This morning I started up my 99 OBW (67K miles) and everything was fine for about a half mile. Stopped at a stop sign, shifted down to first gear and started to pull away and the car then did not want to accelerate. With the clutch in, the engine sounded normal with the clutch out the car felt like something was holding it back and there was a groaning noise from underneath. Is the infamous "torque bind" i read about? Since the parking brake relaesed and I had driven about a half mile I have ruled out a stuck parking brake. Also the clutch and brakes were replaced about 9 months ago so I do not think it is either of those. Any ideas.

details about exactly what the car is doing are very important, particularly when we can't look at the car ourselves:

 

hopefully when they did the clutch job they also replaced the pilot bearing, throw out bearing, and retaining clips. neglecting any of those is a bad idea.

 

you didn't mention how it drives?

is it still running and driving fine?

 

"car did not want to accelerate" could mean one of two things:

1. engine revved up but car didn't accelerate properly.

2. engine did not rev up at all and didn't accelerate properly.

 

which of those two is it?

 

check your gear oil in the transmission.

any busted inner CV joints?

do all of your tires match, rotated and aired up properly?

Did the clutch job myself. New throwout bearing, pilot bearing, clips and resurfacd the flywheel. New oil in the trans at the same time. The engine does not rev like it would with the clutch slipping. Basically it feels like the car is pulling a very heavy weight. Tires are all the same and pressure is good. Temp this morning was in the mid 20'sF.

check engine light?

how old are the plugs and wires?

 

can you describe noises it's making? like where they're coming from what they sound/feel like?

 

you feel confident it's a trans issue and not an engine issue?

a lot of people i run across say things like "i think it's my fuel pump or trans"...and they're usually wrong. sounds like you know what you're doing though if you did your own clutch job.

Hrmmmm

 

Do you by chance have a underinlafted/flat tire?

 

Do you have a hill holder?

 

How is your brake pedal?

 

TB is very pronounced in curves and turns, not so much striaght ahead.

 

How old is the timing belt? The interval is 106 months OR 106,000 miles. I wonder if it jumped a tooth.

 

 

nipper

Low temps and high humidity/snow/etc?

 

How about sticking brakes? Even though the parking brake released, did it or another one stick after stopping?

 

Is it still doing it? Or did it eventually go away after driving it awhile?

 

 

Yeah, Mr. Nipper said it 1st, (edit) the torque bind is usually felt in turns - the rear wheels act like their being dragged along, like driving a 4WD (not AWD) vehicle on dry pavement....and more of an AT tranny issue.

Edited December 8, 200817 yr by wtdash
nipper got to TB b4 me!