My 1999 cavalier will not shift out of first gear

Hope you have this fixed by now but sounds like a bad battery.

If the click you hear is from the starter solenoid mounted on the starter, it could either be a bad starter or poor connections between battery and starter. Raise the hood and listen closely near the starter for the click, when someone turns the key to crank. If the click is from the starter solenoid, have starter tested or replaced. If click is from a relay under the hood, then the start circuit will have to be further diagnosed.

The gear may be stripped, can't catch other gear,have you been grinding this gear,will have to go into transmission and replace third gear, will have to wind second gear out and shift to 4th gear.May be better and cheaper to get a remanufactured transmission cause all parts are new versus just 3rd gear being replaced.

Contact the mechanik & tell him what is happening this could be a simple thing or something very bad has happened. Best Wishes, Malcolm Campbell.

Hey I have a 1999 cavalier z24 5spd All my gears work except 5th while puttting it into 5ht gear as i let out of the clutch its grinding so i cannto put in 5th or it will grind, but at times it would work, but recently as Ive been driving I go to put it in 5th, there isn't a grind its as 5th gear is just netural NEED HELP geoff

The cavalier 2.4L engine had a problem with the crank sensor intermittently going bad. Sometimes it will run sluggish for a few minutes or even stall but eventually crank back up and run fine. The sensor is about $30 and can be changed in 10mins. It is located directly above the starter.

Some old gm cars use to have to have the staters shimmed because the starter drive woundnt dis enagage

the 'no lights' part makes me think it could be a bad ground -- follow the ground cable from the battery where it should connect with the chassis then continue on the the engine itself -- make sure it's very firmly connected at each point (battery end as well)

There is a pin located on the gear select pin on the transmission side. (the piece the shift cables attach to) the wrist pin is most likely sheared. I have had the same problem.

Have you had the Starter Checked out?