For most car owners, the inner workings of the transmission are beyond their usual understanding. In fact, many don't even recognize the signs that they need transmission service until they face complete transmission failure, nor do they know what to do when their transmission starts giving them trouble. For example, do you know what to do if your transmission won't go into gear? Here are some of the things that you should know about dealing with a transmission that won't go into gear.

Engage the Pedal Better

If you're driving a car with a manual transmission that won't go into gear, try pressing the clutch pedal further down. Over time, due to wear and friction, you may find that you need to press further on the clutch pedal to free the clutch disc from the flywheel. So, try pushing the clutch further down and see if that helps you shift the car into gear.

In the case of an automatic transmission, you must have the brake engaged before the car will shift out of park. Make sure that you're pressing completely on the brake pedal before you try to shift, and press a little harder if you need to just to be sure that it's engaging to release that safety switch.

If this doesn't fix the problem, it may be that the clutch release bearing is failing, the transmission fluid is low, or your clutch housing needs attention.

Check Your Fluid

Low or dirty transmission fluid can be the cause of almost all of your transmission woes. In fact, any time you're experiencing trouble with your transmission, including not shifting into gear, you should always check the condition of your transmission fluid. This is important because the components in the transmission rely heavily on sufficient, clean fluid for lubrication and cooling. Make sure that you monitor your transmission fluid levels regularly to keep things functioning as they should.

Try Another Gear

Sometimes, the shifting problem isn't so much transmission-related but gear-related. Try shifting into a different gear than the one you were trying to shift into. If it goes, that tells you that the problem is isolated to the gear in question. If it doesn't, you'll want to reach out to your local transmission repair technician to determine what's wrong.

These are some of the steps that you should know if you're dealing with a transmission that won't go into gear. No matter what the reason, your transmission service shop can address it and provide you with the proper recommendations.