My car has a MANUAL gearbox. Recently it was towed. The “Wrecker” driver wanted it IN GEAR for towing. Without using the clutch he just reached into the car, took hold of the gear lever and pushed (or forced) it into gear. Gear changing became rougher and rougher until it was almost impossible to change from first to second gear. What kind of damage has been caused ?
Is your car front or rear wheel drive. I guess two wheels where on the pavement, which ones?
Saab = fwd.
So you’re saying the car was sitting there, engine off, and he shoved it into gear? While I wouldn’t normally expect that to cause a problem, it seems like it has. Sounds like his ‘shove’ messed up your 2nd gear synchronizer. Have a shop drain the tranny fluid, collect it, and look for any metal particle/bits/shavings. Regardless, you may need a new/rebuilt tranny, unless you have a guy good are rebuilding Saab trannys.
If one little shove on the stick wrecked the transmission, it was on borrowed time anyways.
I’m guessing he was towing it with the drive wheels off the ground and wanted the car in gear so the wheels wouldn’t roll off the truck. If he towed it with the front wheels on the ground and with the transmission in any gear other than reverse, it could have caused problems, but this problem you’re having isn’t one I’d necessarilly expect. (I think this scenario is pretty unlikely, because your car would have been REALLY squirrely if he was towing it in gear going the wrong direction).
Why were you getting the tow anyways? Was it just a parking problems or something or was it a mechanical problem? How does the gearbox shift with the engine off vs. engine on?
Front wheel drive. All four wheels were on the ground at the time; engine off.