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
I wasn't driving my 2008 manual Ford Focus a week ago, and when going into 3rd gear my gears grinded and when I finally got into gear I felt a new looseness between 1st and 3rd gear, and going into 1st became difficult. When I pushed forward to go into first, the stick would pop back, or it stayed up but it wouldn't catch and actually go into gear. Driving home today, I got into 1st gear and when I went to put it into 2nd, the gears grinded and I felt a kind of "chunking" feeling and then the car wouldn't go into any gear. I had to get a tow to a garage but I haven been t
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
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.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :
If this occurs with a manual transmission, it is likely a problem with the clutch – either a leak with the master or slave cylinder or a clutch plate or disk that is wearing thin.
A clutch that won`t engage at all means there is serious damage somewhere. Check for a bent linkage, a seized slave cylinder, or a seized throw-out bearing. Beyond those, check for binding in the linkage, a corroded cable, or a failed friction plate.
Symptoms of a Bad Transmission
Odd sounds (whirring, squealing, bumping, or thumping) Grinding noise. Transmission jumps out of gear (into neutral) Difficulty shifting gears.
The most common reasons a manual transmission failed are lack of lubrication, incorrect lubrication and improper or no clutch release.
Dragging Clutch
This problem is often due to slack in the pedal, which prevents the clutch from actually disengaging the flywheel when you release it. This can make it impossible for you to change gears until the flywheel is disengaged, which can make driving dangerous.
There could be a leak on the slave cylinder causing the slave cylinder not to operate. Also, check the pin to the clutch pedal and make sure that it is hooked up to the clutch master cylinder. Check the lines and make sure that they are not cross threaded, which will not seal and cause a leak.
If your manual transmission won`t shift into reverse, try pumping the clutch a few times to build up pressure. If this doesn`t help, turn off the engine and shift through gears, including into reverse. If you are able to engage reverse this way, you know that the clutch needs attention.
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.
•
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.
Yes, you can recondition a gearbox instead of fitting a new replacement gearbox. It is often a more cost-effective solution as it doesn`t come with the same expensive price tag. Gearbox reconditioning involves stripping down the whole gearbox and replacing worn or damaged parts to extend the gearbox`s life.
Broken Clutch Cable: The most common reason to have a clutch pedal that goes all the way to the floor is a broken clutch cable. This is extremely common, particularly on older cars. Replacing the cable will allow you to engage the clutch and change gears once more.
Shift rod.
The shift rods are what move the synchronizer collars towards the gear you want to engage. On most five-speed vehicles, there are three shift rods. One end of a shift rod is connected to the gearshift. At the other end of the shift rod is a shift fork that holds the synchronizer collar.
Broken Clutch Cable: The most common reason to have a clutch pedal that goes all the way to the floor is a broken clutch cable. This is extremely common, particularly on older cars. Replacing the cable will allow you to engage the clutch and change gears once more.
“Riding” the clutch is the most common reason for premature clutch failure. Even the slightest pressure on the pedal will partially disengage the clutch, causing the release bearing, pressure plate and flywheel to overheat. 2. Put the gearbox in neutral when stationary and release the clutch pedal.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
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.
Car won’t turn over. No lights come on when I turn it. Can’t even lock my doorsvor push the seat up or back.
ANSWER : Your probably correct, it sounds as though your battery is done. But it also sounds like you have charging system issues. I’m not sure that fixing your battery and charging system will solve the problem with the car shutting off, but it’s possible that it will and it’s a darned good place to start. By contacting Your Mechanic, you can have a technician come to your home or office to check out your car and help you figure out what to do next.
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.
Shifting from 2nd to 3rd, car stopped going fast. Now it won’t go at all.
ANSWER : It is possible that your clutch has failed. The sound you are hearing is likely due to the clutch not engaging with the engine due to it being worn. I would recommened having your transmission inspected by a qualified transmission expert to determine if your clutch requires replacement in order to resolve this issue. This inspection may require removal and partial disassembly of the transmission in order to verify that the clutch has failed.
my car refuses to go into gear and the clutch paddle looks fine and the clutch wire is ok , but when the car is turned off it gear
ANSWER : This could be a problem with an internal transmission component, such as a gear synchronizer, but a defective clutch pressure plate could exist as well. The clutch system would have to be inspected and if no obvious issue exists (in terms of "travel" or need for adjustment) and yet the shift problem persists, the usual course is to remove the clutch/transmission assembly for careful inspection and rebuilding if necessary. If you would like a definitive diagnostic, please request a clutch/transmission inspection and the responding certified mechanic will get this resolved for you promptly. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
Vehicle won’t go into gear when running, when turned off, vehicle will go into gear but won’t start. 1998 Ford Explorer
ANSWER : Hello – your clutch hydraulics are the problem here. Check the clutch hydraulics fluid level – and it may share the same reservoir as the brake master cylinder (both use brake fluid as the hydraulic medium). If fluid needs to be added, that means that probably the clutch slave cylinder is leaking – this might be visible as a clear, but bitter-smelling liquid on the ground under the engine. I recommend a clutch hydraulics inspection performed by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, diagnose this problem, and give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs.
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.
I try to put my car into gear, but it won’t allow me. I can put it into reverse & 3rd gear, but it grinds immediate as I do. 2000 Toyota Celica
ANSWER : Hi there – the brake and clutch hydraulics share the same fluid reservoir, so if the reservoir is at the correct level – low fluid is not your clutch problem. This could be a failure of the pilot bearing as well as a failed clutch. When the pilot bearing freezes, it doesn’t allow the transmission input shaft to rotate freely as it needs to when the clutch pedal is pressed. In either case, unfortunately, the clutch will need to be disassembled to repair this. I would recommend a clutch inspection 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.
