Gears are slipping

ANSWER : Hi there, thanks for writing in. It’s entirely possible that a component failed. For instance, if the clutch pressure plate failed, then the clutch pedal will feel very spongy and can cause the car to slip and be very difficult to shift. If it has a dampened flywheel, and that fails, then the car may lose the ability to go anywhere. It will go into gear fine, but will not move forward. If a clutch release lever failed, it may no longer release the clutch enough to allow gear changes, though slipping would be minimal. A failing hydraulic component could also cause the clutch to fail very quickly. Based on the symptoms, I think that the pressure plate has failed, but it’s impossible to say for sure without seeing the car in person. You should have a qualified technician, such as one from YourMechanic, inspect your car and diagnose your clutch issue.

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.

ANSWER : There are a couple of possibilities. The first thing that comes to mind is of course the shifter itself. There is a nylon ball and socket joint at the base of the gearshift lever that sometimes falls apart, making the feel of the shifter very vague. Additionally, there are links to the transmission shift linkage that involve nylon bushings and joints that can fall apart. Both problems are very common on your car. The other less common possibility is that you have a bad motor mount that is allowing the transmission to move around too much when you try to shift gears. either way, it’s not a big deal to fix, and probably won’t require expensive transmission work. If you contact Your Mechanic, they can send a technician to your home or office to check out you shifting issue and let you know what repairs it will take to correct it.

ANSWER : The first thing to do is to drain and check the oil to see if it has any broken chunks of metal or a lot of brass metal pieces that indicate the gears and synchronizers for the gears are bad. If no metal is found then replace oil with recommended oils for transmission. If metal is found then an internal transmission repair is needed.

ANSWER : Hi there. We don’t see a lot of Vauxhall Vectra’s here in the United States, so unfortunately, we’re not able to suggest a possible solution or cause of this problem you’re experiencing. You should consult with a professional mechanic in your home town to determine what’s causing the shifting problem you’re experiencing.

ANSWER : Hi there. Either the clutch has failed causing the transmission not to engage in any gear, or the transmission shifter plastic rings broke and will not engage the shifter. Check the clutch and make sure that it is moving when the pedal is pressed down. If the fork on the bell housing is moving and the wheels can be moved when the clutch pedal is depressed and then the wheels not moving when the pedal is let up, then the clutch should be in an okay shape. Most likely the plastic rings on the shifter housing has broke and making the shifter move around. If you need further assistance with the shifter moving around too much, then seek out a professional, such as one from YourMechanic, to help you.

ANSWER : Hello.

A transmission coming out of gear is most often caused by worn transmission components. It may be possible that the synchronizer rings, which are meant to smoothly mesh the gears inside of the transmission, have worn out and are no longer able to stay in gear.

It may also be possible that the gears themselves have worn out, and can no longer hold the torque of the engine. This is usually preceded or accompanied by a grinding noise when attempting to shift into that gear. If this is the case, it may be possible that the transmission may need to be rebuilt.

As transmission rebuilds can be expensive, I would recommend having the vehicle diagnosed by a professional technician who specializes in transmission, to determine if a rebuild is required.

ANSWER : Hello, this concern is possibly the slave or clutch master cylinder failure. These two components use brake fluid to apply pressure for movement of the clutch system. This fluid breaks down in time and causes the seals to fail (leak). A low fluid level would cause this concern as well as internal leakage. Replacement of components would be necessary. This type of concern would need to be inspected. If you’d like, a certified technician from YourMechanic can come to your location to diagnose your vehicle, and possibly replace your clutch master cylinder if need be.