Your car may function poorly: it may start out slowly even though the engine is racing. Or it may be hard to get the car into reverse or into gear at all. Noises may indicate a problem: your clutch pedal may make noise, or your transmission may make noise when the car is in neutral. You may hear squealing or growling when you push the pedal or grinding sounds when you shift gears. The pedal may give you a clue: it may vibrate, chatter, or pulsate, be stiff and hard to push, fall to the floor and stay there, or feel loosely connected or "spongy."