I have a Y reg Punto and it I can't get it into gear even if I really try and force it, it started with it just crunching a bit when I put it in reverse but Now it won't go into 1st or second I can sometimes get it into 3rd but thats no good for pulling off as I live on a hill. Anybody got any possible causes or solutions?.

Clutch itself, or possibly slave cylinder.

Get it fixed or you'll probably destroy the gearbox.

Cheers that's what I'm guessing its just weird because it will go into gear easily when the engine is not running.

thesalt said:

Cheers that's what I'm guessing its just weird because it will go into gear easily when the engine is not running.

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Which is a classic sign of what Finger99 said above- with the engine running, the clutch not releasing/dragging means the gears are still rotating on the input shaft while you're trying to select them with the engine running. With the engine off, the gears aren't moving, are they?

the clutch dis-engages the drive allowing it to go in gear ....

could be master cylinder but usually clutch .....

WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR CAR ON DRUGS FOR ANY WAY "££$"

GETTING MY PUNTO INTO GEAR ,,,,,,, :yuck:

What sort of damage can I expect to pay at the garage for the repair?

Clutch is about £200

DO NOT use Mr.Clutch, they are rubbish, we hear more horror stories
Also while the box is out
Get the input bearing checked for play
Any play must be sorted by having a new bearing and Seal

If you ignore it - the gearbox could start leaking on that new clutch, fowling it
And it means a New clutch AGAIN and then the Input bearing and seal replacement

ziggy

Thanks all, I know nothing about cars but my dad told me to go to a garage he uses near me the owner had a look and said if it needs a new clutch it will cost me around £300 but he'll do it as cheap as he can but he'll have a look at bleeding it first and seeing if that works it turns out it was just the master cylinder and he sorted that for £140 so that cheered me up as I expected to pay for a new clutch.

Only thing is now I have a clear plastic bottle hanging attached by a rubber hose to whatever it is underneath the battery. The bottle has a bit of liquid in it looks like hydraulic oil, any ideas.

yes I am in ignorant when it comes to knowledge about engines.

sounds like some 1 has left there beleding gear still attached to the slave cylinder bleed nipple

Take it back to the garage and complain.

I was hoping that would be something like that I'll take it back how does the bleed nipple seal if I took the bottle off?.

The bottle is simply to catch the bled-off fluid & belongs to the mechanic. But as he's forgotten that what else has he forgotten.

If it was the clutch, slave cylinder etc, i would have thought the gears would engauge easily but crunch as your not seperating the engine/trans. Not being able to select it at all sounds like the selector has packed up, not sure about your particular gearbox, but mine seems too "thin and weedy" to do the job it does.

Probably a mixture of your clutch going, in time with something else. Is it easy to select first, for example your going to pull away so instead of going straight for first, go into second then straight into first it should be easier? Does your second gear crunch when going above 20? (downshifting for corner/junction etc).

I notice, and i did this by accident, i can take it out of third gear without using the clutch and nothing happens at all :S fiats are strange lol.

When the revs are matched you can shift without the clutch. Rally and race boxes dont use synchromesh. Drivers simply loads the gearlever against the next gear, momentarily dips the throttle and as the transmission unloads the next gear slips in. But get it wrong and the crash can be horrendous. The same method can be used to upshift when your clutch is failing, but force the gear lever and you will damage the gearbox.

On a Punto the clutch and shifts should be as smooth as silk. If not the clutch is the first places to look for trouble. Although this thread is about a new master cylinder the old clutch is still suspect.