I'm driving home from work when I stop at a red light. My car makes a popping noise and now my 5 speed manual is stuck in first gear. I can move the shifter up and down, but it can't go left and right. The clutch still moves normally, it didn't drop to the floor or anything, and the stick feels really loose like it's not connected to anything. Luckily, I was like 5 minutes from home so I just limped back in first gear with a bunch of angry drivers stuck behind me. It's a 2001 Saturn and if I take it to a mechanic and he tells me it needs a new transmission or something, it will not be worth it to get it fixed. It's got over 100,000 miles on it and it was never a very nice car to begin with. So before I take it down there, do any of you car guys have any idea what happened to the thing? I'm not completely car illiterate, and if there is a chance I can fix it myself, I would like to give it a shot. Google searching didn't help much. Help?! Thanks!
It sounds like a trans problem.Could be a issue with either the shifter seat or the shifter forks/springs just inside the top of the tran. That's my guess. Id probably just take it in if i was you.
My first guess is that your clutch isn't working. Get someone to visually verify that the clutch actuates when you press the peddle. If the clutch is actuating, then the problem is in the gear box. Or try this; if the car is stuck in first gear then you should not be able to push or roll the car with the clutch peddle out. But with the clutch peddle pushed in you should be able to freely push the car and it should roll as though it's out of gear. If this is the condition your clutch is working, and the problem is in the gear box. If you depress the clutch peddle and the car won't move then the problem is with the clutch not disengaging. To sum up, depress the clutch and the car should roll like it's not in gear. This would indicate a bad gear or synchro. If you depress the clutch and the driven wheels are still stuck, the problem is with the clutch. Probably the clutch master cylinder or the clutch slave cylinder. Good luck with it.
its the shift linkage. the small parts that connect the actual shifter in the car, to the gears below. i never had a manual shift saturn, but i had a '98 SL2 auto back in high school. try and take apart the plastic bits that cover the shifter base and get a look at the inside of there. use a flashlight. it has to be the shift linkage. should not be costly to repair. just realized this thread is from July.
you should be able to see the shift linkage on top of the transmission. save yourself a little time and money, pop the hood and look around the trans for the cables that shift the transmission. make sure they are connected still. if they are, you will have to check them at the shifter. just take the shift boot off and you should be able to find them. if the linkages are all connected, then ya its inside the case. since the clutch didnt drop to the floor then i would assume your clutch is fine. then again...the pilot bearing might have given out, which would mean that the clutch wont actuate. if you hold the clutch down, does the trans sit in neutral? if the car still moves with the clutch pushed in then its a problem with either the pilot bearing or clutch fork edit: too bad ur in jersey, im down in va and i would gladly take a look for you. oh and btw...ur 28 days older than me haha
the pop was more then likely the clutch pressure plate giving out , hydraulic clutch you cant tell sometimes