GA Car Repairs & Recovery logoGA Car Repairs & Recovery — Car Repairs • Diagnostics • Recovery

Clutch & gearbox

Car will not go into gear

Whether it will not select from rest or fights you between gears tells us whether to look at the clutch release system or inside the gearbox.

Call 07440 140340Send an enquiry

Symptoms drivers describe

  • Cannot select first or reverse from standstill
  • Gears grate or refuse to engage on the move
  • Gear lever feels vague or loose
  • Clutch pedal feels different to normal

Possible causes

  • Air or fluid loss in the clutch hydraulic system
  • A failed master or slave cylinder
  • Worn clutch release components
  • Worn or damaged gear linkage or cables
  • Worn synchromesh or internal gearbox wear

What you can do

  • Check whether the clutch pedal comes back normally
  • Avoid forcing the lever — it can damage the linkage
  • Stop driving if you cannot select gears safely

How we check it in the workshop

We check clutch hydraulics and release travel, inspect the linkage, then road test before recommending clutch or gearbox work.

Is it safe to keep driving?

Losing gear selection in traffic is a safety risk. If it will not drive, we can recover it to the workshop.

← Back to the fault library

Related repairs

How we can help

Clutch Replacement in IverCommon signs of clutch wear can include a high or slipping pedal, judder and difficulty selecting gears. Symptoms often build up gradually, and catching them early may save the flywheel as well.Read more Clutch & Gearbox Work in IverTransmission work is our bread and butter: clutches, flywheels and gearboxes on cars and light commercial vehicles.Read more Gearbox Repair in IverNot every gearbox complaint needs a gearbox. Linkages, mounts, clutch hydraulics and oil condition cause many of the symptoms drivers assume are terminal.Read more Vehicle RecoveryBroken down, non-runner, or a car that needs moving? We tow and recover cars and light commercials across West London, Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire — and bring them straight to our own garage for repair.Read more

Clutch & gearbox

Other symptoms in this group

Clutch slipping or revs rising without accelerationA slipping clutch is no longer transferring all of the engine's torque. It normally shows up first in high gear, uphill or under load.Read more Crunching or grinding when changing gearCrunching often means the clutch is not fully releasing rather than the gearbox being worn out — which is worth establishing before any gearbox work.Read more Car judders when pulling awayJudder can be transmission or engine related. Whether it also happens while driving at steady speed helps separate the two.Read more Clutch pedal soft, spongy or stuck to the floorA change in pedal feel is usually hydraulic. It often appears before the clutch stops working altogether, so it is worth acting on.Read more Engine revs but the car does not moveIf the revs rise and the car stays put or barely pulls, drive is being lost somewhere between the engine and the wheels.Read more

Want this looked at properly?

Send us your registration and describe the symptoms — we will tell you what the next step is.

Call 07440 140340WhatsApp us