Stuck in 2nd gear... what to do?

[Jack4688]

So about half a mile from home today I pulled out of a junction then changed from 1st into 2nd - with a bit of a crunch. I then realised it won't come out of 2nd at all. The stick itself will move forward from 2nd until it is level with 1st and 2nd but no further and nor will it move accross.

Has anybody got any ideas what has happened and how to rectify it? Does it need to be shaken loose or is something well and truly jammed in there?

There's not much I can see from removing the gearstick cover so I may just leave it until the morning and ring the AA - they may well get me to a garage to sort it so there's no point in ringing them now.

Any help will be appreciated

[Cottis]

Possibly broken gear linkage. Part is probably cheap if avail but dont know how easy it is to get to. Someone will deffo know

[SteveH]

Either gearchange mechanism has failed/come loose or you have a broken gearbox. I would have thought it would be the section of the gearchange rod that attaches to the box where there are a few fixings and a balljoint. You will need to get under the car to inspect this.

[UrS4boy]

Could you coast with the clutch in? If not, and the car stayed in gear, it is a clutch failure (pressure plate, clutch master or clutch slave cylinder)

[A80Avant]

Probably go slower than everyone else...




Sorry I couldn't resist...!

[Acidburn]

get someone to sit inside the car with the engine off and foot on the clutch and if you look under the bonnet down the passenger side of the engine at the gearbox ask them to move the selector and see what movement you have.

[rynaqui]

Pressure plate gone probably..I had managed to get the car back to the garage ready for a clutch change by rev-matching the gears, the quieter the roads the easier it is to do

Towing would be simpler ofcourse

[Jack4688]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. If it is clutch related not gerarbox related shouldn't I be able to move the gearstick around as normal since the car has been stationary? Also if something about the clutch meant I couldn't remove it from gear wouldn't the stick be completely immobile?

It seems to me that as the gearstick will move out of 2nd gear position but will not allow me to move it into any other gear it's stuck in second and so isn't allowing me to select another gear. So either something is wrong with the selector or part of it has become wedged into that position and partially disconnected from the stick.

I may still wait until the morning and call the AA and let work know the car has immobilised me..... again

[Sleeper_Avant]

if it doing the same without engine running its gearbox/linkage related

if its selecting gears with engine turned off ok then its clutch related

[Jack4688]

Right, I'm parked on a slight incline so I have just been able to determine a couple of things:

1. In gear with clutch pedal depressed it rolled back - so clutch hasn't failed
2. Clutch left untouched but gearstick moved out of gear the car still rolled back - so it definitely is out of gear when it moves into that position just forward of 2nd gear

Also I did a control test with it left in gear and the clutch untouched and the car rolled back maybe a couple mm before stopping dead.

[Jack4688]

if it doing the same without engine running its gearbox/linkage related

if its selecting gears with engine turned off ok then its clutch related

Yes it definitely feels linkage related now.

Maybe the selector forks or the gaiter? It goes in and out of gear OK but the gaiter will not permit further movement.

[audinut]

sounds like its doing all the right things ?

[Jack4688]

sounds like its doing all the right things ?

Well, other than letting me select more than just 2nd gear and 1/3 of neutral

[audinut]

got to be the linkage surely

[Jack4688]

I think so too. What to look for now?