Car won’t move. I can start the car but when I put the shifter in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, ect. The car will not move.

The car will start but will not go into gear. I am able to physically put the shifter into all the gears but the car does not move. WHEN I put the car in 4th or 5th gear and let off the clutch, the speedometer shows the vehicle is going around 20mph. However the car itself is not moving. CLUTCH and master cylinder were replaced at 200k.

My car has 206000 miles.
My car has a manual transmission.

Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
The transaxle is not engaging internally to the axle shafts inside the transaxle or you have one or both axle shafts disengaged from the transaxle. The fact that the speedometer moves when gear is engaged and clutch is released shows the speed sensor in the transaxle is getting turned.

You will need to have the vehicle raised and the axles inspected for broke or stripped shafts. If the axles do not have anything visually wrong with them then hold one wheel and try to turn the other wheel while transaxle is in gear, with engine off, to see if the wheels are locked together. When you spin one wheel the other wheel should turn in the opposite direction. If it does not then the problem is in the transaxle differential gears and the transaxle would need to be removed and disassembled to find the broken internal components.

If you need some assistance with this, consider YourMechanic, as one of our mobile technicians can come to your home or office to diagnose your acceleration issue and help make the necessary repairs to get you going again.

How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?

Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :

There are several causes for your car to lose power significantly while accelerating. The most typical causes of a car not accelerating while driving include a faulty sensor, contaminated fuel or air filters, or a faulty timing belt.
It could be something as simple as a dirty air filter or a clogged fuel line. If your car is not getting enough gas, it will not be able to accelerate properly. Another possibility is that your catalytic converter is clogged. The catalytic converter helps to convert exhaust fumes into less harmful gases.
Ignition system: a malfunctioning ignition system can result in power loss as well as start-up issues. Faulty fuel pump and/or filter: a worn-out pump or clogged filter can prevent the proper flow of fuel to your engine and result in a noticeable loss of power.
The most common causes for slow acceleration in Honda Accord are clogged air filter, dirty mass air flow sensor (MAF), clogged fuel filter, fuel pump malfunction, faulty oxygen sensor, dirty throttle body, worn spark plugs and clogged catalytic converter.
The number one cause is the clutch components have worn out and no longer have enough friction material to overcome the weight of the vehicle. A second possibility is the transmission can be stuck in two gears at the same time and it won`t move. The shift mechanism can malfunction and keep you from selecting a gear.
When you press down the accelerator pedal and get minimal output, it could mean you have a problem with your fuel system. The most probable issue is a clogged fuel filter. Your fuel filter works to ensure that dirt and debris do not get into the fuel system.
Fuel injector nozzles can become clogged over time, which can lead to a sputtering engine, slow acceleration and the car not having enough power. Fuel injectors can be cleaned if the problem is caught early, but as the conditions worsens, the injectors may have to be replaced.
Clean or replace your vehicle`s air filter when your acceleration is acting sluggish. Put in new spark plugs when they go bad if your engine misfires and hesitates. Replace your vehicle`s fuel filter when there`s a delayed response when you accelerate.
A loss of power is most apparent when you`re accelerating, and can be due to a number of reasons including air flow into the engine, fuel flow and even faults with the exhaust system.
This is normally caused by one the following issues: Defective battery. Bad alternator. A blown fuse.
Grinding, Jerking, or Shaking

Shaking and jerking are good indicators of transmission trouble. Gear grinding is a common symptom in manual transmission vehicles. Automatic transmission failure often begins with some hesitation during gears shifting. Some might describe this a “slipping,” as well.

Hi there: This issue is typically caused by a blown fuse in the fuse box located on the driver side of the vehicle. It could also be due to a bad electrical relay that powers these lights.
Dirty fuel injectors are among the most common reasons for why an accelerator becomes jerky. The dirty injector leads to your car losing power when you attempt to accelerate while at a stop and when you try to drive at a consistent speed. This is the result of an engine misfire.
Clean or replace your vehicle`s air filter when your acceleration is acting sluggish. Put in new spark plugs when they go bad if your engine misfires and hesitates. Replace your vehicle`s fuel filter when there`s a delayed response when you accelerate.
Symptoms of low oil include your engine feeling sluggish. It may suffer from poor acceleration and you could find yourself sitting behind the wheel wondering what those knocking and ticking noises might be?
Symptoms of low oil include your engine feeling sluggish. It may suffer from poor acceleration and you could find yourself sitting behind the wheel wondering what those knocking and ticking noises might be?

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Car won’t move. I can start the car but when I put the shifter in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, ect. The car will not move.
ANSWER : The transaxle is not engaging internally to the axle shafts inside the transaxle or you have one or both axle shafts disengaged from the transaxle. The fact that the speedometer moves when gear is engaged and clutch is released shows the speed sensor in the transaxle is getting turned.

You will need to have the vehicle raised and the axles inspected for broke or stripped shafts. If the axles do not have anything visually wrong with them then hold one wheel and try to turn the other wheel while transaxle is in gear, with engine off, to see if the wheels are locked together. When you spin one wheel the other wheel should turn in the opposite direction. If it does not then the problem is in the transaxle differential gears and the transaxle would need to be removed and disassembled to find the broken internal components.

If you need some assistance with this, consider YourMechanic, as one of our mobile technicians can come to your home or office to diagnose your acceleration issue and help make the necessary repairs to get you going again.

My car will not start Intermittently. I purchased a new battery 2 weeks ago and yesterday the car wouldn’t start. Got a jump and
ANSWER : The issue you are having is probably due to an intermittent fault in the starter motor itself or a deficiency in the starter electrical circuit, for example a large voltage drop due to a poor ground or a high resistance connection. These issues can be readily diagnosed and resolved on a mobile basis if you request a hard starting diagnostic. If you request that diagnostic, the responding certified mechanic will get this resolved for you promptly. Based on Toyota’s Factory Service Manual, the battery should not be disconnected if the vehicle engine is running. The battery acts as a large resistive voltage sink and consequently taking the battery out of the circuit, while the alternator is still running, can create a voltage spike on the car’s electrical system which is not good for voltage sensitive components such as the engine computer. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

Car won’t start. The check engine light, battery light, and oil change light are coming on. I tried jumping the car and nothing happened. Why won’t my car start?
ANSWER : Hi and thanks for contacting Your Mechanic. If sometimes your vehicle will start with the new alternator and sometimes it won’t, then there is a loose connection in your charging system. Check all of the wires to the alternator and to the battery. Make sure that the battery cables are clean and tight. Make sure that the wires to the starter are clean and tight. A loose ground to the ignition system will cause the vehicle to not crank over. Check all of the ground wires from the battery to the starter. Make sure that they are clean and tight. If you need further assistance troubleshooting your no start situation, then seek out a technician, such as one from Your Mechanic, that can assist you.

My car won’t move while it’s in drive, 2nd or 3rd gear
ANSWER : Hello, this transmission is controlled by a computer. There are sensors for input information and solenoids are used to control outputs. What you describe sounds like an internal issue. If you’d like, a certified YourMechanic Technician can come to your location to evaluate this transmission issue. Please look at this web site for more information and service options.

The car crank but won’t start
ANSWER : Hi there. This does sound like an issue with the wiring. If the check engine light is coming on every now and then this means that when it does not come on there is no power to the computer. This can be the wiring harness issue or an ignition switch problem. I would have to test for voltage to the computer when the problem is occurring to be able to find where the issue lies. If you need assistance, a certified YourMechanic technician can be dispatched to your location to inspect your vehicle’s non-start issue and suggest any necessary repairs.

Map sensor car won’t start up good ?
ANSWER : Your MAP sensor is an important input for your computer. It helps determine the load on the engine to calculate the correct amount of fuel to inject. It sometimes takes a few seconds for the vehicle to realize that the sensor is not producing a good signal.

At that point, it will use other methods to determine the fuel rate, such as pre-programmed fuel maps, throttle position, etc. I would suggest replacing the MAP sensor and retesting. If you would like to have it checked first, a certified technician from YourMechanic will be able to scan your vehicle and test components to determine the root cause of your starting issue before making a repair.

I put the wrong key in my car and a few weeks later my car just shut down and it will not start I believe it’s the computer but…
ANSWER : Hi there. What had happened is the wrong key set the security to the vehicle. This is to prevent the vehicle from starting with the wrong keys. Try removing the battery cables (+) and (-) for 13 minutes. During that time, put the original key in the ignition and turn it on. Activate everything in the car even though there is no power. Then remove the key and hook up the battery cables. The computer should have reset and reset the security. If the security is still being tripped, then I recommend seeking out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you

Car will start but once i put it into gear it will not move just revs!!!
ANSWER : It sounds like you have a CV joint that has failed. The CV joints are the couplings between the axle and the front wheels that enable power to be transmitted through the shaft to a wheel that is being steered. When a joint is going bad, they begin to make a "popping" sound, most often while the car is being steered sharply as in parking. Eventually, when the joint fails completely, there will be no connection between the axle and the wheel so the engine just freewheels and the car goes nowhere. When you tried to put the car into park, the sound you heard was the parking pawl trying to engage while the transmission was turning. Since there was no connection between the wheel and the axle, applying the brake did not stop the transmission from turning so it;s just like trying to engage park while you are moving. The good news is it’s probably not that big a deal to fix Unless the parking pawl on the transmission was damaged, replacing the CV joint could be all that you need. Contact Your Mechanic, and they can send a technician to your home or office to check out your CV joints and tell you what can be done about them.