My 92 dx hatch recently decided to quit working on me and I have no idea what the problem is. I have searched all around and cannot find anything like whats happening. Anyways, when I try to start the car in gear it shakes violently and will not start. I turn the key back one notch and the car continues to try and start until i turn the key all the way back to where it would be when you first put it in. When i start the car in neutral it will start up just fine everytime. But then im unable to put the car in first and reverse and it is pretty difficult to put the car in 2nd through 5th. And after i push the clutch pedal in it will only come back about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way back up unless i pull it up with my foot. I was able to just drive in second gear for about a minute and after that I was able to shift through any gear with only a slight resistance. I asked everyone I knew and nobody had ever heard of a problem like this so i have no idea whats going on. any help would be good, thanks. If it helps at all the motor and trans are stock although the previous owner had a b swap before putting back in a d15b7 to sell the car

 

this is a tricky one to diagnose remotely.

i can however suggest a few things to check.

-clutch fluid level, leaks from the slave cylinder, leaks from the master cylinder (esp. under the dash). inspect all of the hydraulic line for the clutch. if everything seems fine, bleed the system.

-inspect the shift linkage. look for worn, missing or damaged shift brace bushing (on rear of transmission, adjacent to shift rod). check trans fluid level and condition. a real strong grease-like smell could be a sign someone has used gear oil instead of Honda MTF (or 10-W30) which it should have. fluid level plug is located near the passenger inner CV- 17mm or 19mm hex head.

-overall, look for anything broken or out of place. check for broken or loose motor mounts, frame damage/modification.

-it would be good to find a test procedure for the starter circuit/key switch. a service and repair manual should be helpful there. the key switch is a common fail point on a range of Honda models.

 

Your pressure plate could be broken and its not releasing the disk, I think is the clutch

 

^This is where I would suggest that you focus your efforts.

Here's how to test the ignition switch:

 

If the clutch master and/or slave cylinders are leaking fluid, and the clutch cannot be properly disengaged while trying to start the car, then this means that if the transmission is in gear you're trying to start the car as if not pressing the clutch at all - it's hard to start an engine that is also trying to literally move the car while in gear.

This can also explain why you have no trouble getting the shifter in different gears while the engine is off - the transmission isn't spinning.

Visually check the clutch fluid reservoir and see if it's low or even empty - it's the small reservoir in the corner of the engine bay in the top right corner (driver's side of vehicle) if you are standing in front of the vehicle looking at the engine. If it's empty, fill it up with DOT 3 brake fluid, pump the clutch pedal, and see if you get a better clutch pedal feel/return.

Visually check the clutch master and slave cylinders for leaks, and if they are leaking replace them, bleed the clutch system, and see if the problem persists.

Clutch master cylinder is located inside the car, under the dash, at the top of the clutch pedal assembly.

Part number 46920-SR3-A01 - BUY THE ADLER VERSION AND NOTHING ELSE!

Clutch Slave cylinder is located on the front of the transmission, and will have a hydraulic line going to it - sometimes you have to pull back the black accordion looking boot to see fluid leakages.

Part number 46930-SR3-013 - BUY THE ADLER VERSION AND NOTHING ELSE

You can Google those part numbers and add "adler" and find numerous different places to buy the parts if you need them.

 

Thanks to everyone for the help. I'll start workin on this hopefully this weekend and post updates if anything changes

 

I've been out of town and finally got a chance to work on this, I just bled the clutch and everything is good now

 

sounds like the clutch is trying to grab while you start in gear. something is definitely up along that line....