Hey guys.i have a 96 model uno fire 1100.i hav minimal technical expierience and i have got a problem i was hoping some1 can give me some advice.when i start my car and depress clutch my gears wont engage anymore.when car is not started and clutch released the gears engage into their gears.last night when i started car i could not find gear.after a while i got reverse gear and then i got into first but gears were very stiff.now this morning i cant find gears when car is started or clutch is depressed at all.and even when clutch is depressed fully and gear is in reverse for example i move backward instead of standing static until i release clutch slow.can any1 tell me what is the problem?i noticed a small leak frm above the clutch pedal months ago.it was very small.i have a feeling this may be part of the problem?

Can it be the gearbox oil that needs replenishing(i dont even knw where to replenish gearbox oil lol told u i hav minimal technical xperience) or is it something major that is wrong?i just need some advice so i can have some idea of what this will cost to repair.im short on budget at this moment and i need my car daily.any help would be greatly appreciated

Coolflex85 said:

Hey guys.
i have a 96 model uno fire 1100.i hav minimal technical expierience and i have got a problem i was hoping some1 can give me some advice.

when i start my car and depress clutch my gears wont engage anymore.

when car is not started and clutch released the gears engage into their gears.

last night when i started car i could not find gear.after a while i got reverse gear and then i got into first but gears were very stiff.
now this morning i cant find gears when car is started or clutch is depressed at all and even when clutch is depressed fully and gear is in reverse for example i move backward instead of standing static until i release clutch slow.

can any1 tell me what is the problem?

i noticed a small leak frm above the clutch pedal months ago.it was very small.i have a feeling this may be part of the problem?

Click to expand...

Hi there, and welcome to the forum!

Big walls of text are never inviting to read or decypher


It could well be a clutch problem not releasing.

When you say the gears do not engage, when the clutch is depressed, does the gear stick move cleanly into the gates or does it jam?

If you get someone to keep pressing the clutch up and down, if you are looking in the engine bay at the gearbox, can you see anything moving succcessfully? (note to other forum members - does anything visible actually happen when you press the clutch, or is it all internal only?)

I had a problem with first where it wouldn't go into gear unless I released the clutch a little first, then it would snap into gear, then I could release the clutch the rest of the way.
Never found what was causing that though.

I doubt it'd be the gearbox oil to be honest.

Can one of our "Seth Effrican" forum members go have a look at the car for us please?

Mine car has a visible lever moving when you press clutch.

Don't know about yours Cool, but if it has, you can get someone to press clutch and see if it's moving.

That way you can check if your clutch cable is broken, maybe?

It's likely to be a hydraulic clutch due to the dripping fluid.
Mine is hydraulic anyway.

If it's a later mk2 Uno it probably has a failed clutch slave cylinder. This would explain the leak and the symptoms. Replace and the problem should be solved

Sorry mate i was in a rush to text.anyways...

yes it jams when car is idling it does not enter gates at all.only when car is switched off gear lever goes smoothly thru the gates(no clutch being used of course) but it doesnt enter 5th gear gate either now.i wil have to try and look at the gearbox tomorrow its raining cows and pigs here in cpt today.literally a blue monday...

And i 2 had that little niggle when goin into 1st or reverse.th gear would get stuck until u release clutch a lil bit and u can feel when to stop releasing and depress again so it can fully enter first.that happened sumtimes not always tho...

Chas Uno said:

If it's a later mk2 Uno it probably has a failed clutch slave cylinder. This would explain the leak and the symptoms. Replace and the problem should be solved

Click to expand...

Yes its a later mk2 model.so u think the gearbox is stil ok even tho the gear is jammed in nuetral when car is idling.it may just the clutch slave cylinder?wondr what this wil cost

Must be hydraulic clutch coz where else would the oil be coming from.its been dripping a drop at a time for quite a while now

I'd get this - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FIAT-UNO-CLUT...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item45f394a36e


Can someone else confirm that that is the correct one?

Both my master and slave went within I guess 2 months of each other recently on a 96 model, The cylinder itself still looked good, Maybe start with the slave cylinder as it is the easiest to service... get the proper fiat kit it should be about $7 as opposed to maybe $2 for a pirate kit. It is just a few new O-rings, that fit inside.

You first loosen the nuts with the tubes connected on either end (its hard to do once the whole unit is loose, then take out the retaining nuts and lift it off. Its pretty easy to get the thing into pieces, but take note how things fit together for reassembly, also note the direction of the washers (they are not round). You can clean the whole thing out with clean break fluid or methylated spirits (that purple stuff).

The one under the steering wheel is similar its just a bit of a bitch to get to, but between me and my old neighbour (neither being mechanics) we figured how to get it out there... expect a sore neck.

Your simptoms sound exactly like what mine was doing.... today my break master went... I guess its from the same batch of rubber.

I maybe having this issue. Many of the symptoms sound familiar.

Did you figure out what was going on?

9 year thread necro

I also had the same problem. Replacing the master and slave cylinder fixed the issue ...

Were just over R2k for parts and labour.