On friday I noticed my car started crunching as I went into 1st gear, now I can't get it to go into 1st gear at all.

Any mechanics give me advice on this problem?

Cheers

Try looking at the gear linkages to see if anything is wrong. I suggest you purchase the relevant Haynes Manual for your car as well.

Has anyone else noticed how new ford fiestas hate going into first gear unless you are stationary?

Not what you want to hear... But i had that trouble ..it then cost me a new Gear box n Clutch

Has anyone else noticed how new ford fiestas hate going into first gear unless you are stationary?

Lol tell me about it. I had a driving lesson in one of them and boy did it sound terrible. It sounded like an aeroplane when I was driving it... Yeah I know I haven't passed my test yet, but I'm not *that* bad a driver... And also, when I was pulling up, I had my right foot on the brake and it was still revving away.... My instructor was saying "Get your foot off the gas!!!" and I was like "I'm nowhere near it! I'm on the brake!" lol! Scary!

Originally posted by dinp
Has anyone else noticed how new ford fiestas hate going into first gear unless you are stationary?

Normally down to the synchromesh, some cars are worse than others.

My old fiesta never complained, but then I don't know very much about gearboxes or car mechanics.

Similar thing once happened with a car I used to have. Couldn't get reverse, which caused a few problems to say the least. Needed a new gearbox, but fortunately was still under warranty.

Originally posted by Skatiechik
Try looking at the gear linkages to see if anything is wrong. I suggest you purchase the relevant Haynes Manual for your car as well.

(An oldie but a goodie....)

HAYNES CAR REPAIR MANUAL - A TRANSLATION

Haynes: Rotate anticlockwise.
Translation: Clamp with vicegrips, then beat repeatedly with a hammer
anticlockwise.

Haynes: This is a snug fit.
Translation: You will skin your knuckles!

Haynes: This is a tight fit.
Translation: Not a hope in Hell, matey!

Haynes: As described in Chapter 7...
Translation: That'll teach you not to read through before you start, now you
are looking at scary photos of the inside of a gearbox.

Haynes: Pry...
Translation: Hammer a screwdriver into...

Haynes: Undo...
Translation: Try lots of heat, a tin of WD40 (catering size), or a ten
pound hammer.

Haynes: Retain tiny spring...
Translation: "Jeez! What was that, it nearly had my eye out!"

Haynes: Press and rotate to remove bulb...
Translation: OK - that's the glass bit off, now fetch some good pliers to
dig out that pesky bayonet part.

Haynes: Lightly...
Translation: Start off lightly and build up till the veins on your forehead
are throbbing, then re-check the manual because what you are doing now cannot
be defined as 'lightly'.

Haynes: Weekly checks...
Translation: If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Haynes: Routine maintenance...
Translation: If it ain't broke... it's about to be!

Haynes: One spanner rating.
Translation: Your Mum could do this, so how did you manage to botch it up?

Haynes: Two spanner rating.
Translation: Now you may think that you can do this because two is a low,
tiny, little number... but you also thought the wiring diagram was a map of
the Tokyo underground (in fact that would have been more use to you).

Haynes: Three spanner rating.
Translation: But VW's are easy to maintain right, right? So you think three
spanners has got to be like a 'regular car' two spanner job.

Haynes: Four spanner rating.
Translation: You are seriously considering this aren't you, you amateur!

Haynes: Five spanner rating.
Translation: OK - but don't expect us to ride in it afterwards!!!

Haynes: If not, you can fabricate your own special tool like this...
Translation: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

Haynes: Compress...
Translation: Squeeze with all your might, jump up and down on, swear at,
throw at the garage wall, then search in the dark corner of the garage for
it whilst muttering "bugger" repeatedly under your breath.

Haynes: Inspect...
Translation: Squint at really hard and pretend you know what you are looking
at, then declare in a loud knowing voice to your wife "Yep, as I thought,
it's going to need a new one"!

Haynes: Carefully...
Translation: You are about to cut yourself!

Haynes: Retaining nut...
Translation: Yes, that's it, that big spherical blob of rust.

Haynes: Adjust gap to specified distance.
Translation: Ha-ha - got you again - you can search this book forever and
you won't find it!

Haynes: Get an assistant...
Translation: Prepare to humiliate yourself in front of someone you know.

Haynes: Turning the engine will be easier with the spark plugs removed.
Translation: However, starting the engine afterwards will be much harder.
Once that sinking pit of your stomach feeling has subsided, you can start to
feel deeply ashamed as you gingerly refit the spark plugs.

Haynes: Refitting is the reverse sequence to removal.
Translation: But you swear in different places.

Haynes: Pry away plastic locating pegs ...
Translation: Snap off ...

Haynes: Using a suitable drift ...
Translation: The biggest nail in your tool box isn't a suitable drift!

Haynes: Everyday toolkit
Translation: Ensure you have an AA Card & Mobile Phone

Haynes: Apply moderate heat...
Translation: Placing your mouth near it and huffing isn't moderate heat.

Haynes: The bearing inner races can be released by applying light leverage.
Translation: There is absolutely no way those inner races will budge without
the application of a puller (which you haven't got) and a lot of swearing.

Haynes: Index
Translation: List of all the things in the book except the thing you want to do!

Cool! I hadn't seen that before. :D Quite amusing.

Originally posted by dinp
Has anyone else noticed how new ford fiestas hate going into first gear unless you are stationary?
My Ford Ka is like that. I just assumed it's because you're not supposed to use first unless (almost) stationary?

Originally posted by garrence
My Ford Ka is like that. I just assumed it's because you're not supposed to use first unless (almost) stationary?
I was going to say that. What's wrong with second gear? First gear was only designed to get the car moving, once this has been achieved there's not really much need for it.

Did it ever use to jump out of first gear?

also where does the clutch bite(near the bottom near the top)?
need more info please

Originally posted by Sidla
I was going to say that. What's wrong with second gear? First gear was only designed to get the car moving, once this has been achieved there's not really much need for it.

Amen!
Well, actually most cars tend to have a slight sweet spot where it will get in first, any slower and you have to stop to get it in, and any faster, you should be putting it in 2nd anyway!

Well my Corsa 1.0 would grumble like hell (and probably stall) if i tried to put it in 2nd doing, say 5mph. The gear ratios seemed much different to my fiesta, which didnt mind second gear at 5mph - the vauxhall seemed to want to be revved!

Originally posted by ROBERT
Did it ever use to jump out of first gear?

also where does the clutch bite(near the bottom near the top)?
need more info please

I got it sorted the clutch is knackered, apparently if you put a car in 1st gear, clutch down then turn the engine on and the car tries to go forward it is a sure sign the clutch as gone, which is what mine eventually started doing.

Just a bit of info for people, it is advised not to start the car with the clutch down as it wears the thrust bearings out quicker.

At least a new clutch isn't too expensive, whereabouts is your clutches biting point?

Originally posted by Skatiechik
Just a bit of info for people, it is advised not to start the car with the clutch down as it wears the thrust bearings out quicker.

At least a new clutch isn't too expensive, whereabouts is your clutches biting point?

In the handbook of corsas, it says to do just that. Apparently it makes a horrendous noise if you don't. Plus it's harder work for the starter motor if you don't.

In all reality, it's gonna have little difference, when you think many people just sit at traffic lights with the car in gear and clutch down!

incidentally, i heard a renault that was only a few years old suffering from a dieing clutch release bearing, painful to think how they've knackered it in only a few years!

Yeah the corsa handbook said to keep revs between 2000-3000rpm (which limited me to 60mph if I did). If you changed gear any earlier than this, the ride became very uncomfortable and the engine grumbles like hell. I miss my fiesta, the gearbox, and gear changes in particular, were far more slick than the (newer) vauxhall ever was.

Do what I do and go for automatic every time, forget the gears put it into drive and spend your time chatting to your passenger!

Originally posted by Chyrstal
Do what I do and go for automatic every time, forget the gears put it into drive and spend your time chatting to your passenger!

Auto cars still have gearboxes. And gearboxes, whether manual or auto, can go wrong. :(

Plus, I can still chat to my passenger in my manual. :)

Originally posted by dinp
Yeah the corsa handbook said to keep revs between 2000-3000rpm (which limited me to 60mph if I did).

That'll be for most efficient running, which travelling above 60 in a small car isn't!!!!

Originally posted by dinp
If you changed gear any earlier than this, the ride became very uncomfortable and the engine grumbles like hell.

I think any car, except v8s or diesels, would seriously complain if you changed up before you got to 2000rpm!


Originally posted by dinp
I miss my fiesta, the gearbox, and gear changes in particular, were far more slick than the (newer) vauxhall ever was.

How old are the cars you are comparing? :)

fiesta was a 95M Azura 1.1, corsa was a 98S GLS 1.0i

Both dark blue three doors!!!!

Took me ages to get used to driving the corsa as the gear change was pants and the accelerator pedal vague. Luckily the new corsas are much better, I testdrove one for fun and it was really nice. Still prefer the new fiestas though.

is that the three cylinder corsa? They're really weedy and need revving to get anywhere!

I did find the corsa a bit rubbery on the gearchange (a 94L, so may be different), but it's something i've got used to. Doesn't really like getting into 2nd when it's cold, you have to keep the stick really far across to the left!
As for the throttle, it was a bit sticky at first, but we modified it by changing the path of the cable (and reducing the curvature on bends), which helped significantly.

yeah it was a three-cylinder, sounded rough as s-h-i-t-!!!!

I got used to the gearchange after a while, but if i drove another car, such as my parents new (or old) fiesta, mine felt awful to drive afterwards.

But until I can save up some cash, I remain car-less :( Damn the student lifestyle!