1st breakdown - Now I'm a real Stag owner

[JesusofCool]

On the way to have an alignment check the transmission let go in 2nd gear. Revs off the scale (foot had hit the floor, pedal jammed on carpet). Switched off and coated to stop. Engine restarted fine but no gears selectable. Just won't go through gate, except reverse but just to grinding gears. With engine off all the gear positions are selectable.

A spledid chap in a Z3 stopped and towed me home. Refused any recompense.

So, is it clutch or gearbox? Either way I think it's beyond me, so a garage bill looms.

[StagnJag]

Are the gears selectable with the engine off? If so it sounds like the clutch. First place to check is the clutch hydraulics though. Is there still fluid in the system?

Dave

[DJT]

When you say 'foot hit the floor, pedal jammed on carpet', do you mean the clutch pedal? If so, I guess you were changing gear at the time? If so, then I would suspect the release fork pin in the cross-shaft. If this breaks, it will give those symptoms. You will probably find that the slave cylinder has blown its seals too.

[JesusofCool]

The accelerator hit the floor. Retrospectively I guess it lost/jumped out of 2nd gear.

The gears feel as they normally do when the engine is off. The stick moves smoothly through all the gate positions.

[JesusofCool]

Adding insult to injury; since I can't take the Stag out I offered to cook lunch and promptly sliced the top off a finger with the bosses new peeler.

[Guest]

Adding insult to injury; since I can't take the Stag out I offered to cook lunch and promptly sliced the top off a finger with the bosses new peeler.

Ouch!!! It sounds like the clutch, is there the same pressure on the pedal as before? Check all hydraulics including the pipe between master and slave cylinders.

Jason

[JesusofCool]

pedal feels the same as usual. I can feel a vibration through it though.

[Gresley]

If it is any consolation, I had my first breakdown yesterday too. I had a clutch slave cylinder fail once which gave symptoms like yours. The seals gave up when parked overnight, it was fine the day before.

[martin]

Ah you poor guys with that waggely stick thing - I do feel for you ! Martin.

[Rubce]

Ah you poor guys with that waggely stick thing - I do feel for you ! Martin.

The occasional hassle is worth it for the extra fun of driving a manual Plus, with overdrive fitted you are in effect driving a semi automatic when in 3rd and 4th so get the best of both worlds

Bruce

[JesusofCool]

If it is any consolation, I had my first breakdown yesterday too. I had a clutch slave cylinder fail once which gave symptoms like yours. The seals gave up when parked overnight, it was fine the day before.

I hope you were as lucky as I was. I was being towed within 5 minutes and only another 5 mins from home..

Clutch slave cylinder sounds likely and certainly the starting point. I hope so. Not too expensive.

[V Mad]

If anything in the clutch control mechanism broke surely it would not lose drive?

[Colonel Mustard]

Just trying to run this one through in my head. Did you say that reverse gear still worked? And by that do you mean that the car has drive in reverse, or simply that reverse gear can be selected with the engine running?

I have to agree with the comments you've had so far...it does sound like something has failed in the clutch.

If something had broken in the gearbox, and assuming that it was something that connected the input shaft to the layshaft, or the layshaft to the output shaft, then 4th gear should still work (for test purposes obviously). 4th gear isn't really a gear as such because the input and output shafts are locked together to produce direct drive...so in effect the whole gearbox becomes redundant ballast weight.

If it was something concerning the gearbox, then you might get the situation where the speedometer reads movement even though you have no drive...although you can't rely on this as it depends what has broken.

As for the clutch...if the hydraulics failed, it would make sense that you can't engage a gear with the engine running but it feels normal with the engine off...but you would still have drive (for example if you put the car into gear and then, with your foot on the clutch...started the engine...the car would try to move, probably even on the starter motor...don't try this if you are parked next to something you could hit).

If something has broken in the clutch mechinism and is jamming the pressure plate, then you could loose drive. My first port of call would be to check the clutch slave cylinder, and make sure that the clutch arm is free to move. Then perhaps it would be wise to see if you have drive...disconnect the ignition coil to prevent the engine from starting. Put the car into gear and without touching any pedals, crank it for one second. It should lurch. Obviously make sure there's nothing you can hit...and you don't need to crank for more than a second or so, otherwise you might damage the starter motor if the car is trying to move.

I know this sounds pretty crude but you need to know if you are dealing with a clutch or a gearbox problem.

Hope this helps

Chris

[JesusofCool]

Thanks for your time Col,
I can "feel" the reverse gear - with gentle pressure I can feel the gears grinding against each other, and I think I could "bang it into" reverse, but for obvious reasons haven't been so crude. This does suggest that I do have "drive" though.

Your suggestion occurred to me but I wasn't brave enough to try it. I felt it was likely to behave as you suggest and therefore hydraulics. I'll check out the clutch arm and try the "lurch test" when I get home tonight.

[brian0443]

Chris (Col Mustard) has given you a lot of useful advice. Don't try banging the car into gear. You may damage something. If it engages you have to get stopped again, and you have to get back to your starting point. If you are not happy with the idea of a quick lurch -Ignition off, engage a high gear, handbrake off and push. If the engine turns over the problem is clutch release related. Driving exhuberantly many years ago I had a similar experience and discovered I had torn the centre from the clutch plate.
Brian