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My 2006 CDI with 190,000km has started having shifting problems. Im going to run through my diagnosis in order to hopefully help others that develop this problem. Problem: Car was shifting fine, then it was making a creaking noise with shifting(lubricated it), then it was intermittently failing to downshift followed by 3 bars (temporary solution, switch the car to neutral, turn off and restart the car), Now the car is failing to shift gears about 50% of the time, and when the car is stopped in first gear it makes a strange vibration(no clutch drag). I drive on a lot of dusty gravel roads, very dry environment. Common problems are clutch actuator wiring, clutch actuator issue, or clutch fork wear, where the actuator rod pushes on the fork. As of right now, a new actuator is $450 cad shipped, new fork is $85. Diagnosis: Ill drive the back of the car onto ramps, get under the car and see if the clutch actuator has slipped(unlikely), then I will put penetrating oil on the 3 clutch actuator bolts. Ill unplug the electronic plug for the actuator and check the wires for fraying. Then I will mark the position of the actuator on the car with permanent marker. I will hit the head of the '3 actuator bolts' hard with a hammer a few times, then take my propane torch to try and heat the areas the bolts thread into. Ill gently try to remove the bolts and not snap them, if they don't come out, ill re apply penetrating oil and repeat the hammer and heat process until they do come out. Once the actuator is off, ill examine the actuator rod for signs of wear(if the rod has punched through the fork). Ill take a pic on my phone of the fork through the hole and see if the fork is in ok condition. That will tell me what my problem is (im going to guess wiring fray due to bumpy roads, clutch actuator sluggishness due to lots of dust getting in, or lots of clutch fork wear). I will give the actuator a good cleaning and regreasing (if this fails ill order a new actuator) If the rod has worn a hole in the fork I will try to weld a washer on the actuator rod to increase contact patch between the rod and the fork. Ill update this post until the problem is fixed.

Hello I'm new here I've just acquired a 2005 fortwo diesel soft top in frightening lime green and grey, Cool little vehicle. My father acquired it from a neighbour, it had sat for a while...he let it sit for another while ( year or two)did some minor repairs, (he's a mechanical engineer and very capable) drove it for a bit but grew frustrated with it's particulars. He prefers his older toyota as it's more his thing. So I drove it for the first time yesterday. It is different but seems to work and is pretty neat actually. I'm happy with any vehicle that goes and stops . good mileage is a bonus too. Yesterday I fit 6 full size guitar cases and a space echo in it for a brief move..pretty impressive...I wouldn't do it on a regular basis though. i have a few questions: -It seems to require a bit of a lead foot on the throttle. meaning it needs to be depressed a fair ways before it starts moving. I've had and ,repaired and maintained a bunch of older mercedes diesel 300Ds etc. I like diesels alot and realize they often aren't as zippy. I don't care about zip, I was wondering if this was normal for this vehicle or is there something amiss. - It seems a pretty loud on the drivers side rear - I know diesels are usually louder with the diesel 'purr'. I like the sound of them, but this seems a bit too loud. Are these considered to be loudish. basically, should I be looking for a problem or not worry? - Mostly it's been good to drive, maybe a little less than smooth but am getting use to it's shifting system. I'm good with manual or auto so a new system isn't a big deal. The 3rd time I drove it though I experienced a loss of power briefly. leaving a stop sign I tried to accelerate but almost nothing happened even when I had the pedal to the floor, this continued through 2nd gear but didn't happen again (i was taking my girlfriend for a short drive...we were enjoying the enclosed scooter/go-cart feel of the car.) - Also should the radio be displaying "safe' prior to entering the code? - The engine light is on. Any ideas? Thanks