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I was driving to school today and in the parking lot I could not change gears. When the car is on you cant get it into gear, I push the clutch down to put it into first or any other gear it will not go in, it just seems like there is no gear there, Ill try to put more force into getting it into gear but it will just grind. When the car is turned off I can get it in, when the car is on I cant... What could the problem be? Clutch? Tranny? Something else?

It's a 1989 Dodge Colt 4 Speed. It has 96k miles on the motor, trans, and chassis.

There is a problem with your clutch release cylinder/cable. You can push the clutch in, but the clutch is not disengaging, and so you can't put it in gear without grinding. Is it a hydraulic clutch or the cable kind?

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Im assuming it's a cable, what could I do to fix this? Thanks for your help

There will be a cylinder on the firewall in front of the driver inside the engine bay if it's a hydraulic clutch. It would have a hard line coming out of it that runs down to the transmission. The part that it leads to is called the Slave cylinder, and that is what releases the clutch.

I've had that slave cylinder come unbolted from the transmission before. When it happens, you can push in the clutch pedal, but can't put it in any gear without grinding (DON'T DO THAT).

I would check that out and make sure nothing is wrong with it. If it turns out to be a cable-actuated clutch, then you need to figure out how to adjust the cable....which I have no clue how to do.

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Ill have to check that out, last night when I was driving it, I could switch gears when the car was moving, downshifting was harder but still could do it. When I would stop, I had to turn off the car and throw it into first. Just looked under the hood and its a hydraulic. Looks like there is no fluid... at all inside. It says to use DOT 3 Brake Fluid?? Is that what the clutch uses? It looks like the brakes are on the passenger side firewall. Thanks

Yes, the brakes are on the passenger side. You will be using DOT 3 brake fluid to refill your clutch resevoir. You have found the problem, now it's on to fixing it.

Here's the deal....you now have pushing air through your hydraulic line. Down towards the Slave cylinder (on the trans) is probably a big mix of air and contaminated brake fluid. You will have to drain the system and get rid of the air, so that it's only brake fluid left.

You will have to get underneath the transmission and locate that Slave cylinder. On it is what we call a bleeder valve. You open it up a turn or so and it will start leaking. You want to have a way of collecting the fluid by attaching a rubber hose or something to that bleeder valve, or else you will have fluid all over by the time you are finished.

Once you have the bleeder open, go back up to the firewall and fill up that resevoir with brake fluid. Gravity will naturally allow the fluid to go down to the Slave cylinder. You want to speed this step up, so here's what you do. After you fill up the fluid, go inside your car and push to the clutch to the floor and release it. Now go back to the firewall and check the fluid level again. You DO NOT want the fluid to get low while doing this, cause you will pump air into the lines and have to start over.

Keep doing this over and over, until you get nice and clear fluid coming out of the Slave cylinder. Once that has happened then you have fresh fluid in the whole system.

Next important step once the new fluid has filled the system. Be ready to shut that bleeder valve tight at this step. On that Slave cylinder is a rod that pushes the clutch on the trans, right? Take some pliers in one hand, a wrench (10mm, I think) in the other. You are going to push that rod into the Slave cylinder as much as possible and lock the bleeder valve shut.

So now you have fresh hydraulic fluid and you have reset (bled) the Slave cylinder as well. You should be able to drive now.

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Thank you very much for your help and tips, ill be getting this done asap.

No problem. Let us know if you need any more help.

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Good stuff - trucks bring it!