Cant change gear

[Ski]

Hi chaps.

This problem has been slowly creeping up on me and I keep putting my fingers in my ears and singing "lalalalalal" everytime it happens.

When I stop at the lights I cant get it back into ANY gear.. just wont go, so I switch off my engine and then I can put it into any gear. Once Im rolling gears work fine, just when I stop and put it into neutral I cant get it back into any gears?!

This problem is off and on, not always on.

Apart from being a noobie and a coffee adict whats my problem?

[ericd]

check the condition of the push rod/master cylinder, do a search on here for more info, potentially sounds like a release bearing going though to me...

[spink]

had a similar problem and it was the clutch

[Ski]

cluch is only 1 year old or so...

isnt this a problem with the clutch cylinder?

[newsh]

Are you losing clutch fluid?

[Ski]

Not that I've noticed. Is the clutch fluid shared with power steering fluid or brake fluid or seperate resoviour?

[ericd]

it shares the brake fluid, once you've done all the obvious checks, you could try bleeding the clutch, when you're down at the slave cylinder, check it for obvious signs of problems/linkage etc

[S2Addict]

I had the same prob on my own a week after buying her (
It turned out ot be the clutch master cylinder on mine. Once fixed she was fine and dandy.

[newsh]

Does it bite down the bottom of the pedal or up near the top? My stage3 Spec clutch used to bite quite high, if its biting as soon as you start to lift the pedal I'd say its the hydraulics. The take off for the clutch fluid is higher up the reservoir so you lose fluid from a leak in the clutch circuit but the brakes will carry on working (which is nice ) Usually when the slave goes it goes fast but the master can sometimes go gradually bad.

[Ski]

sounds like my master cylinder in that case as there is no leak. Is this a DIY or a garage jobbie?

[mcandmar]

Could this be the bendy linkage on the clutch master cyl issue? Sounds like it isn’t fully dis-engaging the clutch.

[newsh]

You can do it, take the driver's seat out, get some cushions and get comfortable in the footwell. it'll take an hour or two..

[Ski]

I dont think its a bendy linkage as it "sometimes" works, "sometimes" dosnt. If it was a probolem with the linkage woudnt that mean it have problems constantly?

So whats the procedure for swapping out the master cylinder?

take seat out, get cusions
remove pedals?
drain the clutch fluid?

[Lloyd]

I bet it's the release bearing. Happened to me last year, symptoms exactly the same.

Are you confident they replaced this too whilst doing the clutch?

[Ski]

Are you confident they replaced this too whilst doing the clutch?

Not confident at all. Lost my confidence with this garage a while back.

Is there a way to test the release bearing and the master cylinder so I can rule out one or the other?