vx shakes violently please help!

[fobx530]

Hey guys,

I just got a 92 eg vx w/ 300k miles on it. all stock, commuter car got it for dirt cheap.
only annoyance is the way it drives. let me try to explain.

on a normal manual car, as long as the car is moving slightly, you can set onto 2nd gear and go as first gear is used to launch from complete stop.


my civic if the car is going less than 5mph, i gotta put it onto 1st gear. it doesn't go in smoothly, i kinda have to force it in (I KNOW THIS BAD). I nudge it in and it does. If i try to put into 2nd even below 5mph, and gas, the car will shake violently from engine to exhaust.

If I reach the 5mph and shift into second...no shake at all. very smooth.




What the hell is going on? Is it just my car? or all eg/vx?

What do I need to do about this so i can shift into 2nd smoothly as long as the car is rolling? new engine mounts needed? so the car won't shake violently?

imo, the car seems like its "choking" or starving for air? i don't know, i don't know much about manuals as i drive autos all day

**added question, w/ 300k on the d15z1, what kind of oil should i use?

Anyhow, please comment and help. Thanks.

[theholycow]

It won't fix the underlying cause, but have you tried double-clutching as a workaround until you figure out what's wrong?

[GasSavers_Erik]

Jerking like that is usually starving for fuel or a grabby clutch. Does it ever jerk when you take of in 1st? How about when you shift early into 3rd gear? Does it do it when the engine is cold? Is the check engine light on?

Forcing it into 1st could mean your clutch is dragging (not releasing fully) or your 1st gear synchronizer is worn. Just don't force it into gear- you may break something.

[add|ct]

Actually, mine seems to give less extreme symptoms, but similar to the one's fobx is dealing with. I was wondering if it was the lean burn or if it was DFCO. I also suspected the clutch as well. Other than worn syncro for 1st gear, I don't think its going bad. I can shift through all of the gears, it just feels like its stuck in VTEC spooled up when I try to just short shift from time to time.

Usually, its easy to just get in and drive in FE, but at times it just acts like if I'm not really getting on the throttle it kinda starting feeling choked.

At other times, while using engine breaking, I'm going from 5th to 2nd(1 gear at a time if I can help it) and eventually making a right turn onto my street at about 10-15 MPH in 2nd gear. While doing this I get this awkward 'pop' like sound when I go back in on the clutch to shift into 'N'. I live up on a hill so I'll slow back to 5 in 'N' and then double clutch for 1st gear. Still, the way it acts makes me wonder if something with the clutch is off.

Until I get the LAF sensor replaced, its hard to know. Is DFCO with engine breaking considered a 'Lean Burn' mode or is the car just 'bucking' from fuel cut off then to resuming?

[ala_frosty]

It's not clear to me whether you are slipping the clutch when the car shakes violently or not. Is the clutch really new? If the shakes occur when the clutch is slipping, It suspect that you've either got a really new and grabby clutch or you've got a new and perhaps slightly misaligned clutch. Another possibility is that the clutch is at its end of days and the shakes are the clutch letting got and coming back. You'd probably smell the clutch burning.

[fobx530]

Originally Posted by theholycow

It won't fix the underlying cause, but have you tried double-clutching as a workaround until you figure out what's wrong?

I don't believe I do this.

Originally Posted by Erik

Jerking like that is usually starving for fuel or a grabby clutch. Does it ever jerk when you take of in 1st? How about when you shift early into 3rd gear? Does it do it when the engine is cold? Is the check engine light on?

Forcing it into 1st could mean your clutch is dragging (not releasing fully) or your 1st gear synchronizer is worn. Just don't force it into gear- you may break something.

No Check Engine light on. no jerking, not on first or 3rd, doesn't do it when it's cold neither.

It does sound like the clutch is dragging as you said, when I don't fully release the clutch. BUT transitioning from first to second gear below 5mph SHOULD NOT do this right?

I don't want to force it into any gear it doesn't want to go in to, but I can't help it when I'm in traffic or freeway. Weird situation when it's traffic, I let the car into neutral to slow down, then when it gets to ie. 3mph, I put into 2nd gear (goes in easily) BUT it shakes violently THUS I have to nudge it into 1st gear. When I finally get it into first gear, yes it jerks a bit, but works fine.

Originally Posted by ala_frosty

It's not clear to me whether you are slipping the clutch when the car shakes violently or not. Is the clutch really new? If the shakes occur when the clutch is slipping, It suspect that you've either got a really new and grabby clutch or you've got a new and perhaps slightly misaligned clutch. Another possibility is that the clutch is at its end of days and the shakes are the clutch letting got and coming back. You'd probably smell the clutch burning.

I don't know if the clutch is new, I seriously just bought it from some guy, he doesn't have any records or paperwork of the car (so he says).

What is a grabby clutch?

[VetteOwner]

sounds like your laboring the engine (it will shake/vibrate pretty bad)

synchros might be going out if its hard to get into 1st. (may have to stop then shift)

[fobx530]

Originally Posted by VetteOwner

sounds like your laboring the engine (it will shake/vibrate pretty bad)

synchros might be going out if its hard to get into 1st. (may have to stop then shift)

*Doesn't complete stop then go makes me use more gas?




So it's not just my car and I do need to get it fixed?

It's is hard to get into first...if the car is moving, otherwise it's fine from a stop. Of course for all manual cars I believe, once it rolls, I can go into second gear correct?


How much do you reckon to fix this? Is it going to be expensive? I live in Southern California.

[imzjustplayin]

Originally Posted by fobx530

*Doesn't complete stop then go makes me use more gas?




So it's not just my car and I do need to get it fixed?

It's is hard to get into first...if the car is moving, otherwise it's fine from a stop. Of course for all manual cars I believe, once it rolls, I can go into second gear correct?


How much do you reckon to fix this? Is it going to be expensive? I live in Southern California.

I have this exact problem with my civic as well.. I'll be moving and I'll need to get into 1st gear but I kinda have to force it in order to get into that gear. I've read that it's kinda normal since the difference between 2nd gear and 1st gear is so large than shifting into that gear while moving can be difficult for the synchros regardless. I'm planning on rebuilding my transmission so if you can tell everybody why you need to shift into 1st while at speed, that would be helpful.

I have no idea if and when I'll rebuild my transmission but if you can hang in there, I'll hopefully be able to confirm whether or not it's the synchros that were causing the exact problem you're having that I'm having as well. For all we know, this is perfectly normal for these cars. Maybe you can rebuild YOUR transmission and let us know what's the deal.. Mine has 175K miles on it (mostly highway) yet yours has 300K miles on it, so it seems like rebuilding is the better option since these cars are old and finding a transmission that is in *mint condition will be impossible.

[fobx530]

I was thinking of rebuilding, but I don't know how much it'll cost since this is my first old car.

My first car was a 2005 Camry.

I was thinking of selling my vx and getting a newer w/o much dents and whatnot, but I'm worried that I might not get the same gas mileage as I ALWAYS get 50+ MPG, and 48+ MPG when I drive aggressively.