I hown a 92 Honda Accord. It’s a great car which I have no intention of replacing in the near future, but it has one characteristic which I find really, really annoying. When driving in first gear, the car has a tendency to shake and buck violently. With lots of practice, it is possible to avoid this, but it is still quite annoying. When starting from a dead stop, you have to concentrate to avoid either shaking yourself or spinning the tires.
Has anyone else owned one of these and notices this same quirk?
(And before y’all try to blame my driving technique, I’ve driven other stick shifts too, including one on a 98 Honda, with no sign of the effect)
I’m guessing that you have a broken motor mount, which would allow the engine to move around.
Another possibility, if it only happens while you’re engaging the clutch, is some kind of contaminant on the clutch surface, probably engine oil…
Some cars are likelier to do it than others. I think the more powerful the engine relative to the weight of the car, the more it will buck. My weak ass Celica did not, but my parents’ Saab and Volkswagon would. My stepdad’s 3000GT did, but my aunt’s and girfriend’s Camrys would not. I think the key is, as soon as you get the car moving at 5-10 mph, just shift into second (if you’re on a flat surface). I don’t think it will kill your car at all.