fiesta mk6 gear box or clutch prob

[darren m]

Any of you chaps or family ever owned a ford fiesta mk 5 or 6

 

my daughters had one for a month a 55 plate , and seems to think the clutch or gearbox is on its way out .

 

the car drives fines its a 1.25 duratec , and goes through the gears 1 to 5 fine , its just reverse thats causing a problem .

it seems difficult to engage reverse with out a lot of force and crunching noise ( she said on occasion 1st is a bit stiff too ).

 

its a hydraulic clutch and fluid level is ok ( although a bit dirty , shares the res with the brake system )

 

i cant decide if its clutch or gearbox

 

does any one have any experience of this gearbox

 

thanks

Edited March 3, 2014 by darren m

[sonicdmb]

Might not be either could be the gear linkage, from the gear lever to the box if you take the box out and don't line that up properly it can cause those symptoms. try that first. Are there any other symptoms slipping when accelerating hard or trouble going into gear going down through the gears?

[NIGHT SEARCHER]

The clutch is dragging ie ( It`s not fully disengaging )

Very stiff to get in 1st gear over working the synchromesh.

Crunching in to reverse No synchromesh on reverse gear.

First job is bleed the clutch till new fluid comes through. Then try it. If it is still the same.

Then have the clutch master cylinder and the clutch slave cylinder looked at.

But to be honest it sounds like the clutch is finished. What sort of mileage is on it.

It could be the clutch pressure plate cracked causing drag.

Or the clutch plate just worn out causing clutch drag.

Is there a little squealing noise has the clutch bites if there is the plate is down to the rivets.

And it will damage the flywheel NOT CHEAP. You need a new clutch ASAP.

I very much doubt it`s the gearbox.

But the gearbox synchromesh will get damaged if it`s used with the clutch dragging.

[Brad93]

Before you start worrying,

 

The ford iB5 gearbox found in various guises was put in the mk4 fiesta back in 98 and has only recently been replaced. It is a 5 speed 3 shaft box, via cable linkage (in the mk6 fiesta).

 

These gearboxes do not feature a synchromesh on the 1st or reverse gears. The car must come to a compete stop before changing gear, otherwise it will be difficult to engage.

 

The best short term thing to do is, quickly with your foot on the clutch the entire time, change into 3rd gear then back into reverse this aligns the centre shaft and output shaft, and makes the gear a lot easier to engage.

 

Long term, draining the gearbox fluid by popping out the passenger side driver shaft and replacing with a high quality fully synthetic fluid will make changing gear easier. You can get PTFE additives which make gears bind and slip better, but I've never used them. If you need any advice give me a PM . I owned a mk6 for three years and now have a mk5. Hobby mechanic for family/friends and I love fords

 

Reading the above it will not be the gear linkage. These cars use a cable linkage not a push rod linkage like the mk5, which if not aligned causes all sorts of issues.

 

The clutch may require bleeding or a fluid change. If this hasn't been done for three years it is good practice to change the brake fluid out, bleed brakes then the clutch. Very simple to do.

 

You haven't mentioned how many miles the car has done? Sadly later fords use a plastic Concentric slave cylinder, they're prone to breaking down and you can often hear them 'whirring' when In neutral with your foot off the clutch. If the gearbox fluid doesn't sort the issue, then the clutch may need swapping out. They're about £120 from ford, and an up rated heavy duty slave is about £27 off eBay. I've got one and so have my friends and we have had no issues yet.

 

Gearbox can be had out on a driveway in about an hour and a half, and back in about the same. Bleeding will take half hour I guess.

Edited March 3, 2014 by Brad93

[turbo33]

The clutch is dragging ie ( It`s not fully disengaging )

Very stiff to get in 1st gear over working the synchromesh.

Crunching in to reverse No synchromesh on reverse gear.

First job is bleed the clutch till new fluid comes through. Then try it. If it is still the same.

Then have the clutch master cylinder and the clutch slave cylinder looked at.

But to be honest it sounds like the clutch is finished. What sort of mileage is on it.

It could be the clutch pressure plate cracked causing drag.

Or the clutch plate just worn out causing clutch drag.

Is there a little squealing noise has the clutch bites if there is the plate is down to the rivets.

And it will damage the flywheel NOT CHEAP. You need a new clutch ASAP.

I very much doubt it`s the gearbox.

But the gearbox synchromesh will get damaged if it`s used with the clutch dragging.

 

Dear old nightsearcher, the expert on everything (not) and the profit of doom Ignore Nightsearchers post.........utter tosh Go with Brads diagnosis and change the oil first. Bmw's and even the faithful Hilux are very oil sensitive. Wrong oil and the symptoms you describe are exactly what happens.

Edited March 3, 2014 by turbo33

[88b]

As an ex Ford Motor Co trans tech, let me assure you it's not the oil.

The IB 5 transaxle does have synchromesh on first gear but not on reverse, reverse gear is also straight cut not helical which also makes it harder to engage and why it whines when driven.

My diagnosis is a dragging clutch , does it bite close to the floor ? The slave cylinder is the clutch release bearing so the trans needs to come out to change it.

Does reverse engage easily without the engine running ? If so that's another clue pointing towards the clutch. There is adjustment on the gear linkage but if all of the other gears engage easily I doubt that's the problem. There is also an internal adjustment for fifth and reverse but as fifth is ok I doubt it's that either.

[NIGHT SEARCHER]

 

Dear old nightsearcher, the expert on everything (not) and the profit of doom Ignore Nightsearchers post.........utter tosh Go with Brads diagnosis and change the oil first. Bmw's and even the faithful Hilux are very oil sensitive. Wrong oil and the symptoms you describe are exactly what happens.

 

How long have you been a Machanic for Turbo

Over forty years has a Machanic and what has been described is clutch drag.

If it was fine and now it`s crunching in to gear how can it be the oil unless it`s leaked out.

And if you read Brads post he says Slave cylinder or the Clutch needs Swopping out.

And yet you have a pop at me. Yet another keyboard .

Edited March 3, 2014 by NIGHT SEARCHER

[Cannon]

How long have you been a Machcanic for Turbo

Over forty years has a Machcanic and what has been described is clutch drag.

If it was fine and now it`s crunching in to gear how can it be the oil unless it`s leaked out.

And if you read Brads post he says Slave cylinder or the Clutch needs Swopping out.

And yet you have a pop at me. Yet another keyboard .

Whats a Machcanic?

[Bluebarrels]

Whats a Machcanic?

A Maccam that work's as a mechanic BB

[turbo33]

Whats a Machcanic?

 

I think its a combination of macho and maniac

 

 

How long have you been a Machanic for Turbo

Over forty years has a Machanic and what has been described is clutch drag.

If it was fine and now it`s crunching in to gear how can it be the oil unless it`s leaked out.

And if you read Brads post he says Slave cylinder or the Clutch needs Swopping out.

And yet you have a pop at me. Yet another keyboard .

 

Race car engines and gearboxes for a very long time

I've been shooting for about the same time as you've been a Machanic and my shooting is still carp, so.............

And if YOU read Brads post, he mentions the oil FIRST.

Perhaps , has you've been a machanic for 40 years, you could explain why oil is changed at service intervals if it hasn't leaked out? or maybe its a scam

[Cannon]

I thought it was a razor blade technician. Glad it's been cleared up lol

[sonicdmb]

 

I think its a combination of macho and maniac

 

 

Race car engines and gearboxes for a very long time

I've been shooting for about the same time as you've been a Machanic and my shooting is still carp, so.............

And if YOU read Brads post, he mentions the oil FIRST.

Perhaps , has you've been a machanic for 40 years, you could explain why oil is changed at service intervals if it hasn't leaked out? or maybe its a scam

Or maybe it's to get rid of the contaminents and an oil which no longer performs to it's specification

 

On the Mk6 box it does have a cable and if the cable adjustment is out of spec it can cause your symptoms its listed in the fault finding section of the workshop manual along with worn clutch.

I have had problems with gear change mechanism alignment on both shaft and cable operated systems and checking the cable ones is a simple mater of taking a measurement, well worth it in terms of cost over diving straight in and dropping the gear box to look at the clutch.

[Brad93]

Guys, no need to argue, without looking the car this is all purely speculation. I have found in the past that a simple oil change brings about a vast improvement, and it's a small cost to try.

I fail to see how the cable linkage could have gone out of alignment. But by all means have a fiddle.

 

The clutch, if the car has done over 30000 miles and has ever been driven by a woman, likely does need changing. My Mk6 only had 23000 miles and the clutch slipped like a good'un. 1 woman owner who rode the clutch it seems.

[88b]

Guys, no need to argue, without looking the car this is all purely speculation. I have found in the past that a simple oil change brings about a vast improvement, and it's a small cost to try.

I fail to see how the cable linkage could have gone out of alignment. But by all means have a fiddle.

The clutch, if the car has done over 30000 miles and has ever been driven by a woman, likely does need changing. My Mk6 only had 23000 miles and the clutch slipped like a good'un. 1 woman owner who rode the clutch it seems.

Most IB5's don't have a drain plug although for a brief period they did, so to drain the oil you have to remove a drive shaft. You can get some out by removing a detent but you will only get about 70% out. Not sure if this car has cable shift or the single linkage rod, if it has the Rod that can easily get damaged by either running over something or a trolley jack in the wrong place. Ford consider all transaxles lubricated for life.

[darren m]

its a 55 plate , looking for a drain or top up plug at the mo to check the gearbox oil

 

can a hydraulic clutch be adjusted?

 

the 1st to reverse idea works