I have a 2000 chevy cavalier and i drove it last night and when i went to leave this morning it will not engage in any gear. Is it time to get a transmission or what else can i check before i buy something i may not need.
You might want to check to see if the transmission has any fluid in it and if it smells burnt. The proper procedure is in your owners manual. But…
The car should be on flat ground. Push it there if it isn’t. Start the car, shift through the gears, put it back in park, leave it running, open the hood pull out the red dipstick (the transmission dipstick) wipe the end, put it back in and take it out. Is there any red transmission fluid showing in the hash marks? Add some until it reaches the bottom of the marks. Try to drive the car. No movement? You probably need a transmission rebuild, but on a car this old, you may want to sell it to a junkyard and get another.