No Reverse Gear!

Discuss Engine, Gearbox and Exhaust
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Claireybella
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Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Dec 09, 2008 1:21 pm
Location: Portsmouth

No Reverse Gear!

Post by Claireybella »

Please help me!

My poor husband is working on my classic mini and now his L reg Polo Fox has no reverse gear and it's out only form of transport at the moment. Obviously we can still drive it but just can't go backwards which is a bit of a pain. He took it to the garage to have new gearstick base components put in but after 1.5 hours work (£60), the problem was still there. The mechanic said he also tried to engage reverse from under the car at the gearbox itself, to no avail. So its therefore gearbox or clutch. He suggested gearbox, cause its as though something is simply blocking the engagement of reverse, and it goes into 1-4 gears no probs.

Any ideas? Do you think it needs a new gearbox?

Cheers
Claire
polo-sib
Gold Member
Posts: 536
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2008 11:11 pm
Location: Dartford

Post by polo-sib »

My polo 6n did this, went in for a clutch change and got the gearbox fixed for free, VW were no help and so it seems, niether is your mechanic.

Basically when I slammed reverse I went forward, and all the other gears went forward too, they rung VW for the blueprint and took my gearbox apart while sorting the clutch. Turns out it was a little piece with nylon wrapped around something, yet the VW blueprints showed the item but did not number it or reference it. So my mechanic put a cable tie around it and wollah! My reverse gear is back, he said it will prob last forever, but anymore problems and give him a shout. So it was a loose part in the gearbox that caused all the problems

Sounds possibly like a similar problem.
Claireybella
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Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Dec 09, 2008 1:21 pm
Location: Portsmouth

Re: No Reverse Gear!

Post by Claireybella »

ok mate cheers for that. heres the latest...

just tried to unscrew the reverse light switch, and as i expected...gearbox oil started to come out. i would be happy with this but for the fact that i cant shift the top up screw to put oil back in.
We now have a new car to replace the polo, so we have a couple of options,
1. chuck it on ebay as it is in the hope that someone will want for a hundred quid or something and just come and take it away.
2. keep it ourselves and sell all the best bits as spare parts.
3. keep it, take the gearbox off, and either see what we can repair in it, or fit a replacement one from a scrappy.

Do you think anyone on the forum here would be interested in a polo with 6 months MOT with a dickie auto choke and no reverse gear?

Its not as pressing as it was, but would be nice to see her carry on in life rather than take the easy option of £200 to go to the scrapheap :(

Let us know your thoughts.

Cheers.
Goose c/o Claireybella.
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