Is anyone else having problems changing gears in their Focus? It's an intermittent fault but its now driving me mad!! I can be driving along and the car is running well but when I try to change gear its locks up and its neigh on impossible to change gear. If I turn the engine off however I can put it start into first and start up and it'll drive normally again, then it may happen again trying to change from first to second, or second to third or down again. Strangely never happens going from third to fourth, or fourth to fifth or shifting down. My car is a 1.6 zetec, 2002 plate with over 120 thousand miles ont the clock. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Don't wont the cost of a new clutch unless it's what it really needs.

Cheers, Jen

unless your experiencing judder when releasing the clutch then its unlikely to be a clutch related problem. to check put car in second and pull away, if you dont feel any judder then all should be ok. are you getting any noise when you dip the clutch to engage a gear, if you are then you clutch release bearing may be on its way. the noise sounds like a dry bearing running rough. if no noise then all should be ok there. there is a manual gearbox adjustment procedure for the shift and selector cable from your gear lever to the gearbox, however it is explained fully in a haynes manual, you may just need to adjust the cables a small amount due to wear and tare. hope this helps

unless your experiencing judder when releasing the clutch then its unlikely to be a clutch related problem. to check put car in second and pull away, if you dont feel any judder then all should be ok. are you getting any noise when you dip the clutch to engage a gear, if you are then you clutch release bearing may be on its way. the noise sounds like a dry bearing running rough. if no noise then all should be ok there. there is a manual gearbox adjustment procedure for the shift and selector cable from your gear lever to the gearbox, however it is explained fully in a haynes manual, you may just need to adjust the cables a small amount due to wear and tare. hope this helps

unless your experiencing judder when releasing the clutch then its unlikely to be a clutch related problem. to check put car in second and pull away, if you dont feel any judder then all should be ok. are you getting any noise when you dip the clutch to engage a gear, if you are then you clutch release bearing may be on its way. the noise sounds like a dry bearing running rough. if no noise then all should be ok there. there is a manual gearbox adjustment procedure for the shift and selector cable from your gear lever to the gearbox, however it is explained fully in a haynes manual, you may just need to adjust the cables a small amount due to wear and tare. hope this helps

No noise, but I shall try in the morning to see if I can pull away in second. Thanks for taking the time to reply :-)