Car so reliable I have not posted for years.

 

Now at 325000 miles and a slight niggle, when slowing to either a full or partial stop in 5th gear with the clutch depressed I have the above problem, a typical example would be slowing for a roundabout or give way where i dont know till I have the visibility whether to come to a complete stop or engage 2nd/3rd and drive on, in both cases the gear lever sticks in the 5th position, seems worse when braking harder and it would also happen during an emergency stop.

 

Have adjusted the gear linkage and tried various permutations, doesnt seem to change if I declutch earlier, at a stop I can switch off the engine and it still struggles to disengage, the clutch is not dragging, it feels exactly like a baulk ring grabbing but that would normally prevent a gear engaging not disengaging, it doesn't do it in any other gear, they all change smoothly, the synchros can be beaten is someone else drives who snatches the gears but I treat it with kid gloves.

 

To get it out of 5th and into neutral I have to pull the lever back repeatedly and it will eventually release, during normal driving downshifts to 4th or 3rd are as slick as any of the other gearchanges.

 

It did have a gearbox bearing replaced by skoda under warranty just before I bought it at 3 years old and 188000 miles, they managed to **** up loads of other things doing the job but they all became apparent fairly soon after, this has occurred after 13 years of my ownership.

 

Any ideas or suggestions gratefully recieved

Does this happen if you select then deselect 5th with the engine off standing still rather than after the vehicle has moved?.

 

If it does, then I would be inclined to suspect that the selector fork may be moving on the selector shaft.

Edited 16 April, 20188 yr by kentphil1

Sorry for the delayed reply, I did some tests and there was nothing obstructing moving the gearlever from 5th to the neutral gate with the engine not running.

 

Tried with the engine running and cluctch depressed multiple times with same result, no obstruction.

 

Then I decided to try it with the engine running in 5th gear and bringing up the clutch to the biting point taking up the slack in the drivetrain then declutching and the obstruction is there every time even if I switch off the engine, with or without the engine running I need to pull the lever back 3,4, or 5 times before it will release but still with some resistance, I have not tried forcing it out against the obstruction for fear of breaking something which is probably worn or weakened.

 

I think when driving the initial decelleration when i come off the throttle before braking and downchanging is having the same effect on the drivetrain, taking up the backlash.

 

Does that ring any bells with anyone?