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First and foremost apologies if this is in the wrong thread, new user and first post.

Long story short... Is there much difference in a 6 speed and 5 speed gearbox and will going from a 6 speed gearbox to a 5 speed gearbox make a big difference?

Story...

So my gearbox broke whilst on a drive and the mechanic fixed this... only he replaced my 6 speed gearbox with a 5 speed gearbox. He messed up and is aware of this but he's given me the car back to try it and see if i'm happy with the 5 speed or if I want a 6 speed gearbox going in (this will be £300 if so, although the costs for the labour he'll do for free given its his initial error).

Obviously not knowing much about cars etc, I'm unaware of the differences in this and if it will have much an impact at all.

Understand the revs etc will be different as now 5th gear will be by highest gear whereas it would normally be 6.

So I guess the question I'm asking here, is should I pay an extra £300 (this is on top of what i'm already paying, not just £300 for a gearbox) to get another gearbox put in (one with 6 gears or would there not be much difference and can I just leave the gearbox thats in it now with 5 gears?



Polo R Line 1.2 TSI (63 Plate)

Me personally I would pay zero as it’s not your error,
That said there are factors to consider,
1 … Was this done by a business or just some guy you know who’s handy with the spanner’s ?
2 … Was the ‘new’ gearbox actually new or S/H used ?
3 … are you planning to sell the car at any point in the future ? ( this WILL impact its resale value)

I'd probably insist to get back the proper 6 speed gearbox.

There are some 5-speed bluemotion gearboxes that are longer than a regular 6-speed gearbox.
So you'll have less revs with the 5 box than with the 6 box in top gear, at any given speed.

It all depends on the gearbox code your mechanic put in.

@Lkemp95; Also bear in mind that changing the gearbox to the one that’s different to the original gearbox that was fitted when the car was built would be classed as a modification for insurance purposes, so it could affect your premium.

it will affect your resale value for sure

CarbonChaos wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 8:27 pm Me personally I would pay zero as it’s not your error,
That said there are factors to consider,
1 … Was this done by a business or just some guy you know who’s handy with the spanner’s ?
2 … Was the ‘new’ gearbox actually new or S/H used ?
3 … are you planning to sell the car at any point in the future ? ( this WILL impact its resale value)

Done by a mechanic at a garage, not just anyone random, its a guy I always use and have never had any issues.

The new gearbox which has gone in is a reconditioned one.

Not decided on selling the car itself or not yet but its something I could consider at a later date, so with this in mind people have now told me that the 5 speed instead of 6 would lower the price.

I took the car for a drive last night and it just seemed weird to what it used to feel like and I also noticed the car when in 5th gear was telling me to put it into 6th gear, but obviously I don't have a 6th gear in this current gearbox so that again is another problem.

Speaking around and having a look, I think i'm just going to fork out the extra £300 and pay the difference to get the 6 speed gearbox put back in. Hes not charging for the labour for this to be done as its his mistake, just the difference in price of the gearboxes.