# Mahindra 1526 stuck in gear



## TroyDean

Hey guys,
I have a 2016 Mahindra 1526 manual transmission that is stuck in gear. Brief rundown; my son jumped on it to move it. I had left it parked in the Low range setting when I last used it. He, not being very familiar with the hi/low range option, (I found out after grilling him. I was running a chainsaw in the pasture) instead of asking what’s up with it moving so slow, he decided to start trying to jam it in different gears in an attempt to increase speed. Now, I have a $20k tractor that appears to be stuck in 4th gear. BUT, the shifter arm is actually in the neutral position between 1st & 2nd gear. The hi/low works fine of course, the shifter just won’t budge from that position. I’m hoping it’s just a linkage problem, but I’m fearing the worst. I was a mechanic for 15 years prior to losing most of my eyesight, so I’m inclined to try and fix it myself with a little time if it’s a linkage issues. Otherwise, if it’s internal, I’ll have to send it to the sho. Anyone know where I should start looking? Can’t see it very well, but the linkages feel mildly complicated and I don’t know which linkage does what. I’ll try and post pics. Any hel would be appreciated.


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## sixbales

Howdy Troy, welcome to the tractor forum.

Your tractor is only 2 years old.....should be covered under warranty. Check it out.


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## Fedup

I doubt your problem is very serious. I ran into this very problem on a small Mahindra (no sure of the exact model) just a few weeks ago. All it required was to reach under the panel below the shifter and move the rod for third/fourth gears back to neutral. The shifter then falls back into place and you're off and running again. Thirty second fix.


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## RC Wells

I agree with Fedup, simple misalignment. In your photo looking down at the linkage, you will see a notch on the plate to which the lever with two bolts on the top attaches. That notch is out of alignment with the 3rd/4th gear selector. Closest to the transmission you will see a vertical dog on the 3rd/4th gear selector linkage that needs to slide into alignment with that notch.

Reach under the linkage and move the linkage on the bellcrank that is part of that vertical dog to the rear and the dog will align with the notch.

Do not force the linkage, if it does not just snap back so the dog and notch align, press the clutch and worry the 3rd/4yh bellcrank forward and back until it does snap back to the neutral position.

If it refuses to move into place, use your warranty. Also, do not be too hard on the kid, this type of linkage on tractors tends to bind like this unless shifted like it is made of an eggshell.


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## David Harrington

same thing just happend to me today....M1526 186 hrs..... gonna try the fix...thanks!!!


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## srmessana

Happened to me today. Fix was as simple as pressing in the clutch and moving the vertical dog with a crescent wrench so it lined back up with the notch in the shift lever. Attached pic is of it out of alignment. You can see that it is resting on the edge of the ear instead of in the notch.


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## fcarp1

Fedup said:


> I doubt your problem is very serious. I ran into this very problem on a small Mahindra (no sure of the exact model) just a few weeks ago. All it required was to reach under the panel below the shifter and move the rod for third/fourth gears back to neutral. The shifter then falls back into place and you're off and running again. Thirty second fix.


Had the same problem yesterday. Today I searched for answer, got this one and it worked a treat. Thanks guys.


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## MadMacks

Exactly what happened to me yesterday. Found this thread and problem solved in less than a minute. Thanks!


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## berlinchuck

Thanks for the info. My mahindra 26 max locked up today 11/18/2018. Thanks to you folks it was an easy fix.


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## Mahindra Fan

Thanks so much for the information. My Mahindra 1526 has done this twice and this has been the easiest fix by far!


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## Mahindra Fan

David Harrington said:


> same thing just happend to me today....M1526 186 hrs..... gonna try the fix...thanks!!!


This must be problem with this model. Mine just did the same thing.


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## Mahindra Fan

srmessana said:


> Happened to me today. Fix was as simple as pressing in the clutch and moving the vertical dog with a crescent wrench so it lined back up with the notch in the shift lever. Attached pic is of it out of alignment. You can see that it is resting on the edge of the ear instead of in the notch.
> View attachment 38903


The fix suggested here really does work. Saved us a trip to the shop!


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## Jane

Very worthwhile post. Here's more info to help others. My 2016 1538 Shuttle has 60 hours and got stuck in 3rd gear with the gear shifter looking like it was in neutral. I removed 5 screws (1 is underneath on the side) to remove the plastic guard over the shifter and was able to see the linkage rods. I sprayed liberally with WD-40 (not sure that's the best stuff however I had it and was getting impatient with this problem). I tried to lock the clutch engaged however it doesn't look like the clip fit right. So I got onto the cab floor facing backwards, depressed the clutch pedal with one foot pushing down on it behind me, attached a crescent wrench to the out-of-position piece at an angle, and I tapped the wrench lightly with a hammer. The piece went back into the notch very very easily. Photo attached; the notch with piece back in position is on the left side just at the end of the thickest rod which is the gear speed shift lever; there's a similar one on the right side that is also in place. (Previously I had tried to wiggle the rods free from underneath with no luck, however I did not have a helper to engage the clutch and disengage the gears.) I guess the point here is that option #2 was to call Mahindra and have a warranty call for a tech to come on-site. There was no way this newbie tractor owner was going to try to drive my tractor up onto my flatbed with only 3rd gear! I am glad I found this post because I suspect it will happen again... I normally shift carefully and will now continue to do so. (BTW, when I was a teenager we had a 67 Chevy Biscayne with 3 on the Tree that used to lock up the gears at inconvenient times like at the bank drive-through; the fix was to open the hood and just jiggle the linkage rods at the joints to clear stuckness; so I was quite ok doing this fix myself.)


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## FredM

you are a lucky lot with the slot being on the outside.


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## Mahindra Fan

I had no problems getting the gear back in between the dogs. I just used a crescent wrench, however their is still a lot of play, which makes me think this will do this again. It's already happened twice. Don't know if there's a spring or something in there that's loose and making it so sloppy that the gear slips out.


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## RC Wells

It is the design of the linkage that leaves too much clearance which allows the selector to slide past the slot it needs to engage. You could take the assembly out, weld it up and re-machine to closer tolerances, but it will be back to square one in a matter of time. The metal is simply too soft and wears rapidly. It is simpler to keep it well lubed and baby the shifts.


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## Bstracen

I talked to the dealer service dept today & they advised doing exactly what is recommended here. Two trips to the barn before the light came on & i understood what to do. Fixed in less than a minute! Thanks for the assistance. Ready to get back to work.


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## Hulet

This same thing happened to me late yesterday. Once I got over being ticked off I looked online and found this forum and my solution. I just signed up as a new member. Thanks everyone for the information.


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## Jane

srmessana said:


> Happened to me today. Fix was as simple as pressing in the clutch and moving the vertical dog with a crescent wrench so it lined back up with the notch in the shift lever. Attached pic is of it out of alignment. You can see that it is resting on the edge of the ear instead of in the notch.
> View attachment 38903


that's a really good photo there, thx.


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## Doug Boswell

Fedup said:


> I doubt your problem is very serious. I ran into this very problem on a small Mahindra (no sure of the exact model) just a few weeks ago. All it required was to reach under the panel below the shifter and move the rod for third/fourth gears back to neutral. The shifter then falls back into place and you're off and running again. Thirty second fix.


Howdy and thanks for the great solution to the same problem I have. My difficulty is understanding how to get the rod for third/fourth gears to move! I've tried everything and nothing! I see others mention a crescent wrench applied to the vertical dog link, but this is unclear to me (I guess I'm a little old and slow!) HELP!


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## Doug Boswell

Fedup said:


> I doubt your problem is very serious. I ran into this very problem on a small Mahindra (no sure of the exact model) just a few weeks ago. All it required was to reach under the panel below the shifter and move the rod for third/fourth gears back to neutral. The shifter then falls back into place and you're off and running again. Thirty second fix.


How do I get the rod to move? I've tried all the suggestions but can't quite figure out the trick of the crescent wrench?


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## Doug Boswell

All of these recommendations are superb, but I'm having difficulty getting my shift rod to move.


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## Fedup

https://parts.mahindrausa.com/dealerview/illustration.aspx

If the above link works (?) look for item #5. It appears twice as there are two on the tractor. One is for 1st and 2nd, the other for 3rd and 4th. In neutral they should be parallel. When the shift lever "jumps" the gate and gets out of place one of the gears is left engaged so the two main arms (item#5) are not parallel. 

A crescent wrench applied to that arm from the bottom makes it a simple operation the move the lever shifting the offending gear back to neutral. At which point everything above falls back into place and shifting gears goes on as before.


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## rbrittne

I hate to sound like a broken record but this happened to me yesterday...and i panacked because i have to work on my daughters property this weekend and i started to panick! But you great guys came to the rescue! took me about 30 seconds....i was shocked! THANK YOU GUYS!


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## beerrab

Thanks For the Fix Just what I needed 1533 Mahindra Shuttle


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## Orlin

I just joined and my 13 year old Mahindra was doing this. Thank you guys for the help. This was an easy fix. First problem I ever had with my tractor. Thanks again


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## pogobill

beerrab said:


> Thanks For the Fix Just what I needed 1533 Mahindra Shuttle





Orlin said:


> I just joined and my 13 year old Mahindra was doing this. Thank you guys for the help. This was an easy fix. First problem I ever had with my tractor. Thanks again


Welcome to the forum, both of you. How about heading over to the introduction thread and tell us a little about yourselves and those tractors.
https://www.tractorforum.com/forums/introductions.158/


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## daytime dave

I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who posted help in this thread! I had the same problem as you all did. I have a Max 28XL that was my dad's. My parents passed fairly close to one another and I sold their small farm and liquidated all the tractors dad and I collected over the years. In his last years, dad bought three new Mahindras. I sold the two with loaders, but no one was interested in the 28xl. It was his run about on the property and he had 42 hours on it when he passed. I used it to pull all the stuff out of the hedge rows and gather things into a central area as I found it pretty handy. I put another two hours on it. No one wanted to buy it. There was zero interest in it. So I kept it and some implements. Fast forward to now I keep it at my stepsons new place. I live in suburbia, so no place to put it. Step son doesn't really know how to run it, but didn't say so and it got the gear jam over the winter. Dad never used them in the winter and always stored them inside. 










The dreaded gear jam. I read this thread carefully, saw the photographs which helped immensely, and watched a youtube video on the same subject. Now, after using a cresent wrench, I solved the issue. Only problem, the first cresent wrench was too big. Medium size was just right. Problem solved.

Thank you Tractor Forum. I'll be back later to properly introduce myself!


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## Fred Wright

just what I needed, our Max 26 has this problem right now, will try this solution when I get home


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## Fred Wright

daytime dave said:


> I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who posted help in this thread! I had the same problem as you all did. I have a Max 28XL that was my dad's. My parents passed fairly close to one another and I sold their small farm and liquidated all the tractors dad and I collected over the years. In his last years, dad bought three new Mahindras. I sold the two with loaders, but no one was interested in the 28xl. It was his run about on the property and he had 42 hours on it when he passed. I used it to pull all the stuff out of the hedge rows and gather things into a central area as I found it pretty handy. I put another two hours on it. No one wanted to buy it. There was zero interest in it. So I kept it and some implements. Fast forward to now I keep it at my stepsons new place. I live in suburbia, so no place to put it. Step son doesn't really know how to run it, but didn't say so and it got the gear jam over the winter. Dad never used them in the winter and always stored them inside.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The dreaded gear jam. I read this thread carefully, saw the photographs which helped immensely, and watched a youtube video on the same subject. Now, after using a cresent wrench, I solved the issue. Only problem, the first cresent wrench was too big. Medium size was just right. Problem solved.
> 
> Thank you Tractor Forum. I'll be back later to properly introduce myself!


do you have a link to the youtube video you watched?


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## daytime dave

I made my three posts so here is the link to the youtube video.


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## Fred Wright

Thank you, my 17 year old son fixed the problem last night since I had a phone meeting and could not get outside to help


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## daytime dave

I'm glad it got fixed. Hopefully it will help others.


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## Duane Hett

Thank you for the info, I was getting ready to load my tractor on the trailer and haul it 34 miles to the closest Mahindra Dealer. Very simple fix.


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## MediMan

I know this is an old thread. This is a common issue with this series Mahindra. The fix is exactly what has been outlined in this thread. However, additionally, a good coating of water resistant grease should be applied to the sliding components where the hang occurs. Two things contribute to this issue. Lack of lubrication and lack of definition with using the cross bar of the H pattern. Speed shifting is not appreciated by this setup. Grease it up. That will help a lot.


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