Why don't the gears shift into the manual transmission? The automatic transmission does not engage gears - the main reasons and solutions With the engine turned off, only 5th gear is engaged

The clarity of gear engagement and the operation of the entire shift mechanism often worries owners of cars with a manual transmission. A common problem is that after starting the engine, one or more gears are engaged with great effort or not completely, it is not possible to change gears, at the moment of switching on, extraneous noise is heard, unnecessary vibrations appear, etc.

Such malfunctions appear unexpectedly, and difficulties when shifting gears can increase gradually. Speeds may be difficult to switch on “cold” and/or “hot”. It is noteworthy that gears in a manual transmission often shift normally when the engine is turned off.

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Gears are difficult to engage with the engine running: possible reasons

At the very beginning, it should be noted that the inability to engage a gear with the engine not running may indicate a serious gearbox malfunction, which consists of failure of the synchronizers. The second reason may be wear or breakage of the gears. It is also possible that the components and mechanisms responsible for transmitting force from the lever in the cabin to the gearbox when selecting a gear may become jammed.

To accurately determine the causes, in the first case it will be necessary to remove the box for disassembly and subsequent troubleshooting; in the second case, it is necessary to identify and replace broken components. In some cases, it is enough to carry out their prevention: removal, lubrication and careful adjustment.

As for problematic switching when the internal combustion engine is running, then the list of the most common faults includes:

absence transmission oil at the checkpoint;
problems with the clutch mechanism;

Low gearbox oil level

An insufficient amount of oil in the box makes the process of shifting gears extremely difficult, but the speeds must be engaged. When switching in this way, a metallic crunch is heard, and when driving in a gear, the gearbox begins to make a lot of noise and “howl.”

A complete lack of lubrication in the gearbox will not allow you to change gears, since without oil the synchronizers will not be able to work properly, and the gears in the gearbox will not engage.

Any manifestation of these symptoms requires immediate cessation of operation of the vehicle and checking the transmission oil level in the gearbox. It is also necessary to inspect the gearbox for damage to the housing, oil leaks through the seals and gaskets.

It should be noted that for manual transmissions of many cars, the oil in the box is filled from the factory for the entire service life. In practice, replacement is recommended every 60-80 km. mileage

Clutch faults

Simply put, the clutch is a mechanism that serves to transmit the torque of the internal combustion engine to the transmission, and also opens the engine and transmission so that gear can be changed. Failure of individual components of this unit may make it impossible to change gears while the engine is running.

Brake fluid leaks

Design of many modern cars assumes that working fluid protrudes for clutch brake fluid. If there is not enough fluid in the clutch drive hydraulic system, then the clutch will not engage fully.

Transfers to in this case will turn on slowly or not turn on at all. For an initial check, you should look at the fluid level in the reservoir. If the level is low, it is necessary to check for leaks, eliminate defects and bleed the clutch.

If the fluid level is normal and no other reasons have been identified, you will need to remove the gearbox to inspect the clutch elements. Usually, when you try to turn on the speed and this mechanism breaks down, no loud grinding metallic sounds are heard from the gearbox itself.

Gears may not engage or may not engage fully if the fault is related to the clutch basket. The release bearing may also be the cause. If the specified bearing does not move freely along the input shaft or is jammed, then replacement of the part is necessary.

It is necessary to separately add that the primary sign of problems with the release valve is the appearance of a rustling or distinct hum when the car is running. The noise appears only when the clutch pedal is pressed to the floor. Such extraneous sounds may be present both on cold car, and when warmed up. After releasing the clutch pedal, the noise should disappear. A jammed release lever will not allow the clutch to engage, which complicates gear shifting and can also lead to rapid wear and destruction of other elements of the clutch mechanism.

Basket malfunctions are often associated with critical wear of the petals. Wear means that the basket stops performing its functions as it heats up. An increase in temperature leads to the fact that the clutch basket cannot completely remove the pressure plate. The result is very difficult gear shifting after the engine has warmed up a little.

After removing the box, it is necessary to inspect the basket for deformation, signs of overheating and other defects. If found, the element must be replaced.

Another reason why the gears do not engage when the car is running or engages with effort may be a worn clutch disc.

After disassembly, it is necessary to inspect the friction linings on the disk. They should not be critically worn, burnt or damaged, and the disc should not be deformed. Additionally, during the clutch inspection process, a check of the diaphragm springs is required. After replacing failed clutch elements, the box must be well centered during subsequent assembly, and the clutch must be pumped.

Finding the reason

The easiest way to determine why manual transmission gears do not engage is in two ways:

1. Stop the engine and turn up the speed - If nothing happens, then the problem is most likely due to faulty synchronizers or gears. To determine the culprit of the breakdown, the manual transmission will have to be disassembled.

2. Start the engine and put the car in gear - If it doesn't work, the problem is in the clutch. Most often, this malfunction is caused by problems such as insufficient lubrication, incomplete engagement of the clutch and lack of fluid in the drive hydraulic system. Moreover, the last malfunction is typical only for cars equipped with a hydraulic clutch.

In any case, in order to determine the true cause, you will have to remove the manual transmission and inspect the condition in which the clutch basket is located; if it is satisfactory, check the volume of fluid that is in the expansion tank and if it is insufficient, top up.

Insufficient lubrication

Despite the fact that if there is a lack of lubrication in a manual transmission, the gears are still engaged, shifting them can be quite difficult, since the gears cannot fully engage with each other. In addition, insufficient lubrication can even damage synchronizers over time.

Therefore, if you hear an unpleasant metallic grinding noise when changing gears, check the oil level in the manual transmission and inspect it for leaks. If any are present, replace all gaskets and seals. It would not be a bad idea to also change the oil seals located in the shank and on the input shaft.

Main problems and their solutions

If the previous checking methods did not yield anything and the malfunction that caused problems with shifting gears on the manual transmission is not determined, then you need to inspect the condition in which the clutch basket is located. The main impetus for this should be the fact that the gears stop shifting when the engine is running.

Release bearing - In normal condition, its movement along the input shaft should not be hampered in any way. If it starts to jam in some places and it moves along them with difficulty, then this is the reason. However, do not worry, as it can be solved by simply replacing the problematic part.

Disc wear – To determine how badly it has worn, disassemble the basket and visually assess its condition. There should be no carbon deposits on the friction linings, and the rivets under the disc should not be visible. If one of these problems is present, the disk will need to be replaced. Most likely, after this procedure the problem with switching gears will be solved.

Malfunction of the basket itself - During long-term use of the car, the so-called “petals” that make up the basket wear out greatly, as a result of which they become very susceptible to high temperatures and can no longer cope with the removal of the pressure disk. Often, to determine the condition in which the petals are located, a simple visual inspection is sufficient - its petals will be deformed or show signs of overheating. In this case, the basket will have to be replaced.

Hydraulic booster - If there is not enough fluid in the system or there is air in it, the gears on the manual transmission may periodically not turn on. To diagnose, inspect the reservoir and inspect all drive components, including hoses, tubes and release cylinder. All identified areas with leaks will need to be repaired and the system pumped.

Clutch assembly

If in order to detect a problem with gear shifting you had to disassemble the clutch, be extremely careful when reassembling it. Tighten all threaded connections with extreme care. And be sure to center the clutch before installing the manual transmission. For this purpose, you can use either a special tool or the input shaft, which will have to be removed from old box transmission

When gears shift poorly, driving a car becomes not only unpleasant, but also unsafe. Let's look at the main reasons why gears shift poorly or don't shift at all. And since the automatic transmission and manual transmission are too different, we will consider them separately.

If you have a mechanic

Gears shift poorly in a car with a manual transmission for three reasons. The first of these is a malfunction of the clutch when it does not completely disengage (drive). The first sign of this malfunction is reverse gear turns on with a characteristic crack. The rear one reacts to this anomaly more noticeably than other gears, because it is the only one not equipped with a synchronizer.

The second reason is a defect in the gear selection mechanism of the gearbox. And finally, the third is excessive wear of the gearbox synchronizers.

There are also several clutch malfunctions in which manual transmission gears shift poorly:

Excessive wear of synchronizers mainly occurs in those gears that are engaged more often: these are usually first, second and third. The rear one is not included in this list because it does not have a synchronizer. When your gear shifts poorly, and you assume that the reason for this is wear of the synchronizers, firstly, you should only have difficulties with this while driving. Secondly, in this case it switches better if you use double squeeze.

For those who don’t know what double squeeze is. To shift to a higher gear: depress the clutch, engage neutral, release and depress the clutch again, engage the gear.

Backlash in the so-called “helicopter” is one of the reasons for unclear gear shifting

To switch to a lower gear: double squeezing must be combined with re-engaging, that is, when the clutch pedal is released and the gearbox is in neutral, you need to press and release the accelerator pedal. This is how gears are changed in cars that do not have synchronizers. If the gearbox shifts easier using double squeezing, then the culprit for poor gear shifting is most likely worn synchronizers.

If the gears shift poorly when the car is standing still with the engine turned off, the fault may only be in the gear selection mechanism of the gearbox.

Look for damage or check that it is adjusted correctly. Don't even think about the clutch and synchronizers.

For those with automatic

If your car has an automatic transmission. It will not hurt you to know the modes in which your machine can operate:

The automatic transmission also has a button on the mode shift lever with the inscription O/D OFF. When it is turned on, the inclusion is prohibited, increasing the gears of the analogue of the 5th gear of the manual transmission. That is, if your automatic machine has 4 gears for moving forward, then for more dynamic acceleration it will use only three lower gears.

About a faulty automatic transmission, an automatic transmission is much more complex than those encountered with a manual transmission, and the chances of repairing it in your garage are slim. But despite this, you still need to know something about it, if only in order not to harm it through improper use.

An automatic transmission is much more demanding in terms of accuracy in maintaining the oil level in it than a manual transmission. Both too low and too much are very harmful to her. high level oils Both of these can lead to serious damage. In both cases, oil foaming occurs. When there is a lack of oil due to the fact that the oil pump begins to capture air along with the oil. When there is excess oil, it foams on the rotating parts, which in this case are immersed in it. Foamed oil compresses better and has low thermal conductivity. Therefore, if you operate a machine with such oil, the pressure in its control systems will be low. Which will lead to slipping of the clutches and their intensive wear. Deteriorated thermal conductivity will not allow all excess heat to be removed. Which, together with low pressure, will lead to the machine failing and requiring serious repairs.

Foamed oil has more volume. Therefore, checking the oil will show the level is too high. If you find that the oil level has risen for no apparent reason, you need to turn off the engine and let the oil settle. After this, check the level again. If it turns out to be low, you need to safely add the required amount and repeat the test.

The oil level in the machine is checked using a dipstick or through a control hole closed with a plug.

How to check the oil level using a dipstick

Heat the oil until operating temperature(for this you need to drive about 15 km).

Select a flat horizontal area for measurement. Put the car on the handbrake.

Move the lever to select the operating mode of the box through all positions, holding in each position for 3 to 5 seconds, until the machine operates.
Leave the mode selector in position P, and in this position determine the oil level.
Without turning off the engine, remove the oil dipstick, wipe it dry and reinsert it into the tube until it stops, then pull it out and read the readings. The upper limit of oil traces on a dry dipstick should be at the mark with the inscription “hot” or in an area with intersecting notches.

If the level is insufficient, you can add oil through the tube into which the dipstick is inserted. Do not forget that the automatic transmission is afraid of dirt, so add only clean new oil. Wipe the dipstick with a clean cloth from which the threads do not fall out.

When checking the oil level, pay attention to its appearance. Dark liquid with a burning smell indicates that not everything is in order in the unit. First, try changing the oil and filter in the automatic transmission. The milky color of ATF indicates that coolant has entered the box. The coolant softens and swells the material from which the clutches are made. Do not hesitate to change such oil, having first eliminated the cause of antifreeze getting into the box, otherwise significant damage will be caused to the machine. Coolant may enter the box due to a leak in the oil section in the radiator of the cooling system. In this case, the emulsion will be observed both in the box and in the engine cooling system.

The most common machine malfunctions

The car does not move forward or reverse normally. Possible reasons: wear of the forward clutch clutches, a defect in the piston of this clutch, breakage of the rings of the same clutch, jamming of the valve body valves.
There is no reverse speed, forward there are only 1 and 2. Probable reasons: wear of the clutch clutches reverse, malfunction of the piston of this clutch, damage to the spline joint in the drum body, another defect of this drum.
There is no rear, everything works forward. Reasons: wear of the brake band, malfunction of the piston of this band or breakage of its rod, defects in the braking package.
There is no movement either forward or backward when you turn on any mode, there is a shift push, but the car stands still. Causes: torque converter malfunction, lack of oil, clogged filter.
Only reverse, 1st and 2nd gears are engaged. Reasons: valve jamming in the valve body, low oil level, general wear of pistons and clutch clutches that do not engage.

Very often you can hear the question why the gears do not engage when the engine is running. Many people encounter this completely unexpectedly. But in most cases, drivers simply do not notice the first signs of a problem. After all, initially the gears are turned on either not completely, or with a slight stretch. Therefore, you need to monitor these signs very carefully.

At the slightest manifestation of such a problem, you need to look for the cause. After all, over time, it simply won’t be possible to switch gears. And repairs at an early stage are always easier and cheaper than waiting until the parts are completely worn out or broken.

Main reasons

Why don't the gears shift when the engine is running? It all depends on whether it is possible to turn on the speed with the engine turned off. If the speed does not turn on completely, then most likely the problem is in the synchronizers. There may also be a problem with the gears. But the reason can only be determined by disassembling the box.

If the speed does not turn on when the engine is running, then the problem is in the clutch. There may be two reasons for this:

Lack of oil;
Incomplete engagement of the clutch;
Lack of fluid in the drive hydraulic system;

The reason can be determined more accurately only by removing the box. Most often the problem lies in the clutch basket. The fluid can be checked by simply looking into expansion tank. This only applies to models with a hydraulic clutch.

Lack of oil

Most often, with such a problem, the gears will still turn on, but an unpleasant metallic grinding noise will be heard. With an almost “dry” gearbox, it is simply impossible to switch. This is due to the impossibility of the gears engaging each other. Also, synchronizers cannot operate without lubrication.

If such a problem occurs, you should check the oil level in the box. It is also carefully inspected for drips. If necessary, damaged gaskets and seals are replaced. At the same time, it is advisable to change the seals in the shank and on the input shaft. After this, add oil. The lubricant should be selected taking into account the manufacturer’s wishes. .

Basket

If the gears are engaged with the engine running, but no grinding noise is heard. Most likely the problem is in the shopping cart. In this case, the clutch does not engage completely. In this case, many drivers prefer to completely replace the basket, but this is not always necessary. To clarify the reason, in any case, you will have to remove the box.

To begin with, it follows. It should move freely along the input shaft. If it is jammed or moves with difficulty in some places, this is the reason. A faulty bearing prevents the clutch from engaging completely. This problem is solved by replacing the problematic part.

Another reason is high disc wear. To determine its condition, it is necessary to disassemble the basket and assess its condition visually. There should be no visible rivets on the friction linings, and there should be no carbon deposits on them. If there is at least one of these signs, then you should install a new disk. Most likely, the problem with shifting gears will be solved.

It is somewhat more difficult to determine if the basket is faulty. Over time, the level of wear on the petals becomes prohibitive. As a result, they become susceptible to high temperature. Once heated, such a basket cannot completely retract the pressure disk.

In some cases, it is enough to visually look at the basket. The petals will be slightly bent and will show signs of overheating or damage. Another diagnostic method, available in any garage, is to install a known working part on the car. If the car started to work as it should, the reason was in the basket.

In this case, the problem may appear periodically. Most often on the move. This is due to a lack of fluid in the system and/or the presence of air there. This can be determined visually by simply looking into the tank. If a fluid leak is detected, all drive components should be checked. Be sure to inspect the tubes, hoses, and release cylinder. All identified leaks are eliminated. After which you should bleed the system.

Clutch assembly. Installing all the clutch parts on a car is a serious task. It is important to collect everything in the right sequence. All threaded connections must be pulled with a certain torque. Before installing the box, the clutch is centered. A special device is used for this, but you can also use the input shaft removed from the old box.

Conclusion

Problems with gear shifting are not that uncommon. This is due to the high loads to which the gearbox and clutch are subjected. Young drivers face such problems especially often. They quickly damage these components of the car if handled incorrectly. If a problem arises, it will not be possible to immediately answer the question of why the gears do not engage with the engine running. This is the case when detailed diagnostics you will have to remove the part from the car and figure out what happened to it.

The gearbox is one of the most important components of any car, the breakdown of which often leads to the impossibility of further operation of the car. This is a complex unit, regardless of what type of transmission is installed on your car - “mechanics”, torque converter, CVT or “robot”. This means that it should be given increased attention during operation. vehicle. We have counted 10 signs indicating a transmission breakdown, if detected, you should immediately go to a service center.

Transmission does not start

There are still a lot of cars with manual transmission in Russia. It is reliable and relatively simple, but sooner or later it also breaks. One of the most common malfunctions is the inability to engage the gear. The breakdown looks like this: you get into the car and try to put the car into gear by squeezing the clutch, but the lever seems to rest and does not go into the groove completely. There may be several reasons for this behavior of the transmission. For example, this happens when the oil fluidity is low (often happens in winter), the oil level in the sump drops or the adjustment of the link or cable is incorrect (also typical in winter), or when the clutch breaks down. In any of the above cases, you have serious problems.

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The smell of burning

Take a sniff. You may smell burning oil and feel heat coming from the gearbox (this is especially noticeable with a longitudinal engine, when the gearbox is directly under the gear selector). A burning smell indicates that your transmission is overheating due to excessive load or a critical drop in the oil level in the unit. Don't forget that oil not only reduces friction losses, but also removes excess heat from the gears. Be that as it may, this malfunction indicates the need for an urgent inspection of the level and quality of the oil, as well as its subsequent topping up or replacement. Low level lubricant quickly damages the bearings and gears of the gearbox, after which it becomes unrepairable.

Noise in neutral

Start the engine and listen. You may notice a strange noise that changes in character when you depress the clutch. Did you notice? The noise may come from excessively worn input shaft bearings. This may also indicate low or incorrect oil level or excessive wear. release bearing. A malfunction of the latter can be detected by pressing the clutch pedal all the way. When the bearing is worn out, you will hear a strong rustling or humming noise. When you release the pedal, the noise becomes muted again.

Knocks out the transmission

Another unpleasant malfunction occurs when the gear selection lever spontaneously begins to jump to “neutral” while driving. As a rule, when the load changes - sudden acceleration or engine braking. This is, at a minimum, unsafe: at the most inopportune moment, you simply lose traction. A driver with such a breakdown has to manually hold the lever in the desired position by removing his hand from the steering wheel. There are also several reasons for the malfunction. The easiest case is destruction or severe wear of the supports power unit. It will be much more difficult and expensive to eliminate damage associated with severe wear of synchronizer teeth and gears. In this case, you will have to dismantle and disassemble the box. Also, gears can be knocked out due to a faulty adjustment of the gear selection mechanism.

Breakage of the clutch basket and wear of the pressure plate

To select gears in a manual transmission vehicle, the driver must disengage the engine and transmission using the clutch. When you press the pedal, a special bearing presses on the elastic petals of the clutch basket, resulting in mechanical separation of the engine and transmission. When the clutch disc is closed, torque is constantly transmitted to the input shaft of the gearbox - it spins idle in the gearbox housing. When the petals wear critically, they break off and do not allow the pressure disk to open. The pressure plate clutches also wear out and begin to slip over time, preventing all the torque from being transferred to the wheels of the car. The car stops driving normally, and the engine speed increases when driving at a relatively low speed. Do not forget that clutch parts during normal operation require periodic replacement on average every 100–160 thousand km.

Oil stains

Oil leaks on the gearbox housing or under the bottom of the car require an immediate solution to the problem. Oil can ooze through damaged gear selector rod seals, wheel drive boots, or due to mechanical damage to the unit housing. If a manual transmission loses oil, it overheats and quickly fails, and the automatic transmission stops working altogether. It is difficult to confuse torque converter fluid with other oils used in a car - it has a reddish tint, a pungent odor and a sweetish taste. Unlike the engine, the transmission should not lose oil over time - it does not burn out and does not go anywhere if the unit is in good condition. Checking the oil level is sometimes difficult - there is usually no special dipstick for this; control and addition of fluid is carried out through the filler plug on the housing.

The “power unit fault” icon is on

If your car has an automatic transmission, its malfunction may be indicated by a lit “power unit malfunction” icon. This light comes on for many reasons, including the fault of the transmission. You can diagnose a breakdown yourself only if you have a reading device connected to the “brains” of the car through a special connector. Non-standard ones also allow you to do this on-board computers and specialized applications for smartphones.

Sharp sounds and jerks

The grinding noise also indicates serious problems with the manual transmission. On the “mechanics”, this indicates, in particular, problems with synchronizers and gears. Only a qualified mechanic will determine the exact cause of the unpleasant sounds. A breakdown of the automatic transmission leads to strong shocks when shifting. The smoothness of its operation is lost. This is a sure sign that it's time to go for repairs.

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Howling and humming

A worn-out manual transmission manifests itself with all sorts of extraneous sounds, which manifest themselves in the form of a characteristic howl, clicking or hum. These sounds come from collapsing bearings and heavily worn friction pairs. In this case, the nature of the sounds changes depending on the selected gear, engine speed and driving mode. It is dangerous to ignore such noises. They are especially pronounced when insufficient level oil or contamination. Transmission noise can indirectly determine the mileage of a car. However, some gearboxes (for example, domestically developed ones) are noisy even from the factory due to weak design and extremely low workmanship.

Complete inoperability

Sometimes a manual transmission stops functioning completely. For example, due to mechanical destruction of gears or bearings, damage to the housing or loss of pushers, which does not allow two gears to be engaged at once. “Automatic machines” often simply lock the selector in the “Parking” or Drive positions. This happens both due to mechanical breakdowns and problems in electrical circuits. In any case, this does not lead to anything good and can result in lengthy, expensive repairs, or even replacement of the unit with a new one.