Can T Get Car in Gear With Engine Running

November 30, 2021

Hi guys,
Had a problem with my 05 Focus come up. It was working fine, stopped off, went shopping and when i came back the car won't go into any gear with the engine running. With the engine off it will go into gear (which is how i managed to get home in 1st) but it barely bites.

I'm going to book it into a garage but before i do is there anything really simple i could check? Clutch fluids or anything?

Also if i can't do anything myself any ideas on cost for clutch based repairs? I'm hoping it's the clutch and not the gearbox..

Thanks!

When you say it won't go into gear - can you physically move the gear stick around and it's simply the clutch that's not letting it into gear, or will the stick not move?
Sounds like clutch to me.

Ditto clutch rather than gearbox.

Whats the clutch pedal feel like - does it feel like it normally does or is it soft and spongey?

Master Cylinder? My fiesta did that not long after I bought it!

Clutch. You should be able to rev it up in first, relax the accelerator, knock it out of gear, and push it into e.g. second by rev matching with your speed.
Not knowing anything about that car model, if it's a diesel you'll probably have to replace a dual mass flywheel as well if the clutch requires changing whereas you probably don't for a petrol. Would be questioning why a sudden loss of clutch though so if it's something like master cylinder should be cheapish to replace whereas slave cylinder might have leaked onto the clutch if it's contained within one unit..

Hi, yeah you can move the gear stick ok, but it won't travel that last bit to where it would normally be in gear.
Clutch pedal feels ok except for the weak biting point.

Thanks

How can there be a biting point if it won't go into gear? You haven't gone far enough to find a biting point?

Slave cylinder will produce the same symptoms.

Seizing clutch release bearing can cause this as it is trying to turn the gearbox (putting it under tension) even when declutched.

Hi, it will go into gear properly but only with the engine off.
Thanks

SuBo

Gangster

Joined: 2 Jun 2009

Posts: 118

Clutch slave cylinder.
Proof : happened on my car about a month ago. I could probably have forced it into gear if i really tried, but it got to the point of moving the last inch or so, and you could just hear it grinding against the flywheel.

Mine was a leaking seal on the slave, you could temporarily fix it by topping up the clutch fluid (its the same as brake fluid). Which got me to the local garage, where they fixed it. Was about a £60-100 job, depending on the location of the part on your car.

Side note, if you do try the topping up, remember that brake fluid *EATS* car paintwork. use a funnel, and lots of rags to soak up any spillage. And remember that when you screw the lid back on, some of them have a sensor build into the lid, that will cause the fluid level to jump up abit, so think of this and have a rag spare.

Fill the reservoir up, screw the cap back on tight, start the engine in neutral, pump the clutch pedal, you should feel it firm up. Stop the engine, repeat the filling if required. Limp it to a garage with as mimimal gear changes as possible. (I managed to drive it with much revs, using just 3rd gear.)

Yep something is stopping the clutch from releasing fully by the sound of it, whether it's the master or slave cylinder or the clutch assembly itself, it'll need investigating.

So you can shift gear by rev matching ?
Then definitely something that is controlling the clutch ( so master/slave cyl or the connection between it).
The bearing usually rattles well before failure.