What happened?!

[Gerbil333]

I'm about to get rid of this car (93 Eagle Talon), so I don't care too much, but I have no idea how to explain what just happened...

I drove to campus this morning no problem, as usual (in 14F weather). I always park the car in gear with the parking brake on. When I started the car this afternoon, I thought I felt it lurch forward slightly, even though I had the clutch down. The engine started stumbling immediately below 500rpm. It's done that before in cold weather, so I gave it some gas, but it responded very poorly; I practically had to floor it to get to 2500rpm. I then tried to put the car in reverse, and to my horror, the stick was STUCK in first gear. I released and reapplied the clutch, no change. I turned the engine off (after about 20 seconds now) as I realized what was going on: The car was stuck in first gear and the clutch pedal wasn't working. If I hadn't kept my foot on the brake, the car would have left the parking lot.

Burning clutch does not smell good. BUT, when I started the engine again (only a minute later), I was able to shift into neutral immediately and easily. I was able to drive back to my apartment with no trouble.


New car time...

 

[AdamK47]

It sounds like it's time for either a new transmission or a rebuild.

 

[Gerbil333]

Why would the clutch pedal not release the clutch, though?

 

[MiataNC]

Is the clutch hydraulic? Could be a leak or a failing master or slave cylinder. Could also be related to the cold.

 

[Arkaign]

What happen?

Someone set us up the bomb!

 

[boomerang]

I don't know the particulars on the mechanism that controls your clutch, but snow that melted and turned to ice is probably the cause of your problem.

The clutch slipping and burning like that created enough heat to melt the ice and voila!

 

[imported_Truenofan]

its probably the hydraulic system if your clutch system is hydraulic. i had the same problem on my 7. in the cold like that. the clutch/brake fluid in the system is extremely thick(its like syrup thats been in your fridge for a long time, very very thick). check your clutch slave/master cylinders and hoses. i know my clutch slave boot came off, and i lost all clutch pressure and the pedal would stick to the floor. i had to wait until the car actually warmed up the whole engine bay including the clutch slave and hoses. for the whole system to work. i then bought a new clutch slave cylinder and my problem went away. i also used a hose type clamp(the kind that goes on your radiator hoses) to keep the boot on better on the new clutch slave cylinder.

 

[jagec]

I once had one of the anti-shock rubber bits in my clutch plate come out, and it would wedge itself between the clutch and the flywheel and cause similar symptoms to what you describe. Let me tell you, it's a LOT of fun driving the car around completely clutchless, having to shut the engine off at every stoplight, start it back up with it jerking forwards when it turns green, and using clutchless shifting to get between gears, on a synchro transmission. Then the next day it would end up falling somewhere where it didn't affect the operation of the clutch. Weird.

However, I'm guessing that this is hydraulics.

 

[lurk3r]

The car should be the same as my now dead 95 Dodge avenger. It was a hydraulic clutch, so most of the above guesses are probably correct. I'd guess an issue with the clutch's cylinder. There should be lots of them in junkyards.