When the car is cold, say first thing in the morning, I can reverse down the driveway just fine, but then trying to find first gear is quite hard, and it just dosent want to let me into it. shifting out of 1st gear will ocasionaly cause a slight grind (with the clutch all the way to the floor of course). Shifting into 2 - 5 are all normal and easy to work through. Anyone have any ideas what might be goin on here? Thanks a bunch.

DG
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1998 S70 T5M

DG-most ANYTHING that is "cold" or not juiced up is hard to get in and out of!!!
Do ya get the picture?? If not, just go back to your early dating days!!!!!!

HAHAHA!

This is new this year though, and I've heard horror stories about this kind of stuff so I was just wondering.

DG
--
1998 S70 T5M

There is a service campaign for hard to shift clutch:

TSB 4410006 Campaign - Decrease In Clutch Efficiency

Description is:

Campaign No. 92 Clutch control cylinder

Background:

Some vehicles may experience a decrease in clutch efficiency, which could result in difficulty when changing gears. To prevent this condition, a coupling on the clutch control cylinder will be secured.

"Campaign" means fixed for free if you complain to the dealer
(in U.S.).

There is also this one for an updated clutch pedal spring to
provide smoother engagement (not a campaign, so you pay for
the parts).

TSB 4410004 Clutch Pedal - Revised Auxiliary Spring

This info is from alldatadiy.com. I have a subscription ($25/year) and
have found it worth it for my 98 T5M. They have the full TSB text but it is
copyrighted info. A dealer can also print the TSBs. I'll add that I have
not done either of these on my car.

Thanks Ray,

I already had that spring deal done a while ago when I went through that whole clutch fiasco, now I guess I'll look into this. It seems like it should happen in all gears though doesn't it? The problems with first gear can occur either at a complete stop or a rolling start.

DG
--
1998 S70 T5M

Yeah, I agree that it should be in every gear.
Put the TSB does not really say.

When you say "cold" how cold is cold? I've noticed mine
is just a bit difficult to engage in 1st when cold but
where I live 40 degrees is considered cold.

Is it easier to get to first if you first put it in second?

I live in the chicagoland area, so cold here around 20-25, It really hasn't been colder than that, but in the coming week its supposed to get really cold so we'll see if that effects it anymore than it already has. I havent really tried going from r to 2 to 1. I'll give it a shot. I dunno if it will work though, because even after driving about 2 miles, and then coming to a stop with downshifting, 4-3-2-1, getting into first is still tricky. It dosen't seem happy until the engine has reached operating temp, then its fine for the rest of the day no matter what. Its really a low priority on my list right now because I have an exhaust system problem somewhere, and regular maintence to deal with right now. As long as I'm not hurthing everything and work with it till it's warm, I imagine no harm done. I was worried at first becuase I know someone with a mustang who couldn't get into first at all and had to have it towed. Ended up being some expensive bearing in the transmission but sorry to say I dont remeber what it was called.

Again, thanks for your input, and if yours is a little hard too, then maybe its normal. BTW, hows your clutch doing? I know you mentioned a while back you have the same symptoms I had.

DG
--
1998 S70 T5M

I mentiond the go to 2nd gear since I recall some older transmissions
had a 1st gear lockout "gate" that made it hard to pick first unless
you initially put it in 2nd. I suppose the problem of people throwing
the car into 1st at 60MPH was not as serious as they thought.

My clutch still screeches occasionally on starts. But not every time.
I suppose my left leg has "muscle memory" now in how to let it
out without the screech. I now have 58K miles on it (much of that
is highway).

I guess if it ever completly freezes you out of 1st you could always
start in 2nd.