# HELP PLEASE car stalled while shifting from 1st to 2nd now it won't start **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** chevrolet, beretta\ **Created:** [January 28, 2018, 8:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-car-stalled-while-shifting-from-1st-to-2nd-now-it-wont-start/111746 "2018-01-28T08:59:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Trel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9f8e36/32.png) [@Trel](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Trel)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 8:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-car-stalled-while-shifting-from-1st-to-2nd-now-it-wont-start/111746/1 "2018-01-28T08:59:16Z")
Today I left work at 2:30am I stopped at a gas station down the street to get some cigarettes. After my purchase I get in my car (1990 chevy beretta gtz manual transmission) start it up with no problems and proceed to leave. I get on the main road and start to gradually accelerate. when it’s time to shift into 2nd I depress the clutch while taking my foot off the gas like I’ve done hundreds of times before and after putting the car in second and taking my foot off the clutch and pressing the gas my car made a weird noise kind of like a sputter then stalled out. The car was still rolling so I managed to pull over to the side of the street and tried to restart my car. The car will crank but not start. Also my brake pedal is now locked and will not depress while trying to start the car. I’m by myself and on a surface where I can’t get the car moving up to 5mph to try to push start it. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![COROLLAGUY1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/corollaguy1/32/7575_2.png) [@COROLLAGUY1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/COROLLAGUY1)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 11:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-car-stalled-while-shifting-from-1st-to-2nd-now-it-wont-start/111746/2 "2018-01-28T11:33:50Z")
The clutch has a safety switch that prevent the car from starting if the clutch pedal is not pressed all the way to the floor.Maybe the safety switch is Kaput. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 1:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-car-stalled-while-shifting-from-1st-to-2nd-now-it-wont-start/111746/3 "2018-01-28T13:27:17Z")
Too many possible problems. But I would say NO to attempting to start the car as you describe. Since the engine is cranking normally but will not start, sputtered before dying could be either fuel system (clogged fuel line or fuel pump failure), ignition system failure (no spark). The brake pedal is unrelated. Without the engine running there is no vacuum to the brake booster giving you a hard pedal. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 1:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-car-stalled-while-shifting-from-1st-to-2nd-now-it-wont-start/111746/4 "2018-01-28T13:28:32Z")
Would not that prevent the engine from cranking? ---
**Author:** ![Trel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9f8e36/32.png) [@Trel](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Trel)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 5:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-car-stalled-while-shifting-from-1st-to-2nd-now-it-wont-start/111746/5 "2018-01-28T17:06:03Z")
Would that prevent the car from cranking though? Because when I fully depress the clutch the engine will crank but it won’t start ---
**Author:** ![Trel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9f8e36/32.png) [@Trel](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Trel)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 5:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-car-stalled-while-shifting-from-1st-to-2nd-now-it-wont-start/111746/6 "2018-01-28T17:07:53Z")
Ok thanks for the info I’ll start with those tomorrow ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 5:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-car-stalled-while-shifting-from-1st-to-2nd-now-it-wont-start/111746/7 "2018-01-28T17:18:53Z")
Confusing. Cranking usually means turns over fine but will not start. ---
**Author:** ![Trel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9f8e36/32.png) [@Trel](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Trel)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 5:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-car-stalled-while-shifting-from-1st-to-2nd-now-it-wont-start/111746/9 "2018-01-28T17:26:04Z")
Sorry I have so much going on right now I’m typing without really reading what I’m saying. The car is cranking but not starting. ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2018, 10:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-car-stalled-while-shifting-from-1st-to-2nd-now-it-wont-start/111746/10 "2018-01-28T22:12:16Z")
Assume this is the 2.3L Quad 4? Possibly, the timing chain broke. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 12:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-car-stalled-while-shifting-from-1st-to-2nd-now-it-wont-start/111746/11 "2018-01-29T00:35:01Z")
For cranks ok, but won’t start, the advice is usually to test for spark first, then check the fuel pressure. One idea you could try, turn the key from off to on (but don’t crank the engine) a half-dozen times over the course of a minute. You may hear some buzzing noises indicating the fuel pump is pumping. If that seems to help, that could indicate some kind of fuel problem. It would show up in the fuel pressure test. This symptom can also be the sign of contaminated gasoline, so if you purchased gasoline just prior to this happening, consider that. For example, you may have accidentally used the diesel fuel pump instead of the gasoline pump. ---
**Author:** ![Trel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9f8e36/32.png) [@Trel](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Trel)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 2:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-car-stalled-while-shifting-from-1st-to-2nd-now-it-wont-start/111746/12 "2018-01-29T02:11:20Z")
Yea it’s a high output 16v quad 4 dohc