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.