I recently was driving my 97 Saturn Sc1 on the highway and pulled off for a quick stop. When I tried to get back on the road I could not get my car to go into second gear. I finally realized that if I got it to the "perfect" RPM (around 3500)that it would grind for half a second and then go into gear.

for the next three weeks I just skipped 2nd gear and went directly to third. then while coming down a steep mountain I realized that I had no 2nd, 4th, or reverse gear.

I took my car to the mechanic and they said that a "C clamp" had popped off but they found it and were able to put it back on. this restored all gears but 2nd.

the mechanic says that I need a new transmission, and I do trust my mechanic, I would just like to know if anyone has had this problem. Most people that I talk to about it say that it is probably just the clutch, but the mechanic says that it is the transmission. I am pretty short on cash right now and dont have money for a new transmission and dont want to take the risk of a used one.

WHAT DO I DO? [img]smileys/smiley29.gif[/img]

 

Find a new mechanic. Sounds like one of the shift cables is stretched.

 

Thank you for your reply, but that is what he thought it was before he looked at it. Something new that happened yesterday, I was trying to back out of a parking spot, I shifted into reverse and proceeded to try to back up and the car didnt move. It sounded like something was stripped. I took it out of gear and put it back in and it was fine.

I guess a second opinion couldn't hurt though huh.

 

Yep, sounds like the cables. They not letting the gear selector on the top of the tranny go all the way into gear because they're now too long. The cable end seperated from the end piece just under the shifter assembly.

 

Thanks Alot! I will see if I can get an appointment somewhere else and tell them what "I" think it is. [img]smileys/smiley2.gif[/img]