# Car goes in to neutral

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-goes-in-to-neutral/50791>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** commander, jeep\
**Created:** [June 24, 2010, 2:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-goes-in-to-neutral/50791 "2010-06-24T02:44:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![cdpeterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b782af/32.png) [@cdpeterson](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cdpeterson)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 2:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-goes-in-to-neutral/50791/1 "2010-06-24T02:44:10Z")

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What could cause my car to go into neutral while I’m driving? It’s dangerous.

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**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 10:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-goes-in-to-neutral/50791/2 "2010-06-24T10:17:08Z")

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Auto or manual transmission? How many miles on the car?

My guesses are: wear or linkage adjustment.

Does it do it any time, or maybe as it warms up?

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**Author:** ![cdpeterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b782af/32.png) [@cdpeterson](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cdpeterson)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 11:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-goes-in-to-neutral/50791/3 "2010-06-24T11:33:28Z")

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Automatic transmission. It has done it when warm and when just starting. It’s happened only twice over two years, but it is un-nerving.

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**Author:** ![tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@tardis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tardis)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 1:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-goes-in-to-neutral/50791/4 "2010-06-24T13:17:29Z")

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So, it’s not really going to neutral, it just stops going forward and coasts?

Low transmission fluid level would be the first suspect. If it is, you have a leak somewhere.

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**Author:** ![cdpeterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b782af/32.png) [@cdpeterson](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cdpeterson)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 1:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-goes-in-to-neutral/50791/5 "2010-06-24T13:48:31Z")

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The Jeep dealer ran diagnostics yesterday and checked the fluid level - no clue. It coasts, which seems like neutral. No one seems to have an answer. I get it going again by moving the shift lever from drive to neutral and back again. Yesterday I was able to stop and put it in reverse which worked, then drive worked.

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**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 1:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-goes-in-to-neutral/50791/6 "2010-06-24T13:50:39Z")

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In that case, the transmission may be on its last leg. It may be time to get a second opinion from a good transmission shop (not Aamco!).
