My 2004 Toyota Camry was stolen and I recovered it but looks like they didn't know how to drive a manual transmission vehicle. The clutch feels normal but I have to rev it up to 3000 rpm to get it moving in 1st gear. Shifting into any gear I have to get past a little bump for it to shift. Could this be a worn-out clutch? Also when parked and with the engine running, I can't shift it into 3rd, 4th, or 5th gear. The car ran perfectly fine before it was stolen. Currently sitting at 178,570 miles. Thank you for any help or pointers! Love your car videos!
Seeing as it's a manual, you're not going to have a transmission oil dipstick in the engine bay. You may well have a drain and fill plug on th transmission itself, the video below may help. As for what to look for, excessive metal shavings or particles, the fluid smelling or looking burnt.
The main point is that you have to have some credible assessment of the condition of the transmission, and whether it is economically viable to keep using it. That requires some data.
I can imagine a pair of seventeen-year-old kids thinking that they were going to take this Camry for a joyride. Almost no one teaches manual and teenagers are terrible drivers anyway. It's a shame.
Where's your insurance company? Call the adjuster? There's post-theft damage. You should file a claim. However, given it's age and mileage, they'll total the vehicle.
If not going that route, take a sample of the Dexron 6 or whatever fluid is in there. The condition of the fluid should be revealing as to the damage. You could drain and fill, get rid of the metal, and see what kind of shifting/driving condition remains.
Good luck.
I can imagine it was because they left it parked blocking a driveway 10 minutes away from my house. Thankfully they didn't know any better to steal any parts. We filed a claim and everything but I don't know if they'll be able to get anything off of just fingerprints.
Where in the car should I check for Dexron 6? What condition should I look for when assessing the fluid that comes out? Don't know much about cars but this is my first car and I've been wanting to get to know as much about it as possible. Before the damage, it drove so smoothly and it's just an amazing car to have fun in with that manual transmission!