Some knowledge needed

[viperdan]

Before anyone asks why I'm not asking this on the Corvette Forum I'll answer with there are way too many jerks there!

So my issue is this, I last drove my 2013 Vette in early November but start it up about every two weeks and let it run in the driveway, FYI the car has less than 1500 miles. Yesterday I went to do the same and after starting the car I went to put it into gear and move it onto the driveway but it wouldn't go into gear. I shut it off and it went through the gears fine, then restarted it and again it wouldn't go into gear. The pedal is all there so I'm wondering if the disc is "frozen" to the plate? For what it's worth I leave the car in reverse when parked. My garage is not heated but it never gets below 40 and now it's around 45. Any thoughts as to the what it could be? Thanks in advance.

[Steve M]

Would it just not go into first gear, or any gear?

Does it have a separate clutch fluid reservoir, or does it share it with the brake master cylinder reservoir like some of the other newer model cars? If it is separate, see how the fluid looks.

It does sound like the clutch isn't fully disengaging, but if it's like most other OEM clutch systems, they are self adjusting, so there really wouldn't be much you could do about it short of pulling the driveline to have a look around.

[viperdan]

Would it just not go into first gear, or any gear?

Does it have a separate clutch fluid reservoir, or does it share it with the brake master cylinder reservoir like some of the other newer model cars? If it is separate, see how the fluid looks.

It does sound like the clutch isn't fully disengaging, but if it's like most other OEM clutch systems, they are self adjusting, so there really wouldn't be much you could do about it short of pulling the driveline to have a look around.

It won't go into any gear while running Steve but it goes through every gear fine when off. The pedal feels perfectly normal, I am not sure if it has a separate reservoir or not although my guess is it does.

My wonder is if somehow (maybe condensation) the disc fused to the plate if that's possible. The car has never been abused and worked perfectly 10 days ago.

[viperdan]

I am not sure it is exactly the same issue but my C6 behaves similarly. I have found there is some correlation with a low/drained battery. It seems to go away after a brief period of trying to get it into gear. I assumed there is something wrong with the button (i.e. not releasing the lock). I was going to take it in but it went away completely when I put a new battery in so I haven't worried about it.

Interesting. My car rolls right over so I'm not sure it's battery related but who knows! I can't do anything about it for we are getting hit with a blizzard but unless someone tells me differently I plan to roll the car out onto the driveway and let it warm up, maybe it will free itself up.

[Steve M]

If you can get it in gear when it is off, can you just leave it in gear while you start it? I'd probably make sure it was in reverse and the garage door open first, but I'd be curious to see if it would at least let you roll it a few feet to see if you can then get it into other gears...

[viperdan]

If you can get it in gear when it is off, can you just leave it in gear while you start it? I'd probably make sure it was in reverse and the garage door open first, but I'd be curious to see if it would at least let you roll it a few feet to see if you can then get it into other gears...

Well as you know it is not supposed to start in gear but seeing how you asked I did push the start button yesterday with the car in first and my foot off the clutch and it tried to start, which it shouldn't have! I didn't want to mess with it too much and make it worse so I figured I'd get some opinions and call Chevy today, either way it won't leave the garage until spring to be fixed.

[AZTVR]

after starting the car I went to put it into gear and move it onto the driveway but it wouldn't go into gear. I shut it off and it went through the gears fine, then restarted it and again it wouldn't go into gear. The pedal is all there so I'm wondering if the disc is "frozen" to the plate? For what it's worth I leave the car in reverse when parked.

I may be comprehension challenged; but, after reading the thread so far, I still have a question. Exactly how do you start the car? It sounds like you shift the transmission from reverse to neutral, and then depress the clutch pedal, and then start the engine. Then you shift from neutral to reverse? 1st? When you say "it does not go into gear" Do you mean that you can not move the shift lever, or you move the shift lever and it goes to the normal position but, when you let out the clutch, the car does not move?

If you left it in reverse and the disc was frozen to the plate, I would have expected that you would be stuck in reverse, not neutral/disengaged. It sounds more like you are not moving the throwout bearing; but, if the pedal feels normal, that doesn't seem possible.

It sure does seem worth asking on the Corvette forum and ignoring the jerks.

[viperdan]

I may be comprehension challenged; but, after reading the thread so far, I still have a question. Exactly how do you start the car? It sounds like you shift the transmission from reverse to neutral, and then depress the clutch pedal, and then start the engine. Then you shift from neutral to reverse? 1st? When you say "it does not go into gear" Do you mean that you can not move the shift lever, or you move the shift lever and it goes to the normal position but, when you let out the clutch, the car does not move?

If you left it in reverse and the disc was frozen to the plate, I would have expected that you would be stuck in reverse, not neutral/disengaged. It sounds more like you are not moving the throwout bearing; but, if the pedal feels normal, that doesn't seem possible.

It sure does seem worth asking on the Corvette forum and ignoring the jerks.

When I back the car into my garage I always leave it in reverse, when I start the car I depress the clutch, remove the car from gear and push the start button, once it fires I remove my foot from the clutch as the car is in nuetral. At this point I depress and attempt to put it into first gear which it WILL NOT allow me to do nor can I place the car in any gear while it's running. When I shut the car off I can go through all the gears with the clutch in w/out any problems. Yes the pedal feels totally normal, I spoke to Chevy and they are checking to see if there is a bulletin on this type of occurence.

[Coloviper]

Dan;

Sounds like an electronic lockout switch is stuck in the engaged position which is why it only happens when the car is powered on. That or the vette saw a new 2014 GEN V on the last drive and is scared to come out of the garage now.

[viperdan]

Dan;

Sounds like an electronic lockout switch is stuck in the engaged position which is why it only happens when the car is powered on. That or the vette saw a new 2014 GEN V on the last drive and is scared to come out of the garage now.

LOL! If it saw a Gen V it would totally play dead! You may be correct, I thought that too when it tried to start w/out the clutch depressed.

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

I am thinking it has to do with the anti-reverse lockout-switch.......The thingy that keeps us from hitting reverse accidentally.

Perhaps I missed it, but can you NOT start the car, Clutch depressed of course, in the gear you want? [ R or 1 ] It would also NOT surprise me if a low-battery was a culprit.....do you use a Batttery Tender? I will guess NOT.

[AZTVR]

I would also wonder what happens when you select first gear, depress clutch, start the engine, and then let out clutch. If you haven't done that, I would try it, and then try shifting to another gear. Does Corvette use a Microsoft operating system in their computers? LOL ! Actually, what I am getting at is that maybe the computer has gotten "confused", whether it was low battery or whatever. Sometimes, software "fixes" itself when you bypass the specific action that wasn't working, and then come back to it.

It is somewhat unusual (to me) to both depress the clutch AND put the trans in neutral to start a manual trans car. I have never done it that way; not that it has anything to do with your issue.

[viperdan]

Thanks guys for taking interest in my dilemma and the "enemy" product...lol. All fixed, the GM Corvette Tech from my dealer simply said to try and "exercise" the clutch 10-20 times while the car is running, I did so and the car went into gear no problem. I will put my tender on the car just to keep it fully juiced. Thanks again fellas...Dan

[AZTVR]

Well, that doesn't sound like a system that is operating like it should be on a like new car! It also sounds like the tech has encountered the issue before. Did he say anything about a permanent fix?

[LATAMUD]

From your description, engine off you can cycle the shifter through all gears. Once running, you can slide right to left but can't push the shifter into any forward not reverse positions. First thing that comes to mind, clutch isn't getting fully engaged by the slave.

I've had a similar issue with my clutch on the Viper. Both cars (Viper/Corvette) have almost identical clutch slave and masters. I too have resorted to "excercising" the clutch 10-20 times while running. I always figured the fluid had boiled and caused a little air to build inside the slave. Maybe not noticeable at the clutch pedal but enough to not give a full release of the pressure plate. The excercising is similar to building pressure in a brake system when bleeding. Having the engine run heats everything up, expansion etc.

Check under the car for hydraulic fluid, possible the slave has a slow leak. Over years of the seal inside the slave heating and cooling, expand/contract etc it eventually wears and allows fluid to pass through. Might be able to get away with just bleeding it. Just realized its a 2013, I'm still thinking bleeding the clutch will be a good start and a cheap DIY job.

[viperdan]

Well, that doesn't sound like a system that is operating like it should be on a like new car! It also sounds like the tech has encountered the issue before. Did he say anything about a permanent fix?

I didn't actually speak to the tech, it was via the service manager. I did what they suggested when I got home after they were long gone but I plan to follow up with them tomorrow to ask the same question. I'll let you know the outcome.

[Policy Limits]

Wonder if its a GM thing; my H2 Hummer did this. Ran just fine in park but wouldn't allow me to select any gear. Dealer blamed a broken ground. Fixed it, it happened again. Frustrating as it isn't easy to tow 9,000 lbs. after it happened a 2nd time I got rid of it. Although warranty covered it, it was too much of an inconvenience and the dealer wouldn't provide a loaner so I had to rent one at my expense. Bye bye Hummer.

My C6 corvette had issues too, that were also blamed on bad grounds like battery dying. After these two encounters I have not nor do I intend to purchase another GM.

Hope your experience is better than mine