Suzuki Swift - Intermittant refusal to go into gear

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Mon 23 Sep 2024 15:05
Suzuki Swift - Intermittant refusal to go into gear - Stephen Sherwood

My son's first car is a Suzuli Swift 1.2 (from 2013). It's been flawless for the last couple of months, but just recently it's developed an intermittant fault.

When engine is started, and he tries to put it into gear it will not go in. Says makes a noise like you have tried to put it into gear without using the clutch. The clutch feels normal. When he restarts the engine it goes into gear just like normal.

It doesn't happen all the time, but might be when he has been in a lot of traffic. Today he was in stop start traffic for an hour and a half.

Does this sound the clutch is on it's way out? Should we be taking it to a clutch specialist before it fails completely?

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Mon 23 Sep 2024 16:31
Suzuki Swift - Intermittant refusal to go into gear - elekie&a/c doctor
If you can select gears ok without the engine running, then it’s likely to be a clutch issue.
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Mon 23 Sep 2024 17:17
Suzuki Swift - Intermittant refusal to go into gear - Andrew-T

When the clutch pedal is down to the floor, all gears should be easily selectable. Most gearboxes now have synchro on all gears, tho back in the day bottom gear often didn't, and you had to wait a second or two. If that is happening for you, clutch may need treatment. It is probably actuated hydraulically - is there enough fluid ?

It should still be possible to change gear without the clutch, but it needs a good ear to choose the right engine speed to avoid a noisy 'crash'. When I had lessons 60 years ago my instructor gave me a demonstration ....

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Mon 23 Sep 2024 22:39
Suzuki Swift - Intermittant refusal to go into gear - Big John

It should still be possible to change gear without the clutch, but it needs a good ear to choose the right engine speed to avoid a noisy 'crash'. When I had lessons 60 years ago my instructor gave me a demonstration ....

It is indeed possible to change gear without the clutch if careful but it really wears synchromesh and can eventually give gearbox bearing grief. I know as I used to do it - well until it wouldn't!! But it is good practice to line up the revs anyway.

However it's very difficult to set off from a standstill without a clutch. It's just about possible in a emergency,

I rescued Mrs BJ's Panda after she'd broken down where the clutch struggled to fully disengage - In first gear I set the car in motion using the starter motor until the engine started then drove to the local garage matching the gears as above. Fortunately it was nearby and It sprang back into full working order en route, the issue got worse in heat if car had been stuck in traffic - er sounds familiar!! it was an external clutch slave cylinder issue so was a cheap fix.

[EDIT] Re the OP's issue, yes it's a clutch fault but I notice the Swift also has an external clutch slave cylinder (probably also a cheap job) so it could be worth starting there. Most further clutch work is then a more expensive gearbox off job - except master cylinder and pipes. I also note the Swift also seems to have a bushed clutch release arm within the bellhousing- this can be another potential issue especially with heat so if gearbox is removed to replace clutch make sure all moving parts/bushes within the bellhousing are done whilst gearbox is removed from the car, you don't want to pay for a gearbox off job twice.

Edited by Big John on 23/09/2024 at 23:47

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Tue 24 Sep 2024 09:36
Suzuki Swift - Intermittant refusal to go into gear - gordonbennet

[EDIT] Re the OP's issue, yes it's a clutch fault but I notice the Swift also has an external clutch slave cylinder (probably also a cheap job) so it could be worth starting there. Most further clutch work is then a more expensive gearbox off job - except master cylinder and pipes. I also note the Swift also seems to have a bushed clutch release arm within the bellhousing- this can be another potential issue especially with heat so if gearbox is removed to replace clutch make sure all moving parts/bushes within the bellhousing are done whilst gearbox is removed from the car, you don't want to pay for a gearbox off job twice.

why or why don't all makers stick with external slave cyls, most of us older home mechanics will have replaced or re-sealed a leaking slave cylinder or three at some point, matter of a few minutes cheap and easy repair.

I agree with Big John, first thing i'd do is make sure the clutch fluid is topped up and then observe the slave cylinder operation whilst an assistant operates the clutch, assuming its fairly accessible it takes but 2 minutes to bleed the system, same as you would a hydraulic brake.

Listen to the clutch operation too, if there's a pivot point running dry it might be possible to feed a little oil or grease into it, obviously carefully.

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Tue 24 Sep 2024 22:54
Suzuki Swift - Intermittant refusal to go into gear - Stephen Sherwood

I had a good look in the engine bay. The external clutch cylinder has no damage and is not leaking. I guess that doesn't mean that its not going faulty inside though.

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