Reverse

[Tom]

My car seems to be a little reluctant to go into reverse.

Just before the stick clicks into position, I can hear the gears lightly scraping against each other, and if I move it any further than that, it makes a HORRIBLE grinding sound. It does actually go into reverse, but I can't help but think it's causing untold damage to the box and the gears themselves.

I know for a fact that my foot is welded to the clutch, right down to the floor, so that's not the problem I don't think.

Perhaps the clutch itself is on its way out?!

Help!

EDIT: Forgot to add - the problem is also tempramental. Sometimes, when I start it up, it does it, others it files in very smoothly.
Weird!

[Chris_C]

Mine does that, be interested to know why!!! If your worried about the noise, and like me you know when it'll do it, if you lift your foot all the way and put the clutch in again, it won't scrape!!!

It's not the clutch, as mine is only 6 months old (sounding expensive already )

[François]

Maybe you should adjust your clutch cable.

[foggyjames]

There's obviously no synchromesh on reverse....and its not the smoothest of boxes anyway. It's just a case of 'it does that'. Mine always has.

Changing the gearbox oil improves it for a while...but it never really goes away. It's only reverse anyway...its RWD...just spin it around

cheers

James

[V6 Man]

...its RWD...just spin it around

cheers

James

Hmmm, I remember the last time you tried to do that............

All we saw was a gently pirouetting Foggy heading off into the distance.........

[foggyjames]

In my defence....wet grass it a *lot* more slippery than tarmac!! I went into full-on "make the bugger spin on tarmac" mode, and it proved a little too much for grass....wasn't thinking....next time....!

cheers

James

[Tom]

Well, thanks for all your replies..it's certainly reassuring to know I'm not the only one suffering from this.

[5lab]

i know the answer to this

its the syncromesh trying to reverse the driveshaft. the simple solution is to put the clutch down, wait 2 secs for the driveshaft to spin down, then put it into reverse. job done

[Janitor]

most cars do this-press clutch in and try,if its tight release clutch and try again. 2nd time it should go straight in.

[foggyjames]

Not that simple I'm afraid. You can wait 30 seconds and it'll still graunch. I don't know why, but it does...

cheers

James

[5lab]

try releasing the clutch 2 or 3 times, it'll occasionally be stiff to go in when the car is stationary due to the way in which syncromesh works

[foggyjames]

You could declutch all day and it wouldn't help. Sometimes it goes straight in....other times it won't go in nicely no matter how hard you try (oh matron!). Very odd.

cheers

James

[jtbo]

My finding is that sometimes it is going ok when I put 2nd or 3rd gear in first and then reverse.

[foggyjames]

Indeed. That's also true of 1st - if you draw up in 3rd but need to move away in 1st, its very hard unless you engage 2nd (even if you don't declutch).

cheers

James

[jtbo]

I do downsifting via heel & toe, I always blip throttle to correct rpm, that helps a lot because syncros are not needed as much, but 1st gear is bit harder. It goes ok, if I keep rpm up for a while before I put 1st in.
Of course it goes in better when car is moving forwards very slowly

I usually push clutch only when I'm putting gear in, if I change from 4th to 3rd I push clutch only when I start to put gear into 3rd, it comes out from 4th without it. I hope that someone did understand me

For upsifting I would like to have some brakes for engine as I would like to get rpm's down faster