Manual transmission gear trouble

The car is very difficult to put in gear,a little noisy and the clutch feel different

My car has 106000 miles.
My car has a manual transmission.

Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
This may suggest the transmission synchros may be wearing out. Your transmission has small gear synchronizer rings that help to move the transmission in and out of the various gears. When these begin to wear out, you may notice it hard to shift in and out of gears as you describe. You may also occasionally hear a bit of a grinding sound when trying to shift from gear to gear. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and inspect your transmission.

How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?

Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :

Hard, and sometimes impossible shifting into first and reverse is caused by the clutch disc not moving away from the spinning flywheel. This is commonly referred to as the “clutch is not releasing”. The number one cause is the hydraulic system that operates the clutch is leaking and has low fluid.
Most of the time, the common cause of shifting into gear problems is mechanical, related to clutch disk damage, or an excessive worn clutch due to aggressive driving.
The most common reasons a manual transmission failed are lack of lubrication, incorrect lubrication and improper or no clutch release.
Grease, dirt and moisture can collect in or on the interlock and brakelight switches as well as on the shift cable and related parts, hampering their operation and making it hard to shift into gear.

Keeping your car in gear when you`re stopped can damage your transmission. It`s easy to want to just keep the car in gear when you stop for ease of starting. However, it is much better for your transmission if you shift to neutral when you stop so that you are not keeping your clutch engaged.

When something`s wrong with the synchronizer, the first sign is usually a whirring or humming noise. This is the case if you`re hearing the sound at just one specific gear, rather than through the full range of gears. Similarly, problems with the synchronizer can cause a grinding sound.
Not Enough Gear Oil

If your transmission is leaking oil or you do not change it periodically, you will have less oil in the gear. Once this happens, there will be damage to your transmission and it will eventually become hard to shift it. There may even be strange noises or poor vehicle performance symptoms too.”

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.
The first thing to inspect is your entire clutch cable. They may be worn out over time, or simply need to be lubricated with special oil or powder. After the cable is lubricated, you also need to re-set the cable and adjust it to your convenience.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

There is automatic transmission fluid in a manual transmission. Is it okay to leave or do I need manual transmission fluid?
ANSWER : This would depend on what the manufacturer recommends. Many manual transmissions do take automatic transmission fluid. If your transmission has ATF in it, it is very likely that it is supposed to have that in there. If not, it is likely that the transmission would not function properly with the wrong fluid. Many manual transmissions will also take engine oil as a lubricant. The best way to know for sure is to check your owner’s manual or call your local General Motors dealership to inquire.

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.

My manual gear box is starting to get a little bit "clunky" as i change gears, is there an additive i can add to the gear oil?
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.

The manual and how to fix it….5th gear is not working I went by a machanic n the gears are still not going in well
ANSWER : Hello. If you still are not getting 5th gear then you have an issue within the transmission. If the transmission is brand new then it should be taken back to where you purchased it from. If this was a used transmission then it is faulty.

The transmission on your Mazda B2000 has a history of having internal synchronizer issues that cause this to occur. Completely rebuilding the transmission is what it will need. In some cases the issue is in the shifter assembly itself so that should be removed and checked to see if it is binding internally.

If this is something that you need to have checked out, consider YourMechanic, as a certified mechanic can come to your home or office to diagnose your shifting issue firsthand.

VW TDI GolfSportswagen 2015 buying a Manual vs DSG transmissions. I love driving manual. What are the pros/cons?
ANSWER : Hi there. In general, Volkswagen transmissions (both automatic and manual) are typically built very well and tend to hold up for extended periods. The key with any transmission is to ensure proper service and maintenance is completed. In regards to the costs of operation, over time the automatic transmission tends to be less expensive. Modern manual transmissions also require routine service, but the most costly repair will be the clutch system; especially if you drive frequently in traffic or city, stop-and-go driving. In the end, both transmissions on these vehicles will have about equal costs of maintenance and repairs – with a slight edge going to the manual for cost-effectiveness. One thing to consider also is fuel economy. The manual transmission tends to get worse fuel economy across the board due to driving style.

Switch to Manual mode, but gears don’t seem to change any more in that mode
ANSWER : This is an internal problem with the shift switch on the transmission selector. The transmission would need to be tested to see if it is a defective selector switch or a transmission valve body problem. The system would need to be tested since the system goes through the transmission control module, and sends signals on the computer network to the dash display. If the system is in failure mode, then it may not let you go into manual mode. Have your gear shifting issue checked just incase the transmission has an internal failure.

Gear Shuffling Problem in Vauxhall Vectra 52 Registration
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.

Second gear misshifts when I drive, all other gears are fine.
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.