... and there's a strong scent of transmission fluid in the interior. I'm not really sure what it could be and haven't looked at it yet, so before I dive in I was wondering if anyone had some tips on where I should look for a problem?

Also, I noticed sometimes the car bogs down a bit when I switch into second and/or third - what could be causing this?

Thanks for any help!

 

BUMP!

 

Manual transmission, right?

Not transmission fluid, probably is leaking brake fluid from the clutch master cylinder.

The clutch master cylinder shaft seal that goes through the firewall can develop leaks. When the leak is bad enough you will not be able to shift because you won't be able to engage the clutch at all.

Inspect the firewall by the clutch pedal. It will be obvious to you that this is the problem because you will see fluid dripping from there.

 

So I just went outside to check it, and sure enough it was pretty wet/drippy right at the top of the clutch pedal. Even though it wasn't significantly leaking (from my perspective, it might be in a mechanics' eyes), could it still be a problem? How do I go about repairing it properly to see if the scent goes away?

Thanks for the response, btw!

 

This stands true as long as you don't have any in cabin openings that provide ventilation from the engine bay to the cabin. But I would suggest you do as stated above before you think anything drastic.