Hi guys,
I have a Honda Civic Aerodeck (European version), and I have been having a problem with the clutch for some time, specifically for putting into gear when the engine is cold. When the car sits overnight and I start it in the morning, I can't put any gears. While the car is stopped, I can occasionally shift into third and fourth while the car is stopped, but the gear change is quite stiff and I can't shift into first, second, fifth, or reverse. What I usually do is turn off the engine, shift into first gear, and then turn on the engine and start driving. A few meters after I start driving, the gearbox is perfect, and I can shift all the gears perfectly and smoothly. When the engine is warm, the gearbox works very well and all the gears engage effortlessly. This situation only happens the first time you start the car in the day, the rest of the day it's all good. The clutch fluid was changed a few months ago at Honda with original OEM fluid, and the transmission fluid was changed too with Honda MTF3 2 years ago. I also changed the shift linkage bushing to a polyurethane one year ago.
I think it might be the clutch master cylinder, but I am open to other suggestions.

 

Your problem is likely the clutch disc... a broken dampening spring retaining tab or separated disc contact material. It can also be a pressure plate problem... a broken pressure plate attachment strap could also be the culprit.

 

Thank you for you comment !
I have a question, if the clutch had an isssue, wouldn't I experience other clutch related issues? If the clutch had a problem, something broken inside, for instance, I would probably have a lot of trouble changing gears while driving, which I don't have.
Has i said, the issue only appears the first time you start the car that day. After the first start in that day i dont have any problem with the gearbox.

 

Drain the trans fluid and re fill using Honda MTF fluid.

 

I would almost think you could try bleeding the clutch line and see if there is trapped air pockets in it. Ensure it operating properly by sitting still in neutral, hold the gas steady around 3000 rpm and push in the clutch. Your rpm should drop to idle speed. Note how far down your having to push in the clutch because if it's low to floor when it releases the clutch then air in the line might be the reason for it not working properly or it may need adjustment. Watch - How to adjust a honda hydraulic clutch on YouTube - After bleeding the line and if no bubbles are found, hope that helps.
Also, your clutch doesn't need to work when your driving because you can drive and shift with out using it depending on rpm for the most part. I've had to do it when my clutch cable broke early in the morning on my way to work and was surprised it shifted fine using no clutch to get it home but I never stopped the car from rolling and didn't go into neutral.

 

I could try bleed the clutch line once more and top off the transmission fluid with MTF3.
As I mentioned previously, the clutch fluid was changed, the system was bled, and the clutch pedal bite point was adjusted too when the car was taken to the dealership.
But I'm satisfied with the job they did at the dealership because my clutch works great(except for the starting part) and the pedal adjustment they did is top notch. They put a little bit more "free play" in the pedal and the actual engagement its like in the middle.
I'm currently changing the rear trailing arm bushings, so in a few days I might try bleeding the system and topping off the transmission fluid.

 

I was just suggesting on testing the clutch first to see how well it's performing at which limit of pressure you apply to it. I know if you got the car back from honda after its service with no problems being mentioned, it should be good. Personally I like to double check others work if done on my own car until I'm 100% satisfied. If it seems to be operating properly at a normal range of motion when applying pedal pressure than I would start maybe looking into the shift linkage itself. Maybe something is wrong with it or might even be something internally wrong with your tranny. In the end, hopefully it's something simple and not a costly issue.

 

The fact that the problem only happens when the engine is cold and goes away once everything warms up suggests there could be air in the hydraulic system or a leak in the master or slave cylinder that's causing inconsistent pressure when cold. Since the clutch fluid and transmission fluid were recently changed, that rules out fluid quality or level being the issue. Another possibility is that the clutch is not fully disengaging when cold due to an issue with the slave cylinder or a problem with the clutch itself, like a worn diaphragm spring. You might want to check the hydraulic lines for leaks, particularly around the master and slave cylinders. If the fluid level stays consistent, it’s worth inspecting the master cylinder or slave cylinder seals. If those are fine, the next step would be to take a closer look at the clutch itself—sometimes even slight issues with the clutch disc or pressure plate can cause similar symptoms when cold.