Hard to go 1st or Reverse from idle

[psycholx]

Anyone experience with transmission hard to go into gear ? My Shelby is extremely difficult to go into first and reverse (at start up or after idling in neutral). The only way I can get them to go into gear is to engage a high gear and go back to 1st or reverse. The clutch is not releasing, if i sit with the clutch depressed for a minute, it will slip into those gears. I have had experience in older mustangs and all I had to do was adjust the clutch cable, as you all know, no cable on the Shelby. Do I need to flush the brake fluid and try to bleed the hydraulic clutch or is my clutch master going out. Any thoughts and experiences.

 

[RedZR]

Throw many miles does your car have ?

 

[psycholx]

Throw many miles does your car have ?

31000

 

[ShelbyGT5HUN]

Normal

 

[RedZR]

Did it just start this? It does not sound normal based on my 2008 bith before and after the new clutch

 

[psycholx]

For what I am told, it has been doing this about a month. My son had it away in college. There is no slipping of the clutch at all, so I don't believe the clutch is failing.

 

[1st usa car]

you should ask your son what he has been doing w/ your car -- and next time give it to him in valet mode.

 

[psycholx]

you should ask your son what he has been doing w/ your car -- and next time give it to him in valet mode.

It was in valet mode when I left him. His mom did a visit and somehow he got the master key. He got me...

 

[1st usa car]

It was in valet mode when I left him. His mom did a visit and somehow he got the master key. He got me...

yeah - i dont trust anyone to drive it -- even if i was in the passenger seat... The car is in one piece = victory for u

 

[RedVenom48]

Sounds like the clutch is on its way out. i literally just swapped to a mcleod rxt and its criminal how poorly the OEM clutch performed. i had issues shifting 1-2 and had no idea it was clutch related. shifting feels 100000000× better.

I had 31500 on the stock clutch.

 

[HillbillyHotRod]

OT question. How does one put the car into valet mode? Or is that something only on the newer models.

 

[Snoopy49]

OT question. How does one put the car into valet mode? Or is that something only on the newer models.

2011-up

 

[Papaw]

Valet mode in an '07 - '10 car can be accomplished by screwing a 2X4 to the floor directly under the gas pedal.

'Seems to me a true hillbilly would already know that.

 

[ShelbyGT5HUN]

Well....when I said normal I guess I should have said, "normal if you are using the stock shifter." I had the same issues. I couldn't get 1st or reverse. I would start to sweat at red lights, hoping to get it into first. It really felt like a bad master/slave cylinder(s). I would have to put it into 4th, then into reverse, when stopped, if I needed reverse. Same at red lights. I would have to engage a higher gear, then grab first. All that changed when I swapped to the MGW and Amsoil ATF.

 

[psycholx]

9
I already have the mgw, guess Amsoil is the next try.

 

[psycholx]

Where can i get amsoil short of ordering it online?

 

[vipboy28]

I have to disagree. This issue is very normal. I have had my car (2010 GT500) since 2012. I had this issue and still do. If you go 1st to reverse that will not grind. Idle to Reverse Grinds 90% of the time. Getting into first is tough but as the fluids warm up it gets easier but not as smooth as gears 2-6.

I had Fette Ford in Clifton, NJ check it out. Had the service manager involved and wrote to HQ about this issue. I was told simply that when the car is idle. There is spinning happening at a fast rate in Neutral than 1st or 2nd gear. The recommended solution is to 1st to reverse shift the car.

FYI - There is a TSB for it and you can always do a fluid swap. Some people have gone to different fluids BUT most say a MGW shifter is the best solution.

I do hard pulls on my car and my clutch does not slip at all. I have 42k miles on my car and when i got it, it only had 16k miles on it.

 

[psycholx]

Update, well still doing it. Going to cough it up to normal. I already have the MGW (the best, my opinion) and just changed the ATF to AMSOIL. Drove it for a couple days, still the same, I don't feel a big difference with the AMSOIL.. So, guess I will just have to continue to put in high gear then back to 1st or Reverse when needed. Thanks for all the replies.

 

[RLB01]

Have an 07 with MGW & Amsoil and experience the same issue.
I just live with it.

 

[1st usa car]

not a problem w/ my 2011. I use to have serious problems with 1-2 shifts but the new setup took care of that ---- Only issue I get sometimes is high speed shifts from 4-5.