If your transmission can only shift when the car is off, there could be an issue with your pressure plate or clutch disk. The car’s transmission is responsible for transferring power from the engine to the driveshaft. It’s prone to wear and tear than other parts of the car since it is subjected to a lot of heat and friction.
Transmission problems like failing to shift when the car is running can happen even if a car is well-maintained. The first thing you can check when your manual transmission can only shift when the car is off is the clutch disk.
The clutch disk of your car should be inspected every 15,000 miles or less than that if you often do city driving (stop and go driving). To find out whether the pressure plate or clutch disk is having an issue, the bell housing of the transmission should be dismantled. If either of the two is worn, the best solution is a replacement.
Replacing or repairing any part of the transmission is a headache. It takes a lot of time, requires a good amount of money, not to mention very inconvenient. This is why detecting it while it’s still in its very early stage is very important to save yourself from all the trouble.
Here are signs related to a transmission that can only shift when car is off:
When you start to notice any of the signs above, have your car checked by a trusted mechanic immediately to avoid the problem of reaching the point when transmission can only shift when car is off.
There are mainly two causes why your transmission can only shift when car is off. These are the following:
A professional mechanic can diagnose if there is a problem with the clutch system. It will indicate if the hydraulic clutch is unable to put any pressure on the pressure plate.
Make sure not to test your clutch in a busy area as the car will abruptly lurch forward when starting the engine. Do the clutch test in a vacant place where you won’t hit anything or anybody.
The engine and the transmission parts will be damaged seriously when there is not enough lubricant. You may end up having to replace the whole transmission system if not having to spend lots of money for repair.
Here are two things you can do when your transmission can only shift when car is off:
Check your transmission fluid. Your transmission has plenty of moving parts and transmission fluid keeps them lubricated. Checking your fluid every 30,000 to 60,000 is a must for a manual transmission vehicle.
If you fail to check and change/add transmission fluid when necessary, it can get contaminated with bits of metal from the gears, bearings, and synchronizers. This can be the reason you’ll have a hard time shifting gears or not being able to do so at all.
Transmissions give few signals when their fluid is low so you should be checking it in regularly based on recommended intervals. Sometimes, it may be necessary to upgrade to a different type of fluid if you have problems with the transmission due to the cold weather, or if you are using a fluid not originally recommended for your car.
When your manual transmission can only shift when car is off but not when the car is running, the issue could be with the pressure plate or clutch disk. When either of the two is worn, the best solution is to replace them.
If the clutch engages near the floor or moves easily but cannot shift, the clutch linkage may have become detached, or the clutch cable may have snapped. Clutch pedal bushings that are already worn can also cause the same issues.
Visit your mechanic to know if a replacement of the entire clutch assembly is needed, or you’d only need to replace individual parts of the clutch.
Proper care and maintenance of your car’s transmission are needed to prevent having problems such as a manual transmission can only shift when car is off (and any other types of transmission problems).
Here are 5 things you can do to make your manual transmission last longer and prevent it from breaking down:
Chances are you’ll need to repair your transmission before your engine completely overheats. Making sure your car’s cooling system in optimal condition will help keep your transmission in good condition as well.
How long your transmission fluid will last depends on your car’s operating temperature and how much you drive it.
The truth is downshifting adds more wear and tear to your gearbox. Better stick to using your brakes when slowing down and stopping your car.
When your manual transmission is becoming more difficult to shift or all of a sudden becomes more difficult to shift into gears, the reason will almost positively be one of the following.
In this list, we’ve excluded two causes that were already discussed – the clutch issue and not enough transmission fluid. Here are the other four reasons why your manual transmission is hard to shift or not shifting at all:
The main component of a manual transmission system is the gear. It is made up of the reverse gear, counter gear, 1st to 5th gear, and sometimes 6th gear. Each gear has big and small teeth.
The smaller teeth’s purpose is to accept the engagement of the hub sleeve with the synchronizer ring. It would be difficult to shift the transmission if these small teeth got damaged or become worn out.
On the other hand, when a gear is shifted, the bigger teeth’ function is to engage the spinning counter gear which delivers a transmission to the output shaft. The transmission will make noise once the bigger teeth get damaged or worn out.
The Hub sleeve’s job is to engage the main gears from the hub gear. It can move to the right and left, depending on the location in which the gear shifts. The hub sleeve is situated between the main gear and the hub gear and is like the conveyer of the engagement.
As a gear shift takes place in the transmission, the small teeth on the hub gear will synchronize with the teeth of the synchro ring. However, if the sleeve gets damaged or worn out, shifting the transmission would be difficult.
The synchro ring or the synchronizer’s purpose is to smoothly engage the gear. The ring is made up of small teeth that allow it to effortlessly be engaged by the hub sleeve and then into the main gear.
It would be difficult to shift the transmission if the synchro ring were to get damaged or malfunction in any way.
The hub gear is situated between two different gears, and it engages them. It serves as a bridge between two gears, a bridge to the first and second gear, and a bridge between third and fourth gear.
The hub gear is linked to the transmission shift so it is unable to turn freely. A worn-out or damaged gear will cause issues when shifting your manual transmission.
When it comes to manual transmission problems like it can only shift when car is off, it is always best to have it checked by a mechanic as soon as possible. You don’t want the issue to get worse since the solution can be very expensive and a hassle.
