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[Pirvan]

Hi all,

I have a gearbox question and hope you can help me with the symptom on this one.

It appears right when I start the car first time in the day, 1st gear and particularly reverse tends to be quite quite firm, to the point of being quite hard to get into. After a while tho and using the car normally, it gets easier.

We're two that usually use the car and while I rarely feel much of this trouble, my co-driver does so quite frequently.

Anyhoot, does that mean I need to look at the gearbox oil level or something else?

It's an Omega 2.5 V6 2000 with a manual gearbox, obviously. ^^

Any advice and feedback is much appreciated.

[Osprey]

A grown-up will be along soon with a proper answer but my first thought would be a clutch problem. 

If it is dragging a little, ie not disengaging properly, it will tend to stop you from getting into first and reverse easily.  And this will appear worse to another driver that doesn't quite push the clutch all the way to the floor, which might be the case for your co-driver. 

[Lizzie_Zoom]

Yep, that sounds like the clutch is going and will need replacing before you cannot select any gears!

EDIT:  First though check your clutch fluid and ensure it is not an hydraulic problem, with maybe the slave cylinder.  

[Pirvan]

Clutch replaced. Nothing I can do short of that? It doesn't require any maintenance?

And the clutch replacement..is that the same as the whole gearbox or is it a smaller operation or or?

Pardon the cluelessness, but ... yeah, there ya go.

[Lizzie_Zoom]

Clutch replaced. Nothing I can do short of that? It doesn't require any maintenance?

And the clutch replacement..is that the same as the whole gearbox or is it a smaller operation or or?

Pardon the cluelessness, but ... yeah, there ya go.

Sorry I'm confused.  Has your clutch recently been changed?

No, the clutch is separate from the gear box, but the latter has to be disengaged from the engine to gain access to the clutch.

Only maintenance should be just topping up the clutch fluid reservoir (please do not confuse the brake fluid reservior for that)

 

[Pirvan]

hehe, nopes, I have not replaced the clutch. Sorry about the phrasing there.

Btw, could you conceive it being any other cause?

I'll definitely try and top off the clutch fluid and will make sure to put it in the right place too. ^^

and replacing the clutch. How lengthy and costly should I averagely expect that to be? Just a guestimate?

[Lizzie_Zoom]

hehe, nopes, I have not replaced the clutch. Sorry about the phrasing there.

Btw, could you conceive it being any other cause?

I'll definitely try and top off the clutch fluid and will make sure to put it in the right place too. ^^

and replacing the clutch. How lengthy and costly should I averagely expect that to be? Just a guestimate?

Using a good garage the clutch should be in the order of £250 (I think, although I have never had a garage do my Omega's, as they have been auto's!), but prices may have gone up a bit, and at a main Vx dealer; well that is £75 per hour for just labour!!

You could do it yourself but that involves jacking up the whole car and getting underneath, with the use of at least one trolley jack or at least a helper, to lower the gear box

[Marks DTM Calib]

An oil change on the box may help.

Start it in gear with your foot on the clutch, I bet it doesn't do it then

[Osprey]

An oil change on the box may help.

Start it in gear with your foot on the clutch, I bet it doesn't do it then

He he!   

The Book is showing £197+VAT Trade Club (£265+VAT trade) for the parts alone.    Don't know which OEM or aftermarket are good for clutches. 

Are you in the UK Pirvan?  I ask because your miggy is Opel not Vauxhall. 

[Pirvan]

hehe, nopes, I'm not in the UK. I'm Danish but living in Sweden and the car is actually imported from Italy. Yup. Not confusing at all, I hope.

I do have a used car insurance on it, so think I might have a word with them about it.

Prices still give me a fair hint though at what kind of dent to expect, so thanks on that score. Any further input is welcome.

I think what I'll do is try with the oil change for the clutch. Is that hard to do btw? Is there a guide somewhere?

Then I'll see how that goes and if that makes a change and if it deteriorates, I'll see about heading into the clutches of the insurance company. (Pun sadly intended).

Thanks again for all the feedback too.