Hello All,

So I bought a Fiat Grande Punto 1.4 8v 2006 about 2 months ago, the first month it drove fine no problems at all, after about a month I started getting a grinding noise when I tried to put it into third gear, sometimes it'd go in fine and sometimes it'd just grind so I had to go straight into 4th, about a week after that it wouldn't go into third at all so I just went straight into fourth gear from there on and occasionally I give it a try to see if it'll go into third and it goes in about 1/10 times and this morning I was driving to work, put it from second into fourth and the gearstick jumped forward a little bit as I began to lift my clutch pedal, when I lifted it all the way up it grinded, now this happens everytime I go into fourth, has anyone got any idea of what may be causing this? I only passed my test a few months ago and this is my second car as my first one had a head gasket go so I'm not having much luck

Any help appreciated!

My reply, but take other points of view too.
When standing still, can you put the car into gear without any grinding from the box. If you can, then the clutch is probably o.k.
If it grinds or fails to go in when moving then it's possibly the syncro mesh for that particular gear that's failing.
You could try 'Double de-clutching ' That's from the days before syncro mesh.( showing my age now! ) Thats pressing the clutch to take the 'box out of ,say 2 , releasing the clutch when it is in neutral , and then press the clutch and put it in the next gear. Ask any old timer how to do this.
Best of luck!

DavyP said:

My reply, but take other points of view too.
When standing still, can you put the car into gear without any grinding from the box. If you can, then the clutch is probably o.k.
If it grinds or fails to go in when moving then it's possibly the syncro mesh for that particular gear that's failing.
You could try 'Double de-clutching ' That's from the days before syncro mesh.( showing my age now! ) Thats pressing the clutch to take the 'box out of ,say 2 , releasing the clutch when it is in neutral , and then press the clutch and put it in the next gear. Ask any old timer how to do this.
Best of luck!

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply mate,

I tried putting it into 3rd and 4th whilst stationary and the same thing happens, with third it grinds instantly when I lift the clutch up but with 4th it kind of knocks the gearstick forward and goes into gear for a second or two before grinding :/ Not sure if it's economical to get a new gearbox because my manifold is blowing need to get that sorted too

That gearbox needs to be opened up, a pristine manifold (intake or exhaust?) is useless if your gearbox is broken and the car can't go anywhere.

Snails said:

That gearbox needs to be opened up, a pristine manifold (intake or exhaust?) is useless if your gearbox is broken and the car can't go anywhere.

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Yeah that's what I'm saying, it'd be uneconomical for me to repair both as the cars not worth much ore than a grand

Sounds to me like clutch hydraulics. Might just need bleeding or more likely a new cylinder. At least that's what I'd try first

DavyP said:

My reply, but take other points of view too.
When standing still, can you put the car into gear without any grinding from the box. If you can, then the clutch is probably o.k.
If it grinds or fails to go in when moving then it's possibly the syncro mesh for that particular gear that's failing.
You could try 'Double de-clutching ' That's from the days before syncro mesh.( showing my age now! ) Thats pressing the clutch to take the 'box out of ,say 2 , releasing the clutch when it is in neutral , and then press the clutch and put it in the next gear. Ask any old timer how to do this.
Best of luck!

Click to expand...

so direct switching from gear to gear wasnt possible back then, you always had to put in in neutral first and then switch to gear?

When you say grinding into 4th, does this happen when trying to engage gear or once it is in gear and you have released the clutch again? Have you got any whining coming from the box when you are moving that disappears when you press the clutch in any gear?
My box and clutch cost me approx £500 to have replaced with a recon one, bee fine ever since. Have you checked level on the brake / clutch reservoir and where is the biting point on the clutch?

Cheers
Ben

Ben D said:

When you say grinding into 4th, does this happen when trying to engage gear or once it is in gear and you have released the clutch again? Have you got any whining coming from the box when you are moving that disappears when you press the clutch in any gear?
My box and clutch cost me approx £500 to have replaced with a recon one, bee fine ever since. Have you checked level on the brake / clutch reservoir and where is the biting point on the clutch?

Cheers
Ben

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In 4th it happens when I get to the biting point after selecting the 4th gear and I do notice a little whining sometimes when changing gear, I haven't checked the fluid yet I'll check it after I've finished work but if it was the fluid wouldn't it do this with all the gears and not just 3rd and 4th?

I'm sure whatever's wrong with it will just buff out.
Or you can just drive in 1st and 2nd all the time.

Snails said:

I'm sure whatever's wrong with it will just buff out.
Or you can just drive in 1st and 2nd all the time.

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Yeah at the moment I'm driving in 1st, 2nd and 5th. I can't afford a new gearbox until the end of the month so I'll have to drive it like this until then, I've checked the fluid and it's fine, bang on the "Max" marker.