I have a 2002 1.4Tdi 75bhp A2 with normal manual gearbox, and have covered about 150,000 miles. Recently I cannot select reverse gear when the engine is warm/hot (ie after driving for a while). Everything works ok when starting from cold in the morning, but at the end of a drive it is impossible to select reverse (which has caused problems!!)
My dealer says I need a new gearbox, (£3500!!) which obviously isn't worth it. Would hate to lose the car, so asking if anyone else on this forum has heard of or experienced the same problem.
Advice would be much appreciated
This really doesn't sound like a gearbox problem to me.
It sounds more like a gear selector (external) problem.
Search the forum for the utube video on how to adjust the linkages.
That may do the job.
Have you tried the following,
just before you engage reverse just lift your foot off the clutch momentarily and then press the clutch down and engage reverse.
The reason for this is that by doing this the gears will be spinning and it will be easier to mesh the gears.
If you start the car with the clutch depressed and then try to engage reverse the gears are not spinning (there is no synchromesh on reverse) and so it is possible that the gears will not mesh easily.
As for the difference between hot and cold, then this process will probably make little difference, but it is worth a try.
Sometimes your starting process can be different of a morning (you might use a different sequence perhaps)
If this doesn't help and if you have the gear linkage adjusted correctly, then a gearbox specialist may be able to help and a reconditioned gearbox would cost just under £1,000 fitted. But as I have said I am not sure that the gearbox itself will be the cause.
Steve B
