2009 Fit standard transmission. 85k miles. Original owner. Original clutch and cylinders. We are always careful not to drive with left foot resting on clutch pedal. On vacation in mountains of New Mexico. Two days ago, 12 mile paved climb. Driving conservatively (moderate RPMs, 25-30 mph, second and third gear mostly). Near top had trouble shifting, couldn't get into first, second or third gear. Rested car for 4 hours. Drove home (mostly downhill/flat) perfectly. Yesterday, attempted drive up dirt road canyon. 5 miles uphill, mostly 1st gear, 10 mph. Stopped for a quick break. Could not shift at all. Waited 10 minutes, was able to (barely) shift, turn around, and drive downhill out. Clutch pedal bottoming out. Rested car at bottom. Barely able to shift. Had to drive 5 mile paved climb up to town. Made it, but couldn't shift into any gears at top until after another rest. Took to local repair shop. They inspected it after it had completely cooled down, adjusted/tightened the clutch, topped off the fluid (it was just a little low), and told me they couldn't find anything else wrong. Facing a 600 mile drive home in 4 days (mostly downhill/flat).

I know the 2009 Fit isn't a beast of a car, but it should be able to go up long hills at a conservative pace with only two people in it. Something isn't right, probably with my clutch. Could simply tightening the clutch actually fix this?

What about master/slave cylinders? Mechanic said there were no leaks, and only that the fluid was a little low.

 

Tried searchin google for "can't shift up hill" and got nothing. fluid issues in an automatic could cause slipping which could affect up hill driving, but that's not a thing for manuals to the best of my knowledge.

This link shows how clutches are adjusted. I don't recall ours needing adjustment.. I'll hafta look into that.
Your car shifts perfectly fine, like a new car when not going up hill?

 

Well, I climbed Pikes Peak with my manual transmission Fit back in 2011.

Not sure how that drive compares to NM, but I would think it give a good idea of what the Fit can do, when in good condition.

I'm not a mechanic, but to me, it sounds like something overheated.

"We are always careful not to drive with left foot resting on clutch pedal" isn't the same as telling how you actually shift. And perhaps there were times you were actively pressing/holding the clutch for prolonged periods of time, not merely resting your foot.

 

Yes - my car shifts fine the rest of the time, including going up modest hills. It was these two very long climbs that caused a change. In both cases it wasn't just that I couldn't shift while going uphill, it's that I couldn't shift while motionless on the side of the road, until the car rested.

Thank you

 

Goobers - I agree, the car should be able to do this. I think my wife and I shift pretty normally, at the right RPMs and without pressing the clutch for prolonged periods of time. Something could still have overheated because of the load, but this car works pretty hard at 75 mph (with two bikes on the roof), and that's what we'll be doing for 600 miles to head home in a few days. Hence my concern.

What I don't understand is this: the clutch was very loose (for months/years we've had to press it close to the floor to shift). Could that have caused the problem or contributed to some overheating? The local mechanic adjusted the clutch so it engages much earlier in the pedal stroke and he thought that would help, but it wasn't a conclusive diagnosis (to say the least).

Thank you and happy holidays all.

 

From everything I've been reading it sounds like when your clutch fluid is low, your clutch (or more specifically your pressure plate) is wearing out. Mine was a little low too, and dirty. I often feel 1st 'snapping' in and out of gear when I shift. I pump the pedal a few times and it gets better. But I'm still worried.

 

Here's an on how clutches work n such.

REVISED: I think that your clutch is worn down. and by lowering the pedal as your mechanic did, you reduced your clutch's ability engage fully (this suggests some slipping). When going up a steep hill, I suspect that the clutch slips under the increased load and the friction material overheats, resulting in binding. I would try raising the pedal back up a little in hopes that it would get you home.
.. the fluid is just a bath for the gears in a manual (yeah, oversimplified, I suppose maybe lack of fluid could lead to synchros binding?). If the pedal adjustment doesn't do the trick for you, and your fluid level is fine, it's likely that you have an issue with your clutch, throw out bearing, transmission (which would shock me).

I mean. Here's an article covering synchros.. symptoms n such. and i'll hop on my laptop and upload clutch pedal height adjustment
Oh and I want to hear the solution to this thing 😂 been scratching my head

 

Sounds like a clutch hydraulics issue to me.

Clutch release (slave and master cylinders) use brake fluid, which absorbs water over time reducing the boiling point. I'd try flushing the clutch fluid before I do anything else.

If the issue persists, it's most likely a worn master or slave cylinder.

I can't think of anything with the actual clutch that would be temperature affected like that, unless it's actively slipping, which would have other symptoms.

 

Can't shift, as in it won't go into gear? Won't come out of gear? Both? What happens if you start the car with the shifter already in first gear?

The clutch can wear out in a few different ways. If the friction material wears too thin, it will slip. But the absorption springs can wear out too, or the stamped steel holding them in place. Then the springs are free to move around (perhaps against the flywheel), locking the friction plate against the flywheel. Then, even with the clutch pedal pushed in and the pressure plate released, the transmission isn't fully disengaged from the engine. Photos below from my old clutch - though I didn't yet have the issue I described above.

No idea if that's what's happening in your case or not, but something to consider.

 

Thanks for everyone's input .To be clear, the mechanic in NM raised the clutch. We didn't drive any hard hills, but had no problems whatsoever in our 600 mile drive home. The are no big climbs here in central Texas, so I doubt we'll see the problem resurface. Thanks again!

 

i used to have this problem as well but went away