# Manual transmission jerking car in all gears..



## Laura147026 (Jun 9, 2003)

I have a 5 speed that started acting up this morning. I went in 1st gear it was fine, then started jerking, went in 2nd gear fine then started jerking, went to 3rd gear fine, started jerking. Did this all throughout the gears. Started out fine on the gear then jerked. And smelt funny like burn oil. How and where do I check for tranny fluid in this car?? I know that sounds dumb but I can't find it. The clutch was just replaced 9,000 miles ago. Someone help.........


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## James (Apr 29, 2002)

Do you have a tachometer on your vehicle?


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## Laura147026 (Jun 9, 2003)

> tachometer



I have no clue what that is....


An instrument used to measure the rotations per minute of a rotating shaft.


Okay, I looked it up and still don't know what that has to do with it....


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## fastpakr (Sep 18, 2002)

Shows engine RPM. It would be a good way to see if the clutch is slipping.


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## James (Apr 29, 2002)

well there will be a gauge on your dash, if you have it, of how fast your engine is spinning (rpm's)...

I'm just wondering if you get the jerking initially when you first start out in any gear or if you get the jerking as the engine speeds up?


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## Laura147026 (Jun 9, 2003)

Nope....But it feels like it does when you pull your foot off the clutch too fast and the car jerks...Know what I mean???


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## Laura147026 (Jun 9, 2003)

The gears start out fine like normal then the car stars jerking like I just took my foot off the clutch too fast...Does that make sense??


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## James (Apr 29, 2002)

Laura147026 said:


> *The gears start out fine like normal then the car stars jerking like I just took my foot off the clutch too fast...Does that make sense?? *


Ok so if i'm understanding you correct like if you shift into 2nd initially its fine but after a certain point the car jerks? if you press the gas harder after that point does it feel like the car continues to produce power or does it feel like only the engine is getting louder but the car goes no faster?


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## Laura147026 (Jun 9, 2003)

No, it tries to keep driving, not like it's out of gear...


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## James (Apr 29, 2002)

what maintenance was last done to the car outside of the clutch? how long ago did you change the basic stuff (spark plug wires, distributor cap/rotor, fuel filter, oil, air filter, etc)?

when they did the clutch did they resurface the flywheel? did they check the clutch cable for you?


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## Laura147026 (Jun 9, 2003)

> what maintenance was last done to the car outside of the clutch? how long ago did you change the basic stuff (spark plug wires, distributor cap/rotor, fuel filter, oil, air filter, etc)?


There was a total overhaul done on all that stuff when I got the car in June. The clutch was done by the previous owner (a friend so he didn't lie) 5 months prior to my purchase. I haven't done anything since. I know the oil needs changing bad...I don't even know how to check the tranny fluid....


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## James (Apr 29, 2002)

there is a plug on the manual tranny you need to remove and check the oil level from there but the fluid on the tranny isn't changed often....

how many miles are on the car?


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## Laura147026 (Jun 9, 2003)

111,000 and I put 8,000 on it in 5 months...

Do you need a tool to removal the plug and is it in reach from the top looking into the engine??

I know it isn't changed much but what if the fluid level is low?


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## James (Apr 29, 2002)

you need a large allen wrench I believe (sorry I know you don't care but I'm just now putting in a manual transmission into my car so I didn't look at what type of bolt it is). here's some general reading: here 
read here too! 

you can remove the plug from on top but to check the level you need to be able to look into the plug. 

i don't think it's tranny... I can't tell without more details.


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## Laura147026 (Jun 9, 2003)

What do you mean you have to look into the plug? It's not like a dip stick where it comes out and you check the level on it? I am completely clueless so talk to me step by step like I'm an idiot. Please....I really appreciate it...And I do care that you are putting a manual tranny in your car...


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## James (Apr 29, 2002)

well when you look into the hole the fluid level has to be at the level of the hole meaning any more and it'd leak out of that hole... so once you take off the bolt if you put your finger in there and notice that the fluid is low you can add some with a funnel (with a flexible neck). its not like a dipstick no. 

but I don't think it's the fluid because if it was low you would have problems with rough shifting in and out of gear (if I'm wrong here someone correct me). 

how is your idle? is it rough, does it bounce?


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## Laura147026 (Jun 9, 2003)

Yeah, the idle is sometimes high then slows. But it's not loud. 

Also, I drove 24 miles here to work on the highway with stop and go traffic before I pulled into the parking lot and it acted up. The first time it's had a problem..
The water level was down and I filled it up and went around the block. It was acting funny still. And smelling like burnt oil. I know I need to change the motor oil bad. Would that have anything to do with it?


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## James (Apr 29, 2002)

well I'd get the oil changed asap but I wouldn't think it has anything to do with the rough idle or jerking unless you haven't changed the oil in a LONG time and something more serious is wrong with the engine... 

well I could reply forever but I'm not there at the car. I would give you these pieces of advice though, it isn't the tranny and your rough idle has something to do with it.... if you can have someone track down what is causing the rough idle (or you can search for "rough idle" on this board) and get an idea of what is going wrong. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful!


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## Myetball (Dec 15, 2002)

Here is a link you should look at. A few people have had this problem in the past.


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## Laura147026 (Jun 9, 2003)

It rode home halfway last night without a problem then started jerking again. I took it to get looked at and it turns out to be the throttle body needs rebuilt. Not enough fuel is getting through steadily. My Idle sounds rough but when I put my foot on the gas in idle it, like, thuds. You know like, gas, no gas, gas, no gas when my foot is steady on the gas peddle. How about that for an explanation? Best way I can think of to explain it. My friend has an extra throttle body for that car that he is going to rebuild and put it on. I hope that solves it. I'll let you know....Thanks for your help in narrowing the problem down for me. Much appreciated...


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## James (Apr 29, 2002)

Hmm, maybe it just needed to be cleaned. The fuel doesn't come in the throttle body (air does) but its probably what you said. Be sure to get a new gasket before you take off the throttle body! Hope that solves your problem!


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## Laura147026 (Jun 9, 2003)

I'm not doing it myself. Maybe it is too rich sometimes instead of not enough gas like I thought. Not getting the air it needs. The guy that is gonna do the work is the original owner. He bought it when it had 2 miles on it in 1988. 
I don't know about cars.. I put gas in it and start it up and go. That's all I know...I come on here to make sure I don't get ripped off by mechanics when my friend doesn't have time to look at it.
Thanks again...I'll give you an update after the work is done and let you know what all he did.


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## James (Apr 29, 2002)

well I hope they find the problem, whatever it is the mechanics find let us know before you approve the work! 

my mom used to send our car to goodyear and they would make up crap that needed to be fixed and month after month we'd have problems... it was like $400 each time! I hate mechanics...


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## Laura147026 (Jun 9, 2003)

That's why I come on here first to get an idea of what it could be..This guy is pretty honest with me...He is doing it at his house too so there isn't any overhead costs.....I'll tell you what he does..Right now he sayd throttle body rebuild....


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## Webfoot (Apr 24, 2003)

Read the thread Myetball sugests. the AFM is usuall the culprit. For me, it was bad gas, I think. THe problem went away after a few miles of premium. 

This is a cluster with a tachometer.


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## Laura147026 (Jun 9, 2003)

What is an AFM? I have no clue....

I am getting the throttle body rebuilt. 
Spark plugs and wires are new. Fuel filter too. Pump is in gas tank, may be a problem. But the oridinal owner of the car says it's the throttle body needing rebuilt and he is doing it this weekend for a reasonable price. 
What it's doing is running fine for awhile then it like sputters gas. Like I'm pushing the peddle and releasing it, but I have a steady foot. Only when I try to accelerate too not with my foot off the gas. Even out of gear in idle it does it when I push the gas peddle.
The guy doing the work is a mechanic at a mercedes dealership and the previous original owner of the car for 15 years. I have to kinda trust his call. 

What is your opinion?


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## James (Apr 29, 2002)

Air Flow Meter, that is why I was asking if you have a tachometer. If the car seems to be unable to get above 2800-3000 rpm and continue to make power then its the air flow meter that has gone bad. But you don't have a tach and you mentioned that the car still produces power as you speed up but just jerks...

besides if it was the AFM the car wouldn't idle after a while, you'd just turn it on and it'd turn off right away.


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## Laura147026 (Jun 9, 2003)

Right, it sometime rides fine for miles. Like this morning, I drove it to work 20 miles without a problem then it starting jerking and sputtering.


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## James (Apr 29, 2002)

Yeah trust me if you can drive it like that it's not the AFM that is why I asked about the tachometer so you can answer my questions early on. Check out the car after he cleans the throttle body (which is all he's doing by the way, the throttle body shouldn't need rebuilding).


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## Laura147026 (Jun 9, 2003)

Well yeah, He is taking another one he has apart and cleaning it and putting all new little thingies (technical term) in it. Then he is gonna take mine off, clean the area, and just exchange it with mine. So I won't have too much down time. I think he was expecting this to come up. Like it was his next project before he sold it. He has no need for the car anymore with his two mercedes. He also doesn't need the money to fix it for me so he is gonna be reasonable. 

James do you sit on this website all day...I seem to be able to get you all day....


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## James (Apr 29, 2002)

I'm an IT guy at work, when nothing is broken I sit in a server room all day playing games and surfing the web... as a matter of fact right now I'm fixing another computer... its a relaxed job!


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## Laura147026 (Jun 9, 2003)

I'm at work too....My Father does what you do...I want to go back to school to do it too. It has been beneficial for him. He was there from the beginning with the punch cards...Do you remember those or learned about them in history, depending on your age...?


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## Laura147026 (Jun 9, 2003)

How did I change from a newbie to a Nissan Enthusiast?????


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## James (Apr 29, 2002)

Do I remember them!? I have one of those POS machines sitting right above me right now... they want us to use them starting last month but we have yet to use it for anything but entertainment! I stick a piece of paper in there and see how many times I can get it to punch as i drag it out of there!


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## James (Apr 29, 2002)

Laura147026 said:


> *How did I change from a newbie to a Nissan Enthusiast????? *


you've signed on over 48 hrs.


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## MomoB12 (Jul 22, 2003)

My car has presented a problem, which may be similar to yours...

On idle, everything's fine, even when I let go off the clutch it will advance normally, however on a certain RPM band (Maybe around 1,500-2,000 rpm) my car would just start to jerk a lot. It was like a dead-zone on the rpm band, because after passing thoe rpm, everything would be fine.
It only happened sometimes, and my mechanic would blame the carburetor.


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## Laura147026 (Jun 9, 2003)

Wow, so this guy may be mistaken...What did yours end up being??


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## Laura147026 (Jun 9, 2003)

Well Guys,, It was the throttle sensor.. He replaced it, rebuilt the throttle body, and it is like new. Run beautiful..... I also had him repair the A/C. New internal switch, some relay, and charged it.
All for $175.00. Parts included. I think I made out good...What do you think??


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## James (Apr 29, 2002)

Pretty good deal, that sensor is pretty expensive by itself (like 85-90 or something) so that's a pretty good deal... glad it got fixed.


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## MomoB12 (Jul 22, 2003)

Hmmm... So maybe my car's throttle sensor is dead too.

Specially since my car won't change idle rpms even when the engine is cold. (You know, when you start your car with a low engine temp, it'll run for a while with higher rpms... It doesn't do that anymore)


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## Laura147026 (Jun 9, 2003)

Yeah, James, He only charged like $50. for the labor. He got some of the parts from a junk yard too so that cut down the price. Except he spent half a day hunting them. Nice man..I don't know what I would have done without him....



MomoB12 said:


> *Hmmm... So maybe my car's throttle sensor is dead too.
> 
> Specially since my car won't change idle rpms even when the engine is cold. (You know, when you start your car with a low engine temp, it'll run for a while with higher rpms... It doesn't do that anymore) *


Momo, You might want to get it checked. Mine idles so much better now. But how does your car perform while driving. Mine would stutter with the throttle going nuts, on, off, on, off. Like I was gunning it intentionally. If yours does that even faintly now, you might get it checked. Remembering back, mine did it alittle in 1st when the engine was cold. I never sit idle to have noticed that. But I do drive for about 50 feet out of my alleyway in 1st. Better to check now then to have it jerking like crazy and have an emergency mechanic visit.

Thanks everyone for the help....Laura


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