Clutch or Gearbox & rough Cost 1998 Sentra

nigelt74, Feb 22, 1:06am
Driving down SH1, (been in 100k zone for a couple of mins) noticed car sounded like it was in neutral, so went to put it in gear, but it was already in gear, so pulled it out and put it back in, nothing happened, tried putting it into fourth went in fine, nothing changed have to pull over as by this point the speeds dropped quite a bit, and end up on the back of a tow truck.
The gears seem to do absolutely nothing, it was working fine minutes before, there was no bang or graunching or grinding noises. the car hadn't been used in about a week, it was serviced a month ago, normally i do between 60-80ks a day. but I had a week off.

I am not a car person, but any ideas would help thanks

clark20, Feb 22, 1:13am
Could be anywhere between clutch and drive crown, sounds like gearbox out to find out.
Edit could also be CV if one goes you will have no drive, see if anything is rotating on one side of the gearbox in while in gear. (have someone look while in drivers seat just in case it works again)

franc123, Feb 22, 1:19am
Does the clutch action feel normal? If it does then it sounds very much like the centre may have broken out of the drive plate, or the pressure plate has failed. You are really going to have to get it looked at by a pro to be sure of what's happened.

intrade, Feb 22, 1:25am
i have found on sentras the clutch cable can stick and not release the clutch burning out the disk any smell from the gearbox now?

toyboy3, Feb 22, 1:25am
Does the speedometer still work now ?

kazbanz, Feb 22, 1:36am
I'D check this first.
Not questioning the other advice at all but I had something similar with a trade in sunny of the same sort of vintage.

nigelt74, Feb 22, 1:54am
There was a weird smell, I can't describe it not like anything i have smelt before

gmphil, Feb 22, 2:02am
burnt clutch then by ur smell description lol still could be worse as just a computer guess $600 total clutch replacement job or there abouts

mechnificent, Feb 22, 2:03am
He was driving along. he didn't mention using the clutch. No noises. something has broken. Checking the speedo and if the axles are turning is the first thing to do.

mechnificent, Feb 22, 2:04am
Oh, ok, just saw the smell. Sounds like clutch then.

nigelt74, Feb 22, 2:24am
Can someone explain checking the speedo? I am not sure what you are meaning, if I start the car, it doesn't move at all, so the speedo doesn't do anything and as for the rev counter thats never worked properly.
As for the other bits i wouldn't even know where to start looking.

But yes i do intend to get a pro to look at it.

mechnificent, Feb 22, 2:29am
Here's a bit of a rough check. so do it gently.

Start the motor, leave your foot off the clutch, gently try to put it into first gear. if it goes in, take it back out and gently, very gently, try putting it in reverse,, If it slows the motor or tries to creep forwards at all in first don't try the reverse test.

kazbanz, Feb 22, 3:23am
Checking if the speedo is working-the speedo is driven off the gearbox.-
In very simple (slightly innacurate) terms--No gears means no speedo -its a test to find the fault

morrisman1, Feb 22, 7:08pm
strange for a clutch to go so suddenly. Maybe there has been oil contamination.

Very unlikely to be the gearbox itself, normally failures of the gearbox make lots of expensive mechanical noises when they happen.

nigelt74, Feb 23, 9:12pm
Ok Im back

started car, kept foot of clutch moved gear lever to 1st position, nothing whatsoever happened, tried reverse nothing happened, speedo did nothing either.
On Sunday when the car died the speedo was showing the speed right up until the car came to a stand still.

Anyway I'll get it to a mechanic later this week

kazbanz, Feb 23, 9:16pm
I wonder-could it be as simple as a busted linkage?

mechnificent, Feb 23, 9:21pm
Bust clutch. possibly the center out of the friction plate. It would have graunched into reverse other wise.

Unless. the front shaft of the gearbox has broken but that would be mighty unusual I'd think these days.

supernova2, Feb 23, 10:29pm
Im picking broken driven plate but I suppose the pressure plate could have failed - broken spring ring?

daryl14, May 30, 2:05am
Surely if the car was serviced a week ago you need to take it back to mechanic and ask some questions about what was touched? Maybe they adjusted something too far.

I had a mechanic not do up the hub nut properly and he ended up shouting me a new wheel bearing.