MS3 Clutch/Cold weather issue?

[Unoriginalusername]

Today wasn't any colder than any other we've been having of late however this morning when i started the car in the garage i put the car in neutral and let the clutch out and to my suprise it lurked forward with some decent gusto. I qucikly got to the brake pedal before rolling into anything and then checked to see if i had somehow lost my mind and actually left it in first, and i hadn't.

So i checked it a few more times once outside the garage. If i was in neutral, selected first and let the clutch out a bit, put the clutch in again and stopped now in neutral and then released the clutch into neutral there would be a bit of a thump as if it was engaging and the revs on the tack would drop with the clutch out in neutral, and then go back up once i pressed the clutch again.

It eventually went away after 25km of driving, but i am concerned this may be an early sign of a slipping clutch and or flywheel. anyone experience something similar? Or am i just paranoid and this is somehow normal in the colder temps?

[SonicBoy]

Have you been driving the car or has it been in storage. I'd probably say it was just cold and needed to be warmed up.

[Wild Weasel]

That sounds strange to me. When it's in neutral, nothing you do with the clutch pedal should affect your rpm's since the transmission isn't connected to the engine.

I wonder if the gear isn't fully disengaging properly when you're shifting to neutral. Letting out the clutch may be putting enough force on it to pop it fully out of gear, but not before having a little impact on the engine and potentially jolting the car a little.

When everything is freezing cold, things don't move quite as smoothly as you'd like them to, and this may be bringing to light an issue that normally you wouldn't have noticed.

If you can reproduce these symptoms at will, I'd bring it by a dealer to have them see it and deal with it under warranty. May just be a shift cable issue or something. Did you change your shifter?

[Unoriginalusername]

Have you been driving the car or has it been in storage. I'd probably say it was just cold and needed to be warmed up.

Ya i drive it 3-4 days a week about 30km each run x2 for the return


That sounds strange to me. When it's in neutral, nothing you do with the clutch pedal should affect your rpm's since the transmission isn't connected to the engine.

I wonder if the gear isn't fully disengaging properly when you're shifting to neutral. Letting out the clutch may be putting enough force on it to pop it fully out of gear, but not before having a little impact on the engine and potentially jolting the car a little.

When everything is freezing cold, things don't move quite as smoothly as you'd like them to, and this may be bringing to light an issue that normally you wouldn't have noticed.

If you can reproduce these symptoms at will, I'd bring it by a dealer to have them see it and deal with it under warranty. May just be a shift cable issue or something. Did you change your shifter?

Ya that is what i thought, nothing should be connected but it was staying engaged somehow... could be the cable like you said or just the cold and the weekend of not driving

[zmtomako]

i thought i was going crazy, but i have something similar...

when i left go of the clutch after starting the car (in neutral), i get a response from the tach as if it was engaged in a gear... the needle blips up maybe 200-300rpm, but quickly goes back to normal...

only happens if i start the car ice cold after being parked outside
i'll make a video of it when my car is cold again

[Unoriginalusername]

i thought i was going crazy, but i have something similar...

when i left go of the clutch after starting the car (in neutral), i get a response from the tach as if it was engaged in a gear... the needle blips up maybe 200-300rpm, but quickly goes back to normal...

only happens if i start the car ice cold after being parked outside
i'll make a video of it when my car is cold again

ok sounds like i am not insane and its just the cold weather playing with us a little

[Wild Weasel]

Having a little response by the engine isn't an issue so long as the car doesn't move. When you start the car, nothing in the transmission is turning. When you let out the clutch, the engine engages the input shaft and gets things turning in the tranny. When it's cold and the fluid is more viscous, I'd expect to see a little hit on the RPM's as the engine gets it going. Sort of like the little hit it takes when the A/C comes on. No big deal. The indication that UU may have an issue is that his car actually moves a little.

[alhope34]

Don't know if this could be the cause, but when you're in neutral and let the clutch out it still spins the input shaft. This moves around the transmission oil which is super thick at such low temperatures, which means the ECU needs to give more gas to idle it. That explains why the rmps change for a bit, but not why your car moves. The oil friction is bad enough that at a -28c start in Quebec one time, I let my clutch out and the car stalled while it was idling at 1800 rpm, lol. I had to start it again and let out the clutch slowly in neutral for it not to stall again.

[Unoriginalusername]

Don't know if this could be the cause, but when you're in neutral and let the clutch out it still spins the input shaft. This moves around the transmission oil which is super thick at such low temperatures, which means the ECU needs to give more gas to idle it. That explains why the rmps change for a bit, but not why your car moves. The oil friction is bad enough that at a -28c start in Quebec one time, I let my clutch out and the car stalled while it was idling at 1800 rpm, lol. I had to start it again and let out the clutch slowly in neutral for it not to stall again.

are you using mt90 also?

[alhope34]

are you using mt90 also?

Yes.

[Unoriginalusername]

Yes.

anyone else using mt90? having the same response?

[zoomzoom33]

same issue here and also using mt90. I posted this issues awhile back about the car stalling after letting out the clutch in cold weather. What i do now is keep the clutch down on start up and slowly let off of it while watching the rpms, making sure it doesnt drop and stall. Not sure if my method is good for the car and tranny but it keeps it from stalling.

[JordanAndrew]

I have a similar issue as well but I've only had the same experience in cold weather so I'm almost positive it's because it's just too cold outside.
I do the exact same thing as zoomzoom33, if I have to start the car on a cold temperature I hold the clutch it just after I start it and slowly ease off it so it doesn't stall. I was really worried that my car was just not capable in winter times and was debating whether or not I should get another car for the winter just so this car doesn't get to experience bad winter.

Hopefully I won't have to as I really want this car to be a daily year around driver as well as a fast reliable family/sport car.

[Fobio]

when I start the car cold in the morning (during the coldest days last week, the underground garage only got to as low as -2), when I let go of the clutch after I start the car, you can feel the engine lug for a moment or so...I figure it's the engine reacting to spinning the clutch AND then the pressure plate as well? the extra mass after the initial start off + high vicosity/low temp fluids causing your engine to stall?

[Mazda3X2]

I am using Amsoil synthetic transmission fluid. No issues like I have ready here. When I park the car I never leave it in gear though either, always neautral with the parking brake set. Maybe that makes a difference.

My only thing is the clutch pedal feel in the extreme cold. It is really stiff when the temp reaches into the negative teens. I was wondering if switching the clutch fluid over to a synthetic base would help this. I know there is a new, non silicone based brake fluid that is safe for this use labeled 5.1. I just haven't been able to find any information on pour point versus regular fluid. Only boiling point. If anyone knows anything about this please share.

[Fobio]

I also do not leave the car in gear and use the parking brake. And I have never thought my engine was going to stall as I released the clutch...I just notice that the rev's would go down and blip for just a moment or so, then the rev's continue to go down slowly as the car warms...

[alhope34]

Lol, I still think it's funny hearing people complain about negative teens with starting the car and clutch feel. Try starting at 4am at -35 BEFORE windchill. Clutch is like a brick and basically in or out, no middle for the first 30 minutes or so. Can actually feel where the clutch clicks in and out. My car did fantastic in the weather last week, no problems at all. No suspension creaking or anything. And I also park in N.

[zoomzoom33]

Try starting at 4am at -35 BEFORE windchill. No suspension creaking or anything.

Hey Al, where were you in the country for it to be -35. dammmm thats COLD. and no creeking from the car. My suspension was creeking like mad last week and it was -20 with wind chill.

[alhope34]

Hey Al, where were you in the country for it to be -35. dammmm thats COLD. and no creeking from the car. My suspension was creeking like mad last week and it was -20 with wind chill.

Baie-Comeau, Quebec. They are right on the north shore of the St Lawrence pretty close to Newfoundland. The large river pulls in a lot of arctic air that swirls around. The cold air usually hangs around between Forestville and Sept-Isle.

When I was there for Christmas week, there were a few days where the highs before wind chill was about -25 to -28.

[silvermist99]

stock fluid here and I dump the clutch out right after I cold start it to get my seatbelt & other thing on. no issues here(yet).

[Pornstar]

My 2007 speed did the same, and now 2010 same shit (the car was outside not in a garage)!!! Got to check with the dealer to see if it's normal and to make sure to point that out. I never told them on my first speed!! Actually it's my first 2 cars that are doing this kind of behavior.

[Sean80]

This happens in my car as well. Is this something normal or should I get it checked out. My Mazda 3 would do a similar thing when it was cold as well. I would start the car cold, it would fire up, idle fairly high and then the rpm's would blip and lower once I let the clutch out in neutral. hmmm...

[alhope34]

It's perfectly normal. Transmission oil is much thicker when it's cold and in neutral the gears are close enough that thick oil will cause some resistance between them when the input shaft is spinning (meaning, in neutral with the clutch out).

[Sean80]

Good to know! Thanks!