Car goes into gear, but doesn’t move.
Car will not move in forward or reverse. It has been parked for about six months.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
The first thing I would do is be sure the parking brake is released. As long as the parking brake is released and this issue still occurs there may be a major issue with the transmission on this vehicle. Be sure that the transmission fluid level is full as this could also cause this issue.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
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If when you put your vehicle into gear and it won`t move, this may be a problem with low transmission fluid due to a leak, the shifter, shifter cable, or it could even be a problem in the valve body of your automatic transmission.
The most common reason your BMW won`t shift gear is that the transmission fluid level is lower than recommended. Even if you add transmission fluid regularly, the low fluid level could be caused by a leak.
Typically, manual transmissions that won`t engage in reverse have an issue with a damaged gear or the shift lockout ring. why won`t my car move when I put it in drive or reverse? Being unable to engage any drive gear could be due to leaking fluid, broken parts, or a problem with a shift cable.
If you start to hear whining, humming, or clunking noises under your BMW, it could be a sign of transmission trouble. These noises could stem from the fact that the transmission fluid is breaking down.
Turn off your vehicle`s ignition and wait patiently for 5 to 10 seconds. Start the engine and allow it to idle for several seconds. Switch off the ignition and wait patiently for another 30 to 40 seconds. Repeat these steps 2 to 3 times in order to reset your vehicle`s transmission control module.
Misadjusted, damaged or stretched shift linkage or cables can keep an AT from going into gear when moving the shifter. Check your owner`s manual, because some vehicles have shift cables that are adjustable. Adjusting a cable is a one-time fix you can make before taking your car in for service.
Worn Transmission Fluid (Automatic Transmission)
Over time, the transmission fluid gathers dirt and grime. This can cause the engine to run roughly, stall or fail to accelerate when you press down on the gas pedal. You may need to have a transmission fluid change before more damage is done.
Transmission Issues
Transmission is most likely to be the culprit for the car wont move in drive but will in reverse issue. When the vehicle does not function in one or more gears, you should check the gear shifter. The gear cable could be stretched further than the normal length and will need adjustment.
Grinding, Jerking, or Shaking
Shaking and jerking are good indicators of transmission trouble. Gear grinding is a common symptom in manual transmission vehicles. Automatic transmission failure often begins with some hesitation during gears shifting. Some might describe this a “slipping,” as well.
Shift Solenoid Repair and Replacement Cost
The overall cost to replace the shift solenoid in an automatic transmission ranges from $200 to $500 for a single solenoid. If the damage requires you to replace the entire solenoid pack the cost increases to between $250 and $700.
But a blown fuse No. 38 becomes a likely candidate causing a loss of power to the transmission solenoids.
The average cost for a BMW 525i Variable Valve Timing Control Solenoid Replacement is between $427 and $908. Labor costs are estimated between $22 and $28 while parts are priced between $405 and $880.
If your BMW needs transmission repair, the good news is at least you don`t need transmission replacement. The bad news is it`s still costly. Repair costs vary widely, too, due to a number of factors: style of your car, extent of damage, manual vs. automatic transmission, dealership vs.
What does transmission fault mean on BMW? The transmission fault warning is a warning light that may pop up on your BMW when your vehicle is detecting a possible problem with the transmission. This warning seems to occur more often on vehicles with automatic transmissions rather than manual transmissions.
Maintain Proper Transmission Fluid Levels
The #1 cause of transmission failure is low fluid, which causes overheating. In automatic transmissions, it causes delayed engagement, harsh shifts, and slippage.
Clunking, humming or whining sounds are signs of automatic transmission problems. Faulty manual transmissions will also give off loud machinelike sounds that seem to come out of nowhere. A clunking noise when you shift gears is a telltale transmission situation. Have a mechanic look it over.
Unresponsive gears may indicate a problem with your transmission`s fluids or with the computer system. Having the system reset may solve the problem without further maintenance. This can be done by detaching the battery and letting it sit for about a half an hour before reconnecting it.
Misadjusted, damaged or stretched shift linkage or cables can keep an AT from going into gear when moving the shifter. Check your owner`s manual, because some vehicles have shift cables that are adjustable. Adjusting a cable is a one-time fix you can make before taking your car in for service.
Unresponsive gears may indicate a problem with your transmission`s fluids or with the computer system. Having the system reset may solve the problem without further maintenance. This can be done by detaching the battery and letting it sit for about a half an hour before reconnecting it.
Misadjusted, damaged or stretched shift linkage or cables can keep an AT from going into gear when moving the shifter. Check your owner`s manual, because some vehicles have shift cables that are adjustable. Adjusting a cable is a one-time fix you can make before taking your car in for service.
Clunking, humming or whining sounds are signs of automatic transmission problems. Faulty manual transmissions will also give off loud machinelike sounds that seem to come out of nowhere. A clunking noise when you shift gears is a telltale transmission situation. Have a mechanic look it over.
Clunking, humming or whining sounds are signs of automatic transmission problems. Faulty manual transmissions will also give off loud machinelike sounds that seem to come out of nowhere. A clunking noise when you shift gears is a telltale transmission situation. Have a mechanic look it over.
Unresponsive gears may indicate a problem with your transmission`s fluids or with the computer system. Having the system reset may solve the problem without further maintenance. This can be done by detaching the battery and letting it sit for about a half an hour before reconnecting it.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
Stays idling when I put it in gear, and the car doesn’t move. When forced into any gear without the clutch, the car does not shut off.
ANSWER : Hi there. The clutch may be worn and slipping causing the engine to stay running as the shifter is put into a gear selection. If the clutch was working, when put into gear and let off the clutch pedal, the vehicle will either move or stall out the engine. Check the slave cylinder and see if the return spring has broken off causing the clutch fork to stay engaged. Also the clutch adjuster cable could be out of adjustment or damaged. If the pedal and hydraulic assembly has no issues, then I recommend seeking out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you diagnose your clutch.
Read Full Q/A … : Car goes into gear, but doesn’t move.
Car won’t move. I can start the car but when I put the shifter in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, ect. The car will not move.
ANSWER : The transaxle is not engaging internally to the axle shafts inside the transaxle or you have one or both axle shafts disengaged from the transaxle. The fact that the speedometer moves when gear is engaged and clutch is released shows the speed sensor in the transaxle is getting turned.
You will need to have the vehicle raised and the axles inspected for broke or stripped shafts. If the axles do not have anything visually wrong with them then hold one wheel and try to turn the other wheel while transaxle is in gear, with engine off, to see if the wheels are locked together. When you spin one wheel the other wheel should turn in the opposite direction. If it does not then the problem is in the transaxle differential gears and the transaxle would need to be removed and disassembled to find the broken internal components.
If you need some assistance with this, consider YourMechanic, as one of our mobile technicians can come to your home or office to diagnose your acceleration issue and help make the necessary repairs to get you going again.
Read Full Q/A … : Car goes into gear, but doesn’t move.
Car in park shifter will move through gears but wont shift through the gears its stuck in neutral have emergency brake on so it wont roll
ANSWER : From what you’ve described, it sounds like the shifter cable came off at the transmission or the shifter. I’d suggest checking the shift linkage on the transmission to see if the cable came off. This is due to the connector end bushing falling apart and not being able to hold the cable on any longer. Some cables have to be replaced as a whole and as with others the bushing can be replaced to fix the cable. I’d suggest contacting a certified technician, such as one from YourMechanic, who can come diagnose your shifting issue and make the necessary repairs to your vehicle. Good luck.
Read Full Q/A … : Car goes into gear, but doesn’t move.
Car won’t go into gear. 2002 Audi A4 Quattro
ANSWER : Hi there – Your symptoms describe the behavior to expect when your clutch hydraulics go out (clutch master and clutch slave cylinders). Check your clutch fluid level – it may be low. If the fluid level is low, this usually means your clutch slave cylinder has worn out, not unusual with your mileage, and should be replaced. I recommend a malfunctioning clutch inspection performed by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, diagnose this problem, give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs.
Read Full Q/A … : Car goes into gear, but doesn’t move.
Was driving then car would not move found 2 silver balls under car bearings i quess put it in gear and car will not move
ANSWER : If the balls are roughly 3/8th inch in diameter, they come from the CV joint at the end of the axle. The CV joint may be broken which would explain why the car won’t move. Replacing the axle is a straightforward, if mundane procedure, and so can be accomplished at your location on a mobile basis. To request axle inspection, and installation of a new axle if indicated, please use YourMechanic’s CV axle service page and the responding certified mechanic will get this taken care of for you. Please note that when an axle is replaced, best practice is to replace the transmission output seal because the old seal, if left in place, will commonly leak as it is disturbed during removal and replacement of the axle. Inasmuch as the seal is a rubber product, it has a decidedly finite lifetime. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
Read Full Q/A … : Car goes into gear, but doesn’t move.
My manual car won’t go into gear, it turns on and the clutch goes down perfectly fine. It happened after my gears grinded, the car
ANSWER : If the clutch mechanism is releasing properly, and the shift linkage is not malfunctioning, your transmission will have to be removed from the vehicle and inspected. Once a transmission has been removed from a vehicle, if the problem is a broken or worn part or parts, and the transmission has 100,000 miles or more, the most cost effective approach is to just simply rebuild the whole transmission. There are transmission rebuild kits that are sold just for this purpose. Rebuilding a transmission is no big deal and is indeed easier in many respects than rebuilding an engine. You can rebuild your transmission right in your own garage. You can NOT rebuild an engine in your own garage due to the highly specialized, and extremely costly, machine shop equipment required. Occasionally, mobile mechanics will take on a transmission rebuild job especially as once the mechanic removes the transmission from the vehicle, it is just simply a modular unit that can be easily transported to a mechanic’s shop and rebuilt right there and then returned to your vehicle. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
Read Full Q/A … : Car goes into gear, but doesn’t move.
The car doesn’t shift into first gear while it works fine in reverse
ANSWER : The problem could be that the internal transmission pump is weak, or the transmission clutch seals are leaking. It sounds like the transmission will need an overhaul.
I recommend having a transmission mechanic test the pressures and diagnose the problems to verify whether you need an overhaul with a new torque convertor.
Read Full Q/A … : Car goes into gear, but doesn’t move.
I was driving had my car on gear and lost acceleration. I pushed the clutch in and put on gear but only grind but won’t move?
ANSWER : If the clutch lever, on the transmission, is functioning something has mechanically failed in the clutch and/or the transmission. If the clutch failed, and you heard gears grinding, as you tried to shift the transmission, some damage may have been done to the transmission. Even if just the clutch has failed, the engine and transmission will have to be separated to find the cause of the failure and worn out or broken parts will likely have to be replaced . To request an inspection, the recommended service is clutch system diagnostic. If you request that diagnostic, the responding certified mechanic will evaluate what you have and let you know of your repair options and costs. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
Read Full Q/A … : Car goes into gear, but doesn’t move.
