Gear/Clutch issues - your thoughts on this please...

Kaylee

Drove for about 2 hours one day last week for a business meeting, no problem. When the meeting was finished I hopped into the car to head home and had great difficulty getting the car into gear. With difficulty I got it into the various gears needed and decided to try to get as close to home as possible.

The car eventually would not go into gear at all for me. I managed with difficulty to drive my car and me in fifth gear to the next nearest town where a mechanic I know works.

He told me that the clutch fluid was gone - leaking? The clutch was fine when topped up but he will need to replace the gearbox because I forced the gears too much.

This same mechanic has recently (last few weeks) done a full service on the car

Does this sound plausible? Should the mechanic have noticed that something was amiss with the clutch fluid during the previous service?

Any opinions welcome - I'm feeling a bit peeved about this to be honest.

freighter

No maybe the leak only started after the service but i think the new gearbox is bull though.

Henry Ford III

I'd Cover an area outside in paper, refil the clutch master cylinder, bleed it, and then see if you can select all the gears.

If you can it's a clutch hydraulic issue only.

If not your mechanic might well be right.

mercservices

what make/model year etc?

Kaylee

Thanks for the replies.

2 Questions that are bugging me: if the clutch fluid reservoir (sorry haven't a clue about the proper terminology) suddenly sprung a leak should I have got a warning light on the dash?

Secondly, did my driving the car and forcing the car into gear wreak the gearbox?

The car is a 2002 Ford Focus.

Thanks again.

mercservices

Kaylee wrote: »

Thanks for the replies.

2 Questions that are bugging me: if the clutch fluid reservoir (sorry haven't a clue about the proper terminology) suddenly sprung a leak should I have got a warning light on the dash?

Secondly, did my driving the car and forcing the car into gear wreak the gearbox?

The car is a 2002 Ford Focus.

Thanks again.

It would be a slave cylinder leaking on your car, common problem on focus. to replace its a gearbox out job.As for a warning light,the focus doesnt have one specifically for clutch fluid.
To answer your second question, its hard to say untill the car was seen, more likely just a clutch issue preventing gear selection

Kaylee

Thanks for the replies.

I'm just pee'd off cos the car just passed the NCT 3 weeks ago. But from what you guys are saying this wouldn't have been noticed as a problem then? Am I right in saying this?

Nonoperational

This is not something that would have been found it a service or NCT really. The NCT is a safety check nothing more, it's just one of those things really I don't think it's fair to try and pin the blame on anyone as much as it is a pain for you to have to shell out to sort it.

pitkan

As stated before it is the clutch slave cylinder that is the problem. This is the part of the clutch fluid system that is in constant use and the cylinder seal is probably worn and needs replacing. As for the gearbox ,it is lubricated by its own gear oil and is of sturdy build and unless you were forcing the car into gear with a sledge hammer the likelyhood of damage done would be minimal.Get the fluid problem sorted first and you will know by the `FEEL` of the car as to whether there is any difference to the gearbox. Good luck.

Kaylee

Thanks for all your advice guys.

I am involved in the blame game because I am getting the blame for forcing the gears and thus damaging the car :mad: I get like this when I'm backed into a corner!

Anyways, I'll move on now! Thanks again really appreciate it.

zilog_jones

Were you forcing them? Was there a lot of grinding when you tried changing gears? If you match your revs accordingly you should be able to get in and out of gears quite easily without the clutch, but if you were letting the engine go down to idle speed each time (or do something else) you're more likely to have caused damage.

corktina

id doubt you could have damaged the gearbox too much... and Im not sure how your mechanic would know that without taking out the box to look at it....