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My Car Is Not Going Into Gear: 10 Common Causes And Solutions

How To Know If Your Car's Transmission Is Beyond Repair

If you're dealing with a situation where “my car is not going into gear!” Below are the ten most common causes:

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  1. Low transmission fluid
  2. Clutch problems
  3. Shifter linkage issues
  4. Transmission control module troubles
  5. Clutch master cylinder issues
  6. Damaged synchronizers
  7. Faulty torque converter
  8. Clogged transmission filter
  9. Faulty shift solenoid
  10. Damaged transmission

Your vehicle contains several major components that need to be reworked properly all the time. One of those components is the transmission, responsible for transferring the energy from the engine toward the wheels in a way that doesn't waste a lot of energy from your engine.

When the transmission doesn't do its job, it'll be impossible to drive your car, and I'll deal with many problems that might cost you the entire vehicle. Therefore, you must identify early signs of transmission damage before things get more complicated and before you start driving your vehicle.

What are the common situations that you might come across when you say, “My car's not going into gear!” This can be a very stressful situation that might lead to safety issues. Therefore, you need to address it as soon as possible before replacing the entire transmission.

This article provides the ten most common causes and solutions for situations where your car is not going into gear. Once you identify the faulty components, you must fix them as soon as possible.


My car is not going into gear: 10 common causes and solutions

When your car is not going into gear, the problem could be linked to one of the economic components connected to the transmission system. Some components might be easy to fix, while others might be more complicated and require immediate professional assistance.

The following list summarizes the town's most common causes of your car not going into gear. It also highlights the potential solutions for each cause:

1-   Low transmission fluid

The first and most common reason why your car is not going into gear is when you have a problem with the transmission fluids. The transmission fluid must be in the right quantity for your vehicle to operate properly.

Running your car at low transmission fluid lhas many problems,, including preventing your car from going into gear. Therefore, it is important as a solution for you to check the transmission fluids and top it off if it's lower than the minimum level.

2-   Clutch problems

If you're driving a vehicle equipped with a manual transmission, then it's not rare to deal with situations where your car is not going into gear because of clutch problems.

The clutch is a core component in any manual transmission, and if it fails, it prevents the transmission from operating properly. It is not surprising to deal with situations where the clutch wears out and gets damaged as it gets older.

To resolve any problems related to clutch issues, it is important that your mechanic checks on the clutch and confirms that it's repairable first to fix it. Otherwise, you have to replace it.

How Long Do CVT Transmissions Last

3-   Shifter linkage issues

The transmission is connected to the gears in several ways, and there are a lot of shifter linkages and other linkages between the different components. Any of those linkages could go bad and prevent your car from going into gears.

Therefore, your mechanic also needs to check on the shifter linkage and confirm it's not damaged or there are any bends or things that need to be repaired. Otherwise, you'll have to either repair it or replace it completely.

4-   Transmission control module troubles

In some more complicated scenarios, the transmission might have been aa trial problem related to the control module. Therefore, your mechanic needs to use certain tools and software that help him go inside this module and confirm that nothing is wrong.

Otherwise, you might need to deal with situations where you must replace the entire control module. If you're lucky, things can be resolved by a simple software update.

How Long Does It Take to Replace the Clutch?

5-   Clutch master cylinder issues

In some instances, if your car is not shifting into gears,, the problem might not necessarily be related to the entire clutch. In other words, it could be a simple problem within the clutch like t,hose related to the master cylinder.

In that case, your mechanic must inspect the clutch and check if the cylinder works properly. If it's not, he must either repair it or replace it completely.

6-   Damaged synchronizers

Many other smaller components within your transmission might lead to situations or your car not going into gears. Therefore, you need to go through them individually and confirm that they're all working properly.

For instance, the synchronizers might not be working properly,; therefore, your mechanic needs to either inspect them and replace them or fix them if they are repairable.

My Car Is Not Going Into Gear

7-   Faulty torque converter

Many car owners complained about situations where their cars are not going into gears because of a problem related to the torque converter. If your vehicle is equipped with one, you need to consider checking on it and confirming that it's not worn out or has no damage.

If the torque converter is not working properly, it's not be able to transmit the power to the transmission,. Therefore it'll prevent your car from going into gears or doing the right job your vehicle is expecting.

8-   Clogged transmission filter

Interestingly, there are many situations where you might deal with severe problems in your transaction just because of a simple issue like a clogged transmission filter.

Like any filter in your vehicle, the transmission filter is responsible for ensuring that the fluid inside the transmission is clean from debris and contaminants. However, over abuse, this filter becomes clogged, and the more you wear on its cover, the more problems you'll deal with.

Therefore, if your car's not getting into gears, you might need to check on the transmission filter and confirm that it's clean and it's not coming, you have to replace it. Luckily, this repair is not very expensive, and you can do it easily without needing to wait four hours.

Fan‌ ‌Clutch‌ ‌Replacement‌ ‌Cost

9-   Faulty shift solenoid

Some more detailed problems that might lead to your car not going into gears might be related to a shift solenoid. These solenoids are like any other component in your car, and they're pruned to damages.

Therefore, you have to replace them and use new ones compatible with your vehicle to get your vehicle going again and prevent situations with your car not getting into gear.

10- Damaged transmission

Finally, if your transmission suffers from major mechanical damages, it's easy to deal with situations where it's not getting into gear. Therefore, your mechanic needs to perform an author inspection and confirm that the transmission is working in general before you decide to replace minor components within the transmission itself.

If the problems are linked to major problems in your transmission, you must be careful about repair costs because they can be very significant. Therefore, you need to make an informed decision about whether you should sell this vehicle or fix it.

Vehicles That Will Most Likely Need Transmission Replacement

How much does it cost to fix my car if it's not going into gear?

Unfortunately, deciding how much it will cost to fix your car if it's not getting into gear depends heavily on the root problem, and it can be hard to tell.

The range can be very wide. In other words, you can expect somewhere between $30 for replacing a minor fuse in the electric system up to $3000, if not more, to replace a transmission.

That's why automotive experts typically recommend that you do the right analysis and calculate a total repair cost, and then you need to compare it to your vehicle value. If you realize that your repair costs are getting close to 75% or more of your vehicle value, then it's not worth fixing your car. You should sell it instead.

My Car Is Not Going Into Gear

My car is not going into gear. Final Thoughts.

If your car is not going into gears, it could be a significant problem with one of the different components linked to the transmission. This article highlighted the ten most common causes of cars not getting into gear.

Once you identify the faulty culprit, you must check with your mechanic and have him replace it immediately. Remember that repair costs can be very significant, especially if the problem is linked to a major issue in your transmission.

If a mechanic confirms that the problem is very severe, you need to do the right analysis and confirm that your vehicle is worth the repairs. If not, you can always sell it to Cash Cars Buyer at 773-791-4363.

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