Car struggling to get into gear

Nameless1

I own a 1999 Toyota Corolla Terra, 1.3L, 5 door, manual.

Last night when driving home the car was not going into gear as easy/normal as usual, when I had to stop at a junction and move into 1st gear it wouldnt go into 1st, I tried every gear and it would only go into reverse.
I turned the engine off, put my foot on the clutch and it moved freely into every gear apart from reverse so I left it in 2nd gear, turned the engine on and carried on driving but it was grinding slightly and it needed a good bit more force than usual to get into the other gears.

Any idea what the problem is? Gearbox or clutch fluid? (I have noticed a slight leak of oil under the car in recent months but didnt know where it was coming from).

My research on boards and google has not come up with any relevant results.

Thank you

cadaliac

It doesn't sound good but the first thing I would check is the amount of fluid in the gearbox.
It sounds like the box is out of oil! Espically if it moved in to and out of gears while the car is off (no cogs moving in the box). That alos indicates that the cluch is ok (I presume the clutch travel is the same as it always was?).
The oil puddle would be a dead giveaway also. Check your engine oil just in case.

Nameless1

cadaliac wrote: »

It doesn't sound good but the first thing I would check is the amount of fluid in the gearbox.
It sounds like the box is out of oil! Espically if it moved in to and out of gears while the car is off (no cogs moving in the box). That alos indicates that the cluch is ok (I presume the clutch travel is the same as it always was?).
The oil puddle would be a dead giveaway also. Check your engine oil just in case.

Yea clutch is the same as it always was. Ive checked engine oil an its 100%. This may sound like a stupid question but how do I check the fluid in the gearbox, is there a dipstick under the bonnet or is it only accessible from under the car? Ive searched the net but had no luck.
Thanks

cormac_byrne

What you describe seems like the clutch is not fully disengaging.

i.e. the same effect as if you didn't put your foot all the way down on a good clutch.

A simple explanation could be mat/carpet preventing full travel of the clutch pedal.

If it's a cable clutch, it could be the cable is stretched and therefore needs adjusting.

If it's a hydraulic clutch (those are usually self adjusting)
it could be a leaky seal causing air in the cylinder
very old clutch fluid (that's become more compressible, due to absorbing water)
no clutch fluid (check the reservoir)

p.s the engine off test proves nothing, you should be able to change gears with the engine off without having to press the clutch at all.

One final possibility is that the clutch is ok but the engine flywheel is forward of where it should be due to worn thrust washers (though that prob more likely on a classic car)

Nameless1

Thanks for the replies.

I bumped into an old friend last night and I was explaining what happened and he showed me on his Levin where the gearbox bung was on his but I checked on mine this morning and I cant find it at all.

Any body know where it is on a toyota corolla?

Thanks

SilverBell

Nameless1 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies.

I bumped into an old friend last night and I was explaining what happened and he showed me on his Levin where the gearbox bung was on his but I checked on mine this morning and I cant find it at all.

Any body know where it is on a toyota corolla?

Thanks

have alook at this thread...might help.
http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11020

And if you have a hydraulic clutch, have a look at your clutch fluid tank, see theres enough fluid in it.

cormac_byrne

lack of oil in the gearbox won't affect your ability to change gears, what you have is most likely a clutch problem not a gearbox problem.

If there's no oil in the gearbox the gearbox will still work, just that it's likely to overheat and seize up.

Nameless1

The car has gone to the local mechanic so hopefully he can cure the problem. From the bit of research Ive done and what cormac has said I think it is the clutch but Ill post the any info that I find out from the mechanic

cadaliac

cormac_byrne wrote: »

What you describe seems like the clutch is not fully disengaging.

i.e. the same effect as if you didn't put your foot all the way down on a good clutch.

A simple explanation could be mat/carpet preventing full travel of the clutch pedal.

If it's a cable clutch, it could be the cable is stretched and therefore needs adjusting.

If it's a hydraulic clutch (those are usually self adjusting)
it could be a leaky seal causing air in the cylinder
very old clutch fluid (that's become more compressible, due to absorbing water)
no clutch fluid (check the reservoir)

p.s the engine off test proves nothing, you should be able to change gears with the engine off without having to press the clutch at all.

One final possibility is that the clutch is ok but the engine flywheel is forward of where it should be due to worn thrust washers (though that prob more likely on a classic car)

Good to know, that educated me .

Nameless1

cormac_byrne wrote: »

lack of oil in the gearbox won't affect your ability to change gears, what you have is most likely a clutch problem not a gearbox problem.

If there's no oil in the gearbox the gearbox will still work, just that it's likely to overheat and seize up.

Just back from the mechanic with the car and you were right cormac, he replaced the clutch, cost me €250 including labour. The springs had gone in the old clutch. The new clutch is a lot lighter and it moves through the gears a lot smoother