Gear Sticking Problems

[mattjohn]

hi everyone!
hope someone can help or maybe link me onto an appropriate thread on here!
i have a 1.5 for four with MANUAL gear box, recently the car on some occasion refused to go into first gear, i literally have to force it into gear, shifting down from 5th to 4th to 3rd is sometimes "cruncy", ive had the oil changed in the gearbox but its still doing it! new gearbox????? any help please!
Matt

[Mjolinor]

Remove the carpet from under the clutch pedal. If that doesn't fix it then get a new clutch.

This assumes the forfour has a clutch pedal, I don't know the answer to that.

If you keep forcing it then it will very quickly need a new gearbox.

[Ocracoke]

First off, welcome to the forum from a fellow 454 ForFour owner!

The manual gearbox being stiff is a common annoyance on this model. Lubrication of the gear shifting linkages should help with this which I understand can be fairly fiddly and should be done with a proper lubricant, such as Lithium white grease. I need to do this with another member of the family's 454 as well. Try this first and see what this does for you.

I've had the whole gear-shifter won't move palaver. I was in a 1.1 on the way back from the chip shop, put the car into Reverse move back and then could I get the car out of Reverse? No. For 5 minutes I was battling with the thing until it finally moved.

[TheAlmostInvisibleMan]

If it crunches it's either the clutch isn't pulled in enough (Bleeding if pneumatic, new cable or adjustment if cabled) ... or could just be binding clutch.

Or it's worn synchro cones in the gearbox.

From what you're saying though it's the former

[Ocracoke]

It should be noted that there isn't any synchro on Reverse.

[TheAlmostInvisibleMan]

It should be noted that there isn't any synchro on Reverse.

There rarely is

[lil.smartie]

Does it have the correct oil in? Had one this week with similar issues & it had ATF in which wasn't helping (ATF is red)

[mattjohn]

thanks for the advice guys, i have changed the oil in the gear box, but its still sticking..... i'm hoping its not a case of getting a new gear box, i'd rather spend a little less on a clutch!

[CrazyG]

The manual gearbox stiff gearchange problem is a 'known' issue to most 454 owners and it is covered; together with the cure;
on another Smart forum that has close links with this one.
To see/read up on it you must first register (it is free). The 'complete' cure is finally clear at the end of the thread.
http://www.forfour.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=614.0