Hi all,

So i drove my car home last night everything was fine. got u this morning and not trusting the handbrake like most blokes i leave it in gear. I tried taking it out of gear to start it and it felt stiff.

then wen eventually managing to get it out of gear it will only go in first and second no matter where i direct it. im not sure if this is the gearbox selector or gearbox its self.

my usual mechanic is unavaliable so thought id ask on here before getting a quote more than the car to repair it .. any ideas?

thanks

Mines just done the exact same thing. Left engine running gear box warmed up gear stick moved. Presume frozen gear box oil. Was like stiring treacle

Doesn't sound like the usual 1.9 gearbox bearing failure so don't panic. I'd look at the gear selector cables, water may have gotten in and frozen solid.

ye its always abit stiff on cold mornings. wont dont think leaving it running will make a difference but thanks. its got play all round now and like a 2 seed gear box foward only gives first backwards gives second no matter where i push it. ok mate might take it up to the garage and see what they say. just know the garages in my area usually try and rip you off.

The mk2 punto's have been having a spell of snapping gearlinkages as well

So defo check the movement in the linkages while you are in the engine bay and a friend/dog/colleague/wifey/parrot gives it a good wiggle around

and yea - i tried to pour in my gearbox oil while it was snowing from when i took it out

takes AGES for it to trail on through

Ziggy

Mine did the same. Just leave it ticking over and it defrosts. Just hope you haven't damaged anything if you've forced it while it was frozen. But it will most likely only be frozen gearbox.

Had this several times in the cold weather when I had my punto. It’s the selector cables.

Generally leaving the car running for 10-15 mins sorts the issue. (pain if the cars stuck in gear, sitting for 15mins pressing the clutch)

ye think my short tempor will have probably cost me . pulled it out and now its like a spoon in a dish free to move where it wants . thanks for all comments. put my mind at ease abit haha

Sounds like something froze (surely the oil inside the gearbox wouldn't freeze in UK??? So I'd guess cables), the op yanked it and has broken something. I'm putting my money on a snapped cable.

Certainly wont freeze at the temperatures we have had the past day. I recorded it being -13c once when it happened to me.

Sounds like something may have snapped.

Mine was exactly the same just froze in gear i had it in reverse and managed to get it in neutral but it stayed all the way over to the left just let it warm up and gave it a good pull and it was fine... seems strange ou can only select 1st and 2nd though.

My handbrake also froze on this morning!!! fed up of cold and snow now its even worse when you get to work and have to go outside in it :bang:

When mine froze it was minus 13 but wind chill could have been a factor maybe. Dunno but it was like a metal spoon in a can of treacle.

grandejdtm said:

When mine froze it was minus 13 but wind chill ecould have been a factor maybe. Dunno but it was like a metal spoon in a can of treacle.

Click to expand...

Wind chill only affects warm things (like mammals) not objects at ambient temperature.

A quick google search puts the freezing point of crude oil at below -30 so I will wager nobody has ever had a frozen gearbox in the uk and that it will always have been the cables that have frozen.

Cool

I had also had this problem, it felt as almost you had to break through something to get the gear lever to move. I have spoke to few people and all seem to say its condensation around the gear linkages freezing.