brother's Mk6 Jetta grabs at a similar point. I'll check against my Bentley manual. From what you and others have said, it might just be that the cable is snagging on something intermittently or stretching with heat.

TheRealBicycleBuck > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
02/13/2019 at 11:30

The “grab” point is where there’s enough pressure for the torque from the engine to be transferred to the transmission. If you push in the clutch just enough to get past this point, the plates are still in contact, they just don’t have enough friction between them to transfer torque. They do, however, have enough friction to generate heat and cause wear.

When shifting, it’s best practice to push the clutch pedal down all the way, ensuring that the plates are completely disengaged.

Discerning > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
02/13/2019 at 15:09

Maybe not in the cable itself, but possibly where it connects. Maybe there's just enough slack that it works some of the time and not entirely other times.