Technical Changing gears issues

[Anna0103]

Hi all,

I have a 2014 Fiat 500 and I'm wondering if anyone has experienced anything similar.

A bit of background:

- Blue&Me stopped working (and mileage flashing) for 2-3 months in 2024, then started working again by itself. No battery issues
- A few weeks ago Blue&Me stopped working again & mileage flashing. Didn’t drive for 3-4 days and when I wanted to drive again, battery was flat (couldn’t even unlock it)
- I got a new battery straight away

Now the main issue is with the gearbox/gear selection…

January this year, I was waiting at traffic lights and suddenly couldn't get the car into 1st gear. I had to put my hazards on and kept trying. After several attempts it finally went into gear and then drove normally. My brother drove it afterwards and couldn't find any obvious issue.

Since then the car has mostly been fine.

A few days ago, while driving, I started having difficulty selecting gears. I struggled to get into 2nd, then 3rd, then 4th. Eventually I reached a point where I couldn't get it into any gear at all and had to stop. After a minute or so it started working again and I was able to continue driving normally. I did not stop the engine, I simply stopped it, tried to go intro gear and wouldn’t go, waited about a minute before trying again and it worked just fine.

Last night my brother changed the gearbox oil completely and replaced the air filter. He also checked underneath and under the bonnet for anything obvious and didn't find anything concerning.

Since then I've been testing the car and have noticed something odd with 5th gear:

- Sometimes while stationary it won't go into 5th, even though it will go into all the other gears.
- tonight went for a quick 30 mins drive to see how things are. All ok, went into all gears but on the way back it wouldn’t go into 5th. Changed to 4 and seconds later tried 5th again and went in just fine. I tested 5th 3-4 more times and was ok
- Once in gear, it stays in gear
- No grinding noises
- The gear lever isn't completely stuck because I can still select other gears (although when it happened few days ago, I’m not 100% if the gearstick was moving as I was a bit too nervous to notice)

Has anyone experienced something similar on a Fiat 500? If so, what turned out to be the cause?

Thanks!

 

[John202020]

Can you select all gears without issue with the engine off?
Would normally say clutch hydraulics
I had an issue where for 3 months I couldn't select reverse at all, which is in a similar location to 5th?

 

[Anna0103]

Can you select all gears without issue with the engine off?
Would normally say clutch hydraulics
I had an issue where for 3 months I couldn't select reverse at all, which is in a similar location to 5th?

Can you select all gears without issue with the engine off?
Would normally say clutch hydraulics
I had an issue where for 3 months I couldn't select reverse at all, which is in a similar location to 5th?

5th has acted up today & yesterday with engine off. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t

 

[steveras57]

You might have a slightly leaking seal in the clutch system in one or the other cylinders( master/ slave) or possibly a leak at the pipe joint (front side passenger wheel arch!) check for leaking fluid) .
If a small amount of air is bleeding in then air is compressible(thus causing a slight lack of clutch travel and lack of disengagement thus selection problems) might also be effected by the temperature as when its hot the air bubble would expand exaggerating the problem! you could do a log over a few days of varying temp to see if its worse when hot or cold!(or if it even changes?) my first thought would be to do a clutch fluid bleed/swap to see if fresh new fluid helps the problem and go from there!

 

[John202020]

If selection is problematic with the engine off it suggests either the cables that control the gearbox or the box itself, the cables not a huge issue to replace.
Will it go in being firm but not rough with the stick?

 

[Anna0103]

If selection is problematic with the engine off it suggests either the cables that control the gearbox or the box itself, the cables not a huge issue to replace.
Will it go in being firm but not rough with the stick?

If selection is problematic with the engine off it suggests either the cables that control the gearbox or the box itself, the cables not a huge issue to replace.
Will it go in being firm but not rough with the stick?

I’m really hoping it’s not the box itself

When it doesn’t go in 5th, it just doesn’t go, don’t think being firmer would help although haven’t tried. But if say it doesn’t go 5th then I do 1st, 2nd etc then 5th will go in smooth like butter

 

[Anna0103]

You might have a slightly leaking seal in the clutch system in one or the other cylinders( master/ slave) or possibly a leak at the pipe joint (front side passenger wheel arch!) check for leaking fluid) .
If a small amount of air is bleeding in then air is compressible(thus causing a slight lack of clutch travel and lack of disengagement thus selection problems) might also be effected by the temperature as when its hot the air bubble would expand exaggerating the problem! you could do a log over a few days of varying temp to see if its worse when hot or cold!(or if it even changes?) my first thought would be to do a clutch fluid bleed/swap to see if fresh new fluid helps the problem and go from there!

Thank you. I didn’t notice any leaks

 

[John202020]

It's also possible it's the base of the gear stick too
When ours simply wouldn't go into reverse it just wouldn't go in the gate, also if I flicked it out of 5th it didn't self center you had to physically move the stick as though something was causing friction after a month or so I found a firmer action and it went in OK, after several months you never know anything was wrong and has been so for the last few years

 

[GettinBetter]

This video may be worth checking out...

 

[Ralf S.]

If the gearbox itself is not whining and the gears are not jumping out, then the gearbox is likely okay.. so you just need to work out what's stopping the gears from changing:

• Does the car let you select a gear when the engine is off?
• When was the clutch last changed?
• Does the clutch/gearbox make any scraping sound when the engine is running (in neutral) that stops when you press the clutch in?
• Is the clutch pedal heavy, or really light?

My thoughts is that the clutch is dragging. Possibly the release bearing is knackered, the pressure plate is worn, or one of the master or slave is not putting in enough effort. Don't be brutal with the gearstick, you can cause damage to an expensive part, when the problem is a relatively cheap part that costs a fortune to swap out.


Ralf S.

 

[Anna0103]

• Right so bit of an update and to answer some of the questions above
• I can put it in gear with engine off
• No idea when/if the clutch was changed as didn’t buy the car new (I’ve had it nearly 3 years now)
• No scrapping sounds
• The clutch feels and has always felt heavy to me but keep in mind I’m short and can only reach the bloody thing with chair all the way up front

I had a mechanic come have a look. Two of them came, got in and played with the gears for few mins while stationery and couldn’t replicate it (not going into gear). Got out, told me that, went back in, tried again, got out again (still nothing at that point) and after some whispering between them two in front of me which I found weird, got back in and 30 seconds later got out and gloriously announced they replicated it and it’s the clutch. They did not drive the car, not sure if that’s normal or not. Got a quote of £500 for changing the clutch.
Now after the mechanics left, I got my brother to drive it for 40 mins or so, with few changes into 5th gear and he’a never experienced the issue. He’s quite certain it must be a me thing, either not pressing the clutch properly or the way I’m changing gears dunno. I’ll admit to being a nervous driver In general but I did manage well for nearly 3 years so I’m not sure what the hell to think anymore so reaching out to strangers on the internet again
I went for a drive earlier tonight, probably 40 mins return trip, same way there and back. All okay going although only got to change to 5th once. On the way back, the only section of the road I can do 5th, couldn’t change into 5th… Went back to 4th then tried 5th again and it wouldn’t go. Back to 4th again and then tied 5th again and it worked. I then played with going into 5th few more times and acted up but went in eventually.
When back home, while on the drive, I played with gears and I noticed

• I could replicate the not going into 5th several times, particularly if I’d go 2nd then 5th
• It even acted up few times in 3rd
• I kept clutch pressed continuously through changing gears and even if once it wouldn’t go in, if I tried again, it would (again, without changing my foot on the clutch)

Sorry for the long post and hope it does make sense but hoping someone might figure out something. Do I keep driving it for few weeks and see how it behaves or do I just change the clutch (not in a great position to do that atm to be honest) or get a 2nd opinion from another mechanic?

Thank you!

 

[The Panda Nut]

Stiff gears can be caused by a lack of oil, the wrong oil, or old oil in the gearbox.
Fiat clutch actiavtion is by hydraulics and old fluid can make operation poor.
Gear changes in many cars is by cable. These cables can eventually fray,causing stiffness. This can present as intermittent early in the failure process. Things can improve and then fail completely.
Clutch actuation levers can get stiff. It is possible to apply oil to the top of the shaft to relieve this to an extent.
Inside the gearbox bell housing the clutch release fork can corrode and fail. If it starts to bend this can cause probems.

Checking gear change cables is striaghtforward.
Bleeding the clutch is a simple service job
Checking and changing the gearbox oil is also a cheap solution. I reckon 30,000 miles is enough and after this a change is a good idea.

I had a Vauxhall company car that had not been serviced for a high milage and it suffered similar symptoms and eventually failed completely in a contraflow on the M11. After 2 hours it worked again when the car was recovered. That was rectified by changing the hydraulic fluid and bleeding.
I would ask this be done and chnage the oil. Then check the cables. If this doesnt fix the problem then it is probably time to fit a new clutch and clutch release arm.

It is possible there is a gearbox fault buy I would hope an engineer would identify this befoer fitting a clutch. If the gearbox comes out of any car fitting a new clutch would be a standard recommendation however.

PS I had a Panda 100 and it was a apin changing gear due to wear of the synchromesh. This seems to manifest itself worst when cold in that car.