Hi all,

driving back from work today and whilst leaving a junction and trying to go into second gear from first - the gearstick moves into the position but there is no feel or movement - it's as if there is no gearbox just moving a gearstick around. Drive for another mile in 3/4th gear and come to another junction - the car now wont go into 1st or 2nd gear. The junction goes onto a 60mph main road so instead of risking stalling in 3rd - I try and reverse back onto the curb. Only now the car is half stuck in reverse and will not come out. My mate, a mechanic (Mini specialist though) towed me back home but reckons the gearbox is done. The gear linkages move around properly but it will not come out of half reverse as such. Starts fine - has been driving fine and the clutch hasn't been slipping etc either. 
What do I do next? My feeling is that being non-mechanically minded, I should sell as spares and repairs? This is an Octavia 1.9 Tdi PD 6 speed...

If your mate is a half decent mechanic, even being a mini specialist, he should be able to help diagnose it a bit better. How do you mean its stuck "half" in reverse though? As in, it crunches and grinds if you release the clutch?

Are the linkages definitely set right?

5 minutes ago, mac11irl said:

If your mate is a half decent mechanic, even being a mini specialist, he should be able to help diagnose it a bit better. How do you mean its stuck "half" in reverse though? As in, it crunches and grinds if you release the clutch?

Are the linkages definitely set right?

He’s more than half decent but it was on a busy junction so difficult to look. We got it into reverse with force but then you can take your foot off the clutch and the car keeps running. Clutch goes up and down with no noises - linkages all set right. 

May be cable catcher is shot..