drew65

Lately my manual 2005 civic has been jerking pretty badly when i switch from 1st to 2nd and occassionally from 2nd to 3rd. I push the clutch all the way let it out slowly, but it still does it. It seems to happen when i just start driving, is this the sign of a bad clutch? what is causing this? what is this? im changing the manual clutch fluid soon, (the car has 88k on it so this is possible) but this is the first manual car i have ever driven so i don't really know what a bad clutch feels like or what it does... i have googled searched this site and youtube and nothing about the jerking feeling, any ideas?

maxtierney

iTrader: (5)

Bad clutches tend to slip, not jerk. Bad fluid makes it more difficult to get into gear or grind. Sounds like you need to give it more gas (Civics aren't torque monsters) or work on your clutch feathering. My $.02

MelJ

Word. Took me forever to learn throttle control in my car, especially coming from a slushy. I still tend to overshoot where I want my pedal to be. If anything, your mounts could possibly be worn.

drew65

i will make a more consious effort to do that... this could be it because i reall don't give it all that much gas thank you, i am rather clueless lol

performanccivic

You say it has only started happening "lately", so I don't think it's your driving style.

See how you go after you change the clutch fluid.

drew65

I think it is a combo of both... i gave it more gas while shifting and it helped a little, but still, in my opinion, not as smooth as it should be. Im going to change the clutch fluid and the manual transmission fluid. I have no records from the previous owners when or if they ever changed these so we shall see. And about getting the mtf... do i have to go get it changed at a dealership or can I just buy the mtf off of them?

maxtierney

iTrader: (5)

I get nothing done at the dealer , except for oil changes (because I have lifetime FREE oil changes )

You can get the MTF at the dealer, but this is where I deviate from sticking with OEM Fluids. Redline, Motul and Royal Purple offer better lubricants for the manual transmission. I used to grind third ALL the time with Honda MTF. The only time I grind 3rd nowadays is at redline (without lifting) using Royal Purple Synchromax.

BlueEM2

iTrader: (1)

It's not your driving. Mine does it too after startup for about 3-4 minutes and it's because I haven't changed my MTF in 110, 000 miles... change it and you will be okay It started doing it a year or so ago and I still haven't changed it LOL

MelJ

I went back to Redline MTF. If there were ever a car deity, his blood is that stuff. I did the change, went for a drive and remembered exactly why I love this stuff. Honda MTF never felt right to me, especially since I live in an area where we do get cold weather.

drew65

yeah the cold weather will not be a problem in texas. :P but i went to autozone and they did not cary MTF or anything that would help... all they had was gear oil and i didn't trust that too much. The manual says motor oil will work but i want mine to last for a while so i will try to find that soon...

BlueEM2

iTrader: (1)

Honda dealership shoudl carry MTF.. in fact I have trouble finding it too around here.

MelJ

Yeah. Dealership or online is your best bet if you go aftermarket. Don't go to regular auto stores for Honda stuff. Our cars are very picky with what you put in them.

maxtierney

iTrader: (5)

While I endorse frequent transmission fluid changes, more often if you are an aggressive driver. The likelyhood of bad fluid causing jerking is very minimal. Old fluid contains contaminants, specifically metal shavings, that need to be removed from your transmission. These shavings will cause premature wear of the synchronizers and/or gears, but is not considered a root cause of a problem, but a contributor. There are instances of incorrect viscosities causing jerking, but that would not be the problem in this instance. Just like old oil in an engine will cause premature wear or even seizure, it would be one of the least likely causes for sputtering. There may be an issue elsewhere.