So I've noticed every say 1 in 10 times I go to select reverse it feels a little... notchy or just isn't happy without an extra clutch dip. Pretty much every car I've owned (especially my astra g and fiesta) has had some oddity with reverse so not sure if this is an issue.

 

I know reverse doesn't have a synchro so I always make sure i'm stationary and give it a second or so for everything to slow/stop in the gearbox before engagement. The rest 9/10 times it engages nice and smooth just like very other gear including first. I know the was some form of TPI with 6 speeds of a certain age with some horror stories, but not sure if that was for more serious problems than an occasional notchy feel. Is it just a characteristic of these boxes? My car had done 29k before I purchased it and is on about 30k now. I saw a bunch of others were talking about the same back in 2016 here: 

 

Confused, yes there are issues with some 6spd gearboxes in the 1.2TSI's. This often manifests itself at around 30k miles but can be sooner.  A TPI is out saying to replace reverse gear and some bushings. This sometimes cures the issue but not always and first gear is then replaced as well which seems to do the trick. There has been dealer errors in fitting the new parts in one or two instances that has resulted in the problem become much worse. I've assessed a couple of these boxes for folks on here who have had quite a ride with problems including eventual loss of drive in reverse and first, plus lots of noise.

 

In all honesty, it does not sound as if you have the same problem...yet! You may never get this issue either. Problems getting the gear one in ten times of selecting reverse gear is normal for most gearboxes. If it becomes worse over a short period of time then that's the time to speak with your dealer.

 

Good luck Confused.

I think this is just VAG gearboxes in general. Every one I've ever owned (Polo, Ibiza, Citigo, Fabia, Fabia) has occasionally required a box spin in neutral to get into reverse or first from stationary.

Is there any particular thing to look out for? Happened twice in a row today where it wouldn't go into reverse. Felt like something was in the way. I left my foot fully on the clutch, put the stick back into central position then selected again and both times it dropped in fine. For the rest of the day I tested it maybe 10-15 times and it was fine every time 🤷‍♂️ Have a service booked so tempted to ask them to take a look.

https://uk-polos.net/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=72485         more of the same?

Possibly. My first gear is always fine though... I mean, you can clearly feel when its engaged with a little clunk/notch like all the other gears but I've never had a problem engaging it. With reverse when it doesn't go in first time it almost engages, but is just that last bit. Feels like there is something in the way that flexes slightly. Pretty sure if I pushed harder it'd engage, but it'd require more force than i'd be comfortable exerting on a gearbox. Its pretty much exactly the same as my fiesta was on occasion... with that, I used to just hold the gear stick near reverse and start lifting the clutch to move and you'd feel it slip in almost immediately. This is the same, or I can just pop it back into the centre and engage again. It could very well just be normal, like that... but I do tend to fixate over these kind of things 🙈 Just didn't really expect going from a 12 year old 60k car to a 3 year old car this would be happening.

Edited 20 July, 20196 yr by Confused_Cheese

Your box does sound normal. There is no syncro on reverse gear so don't expect it to go in first time everytime.

Thanks, it took me a while to realise you'd changed your profile over! I read somewhere the other day its good to not take the car out of gear before being completely stationary, that way everything should be spun down in the box and better aligned to engage reverse... or at least, all parts stationary. I'm no mechanic but with my understanding of syncros and gearboxes it makes plausible sense.

 

I noticed in one of your earlier posts you said it was mainly 2016/2017 boxes in your experience. Do you have any idea if it was just a manufacturing defect in batches between those dates? Just curious as my car was assembled back in 2015, guessing it was a fairly early MK III.

 

Thanks again

I don't have the TPI to hand now, but the cars I've actually seen are all 2016 and 2017. I don't actually know if 2015's are affected, but I don't think they are.

In the O2T gearbox (our fabias 5spd MQ200 / 6spd MQ250);

 

1st and 2nd are double-synchro'd, 3rd upwards just normal single synchro'd

Reverse has no synchromesh gears at all

 

From first starting, i always let the clutch up, so the input shaft is spinning, before i put it into any gear (1st or reverse), never had an issue getting into gear.

If i've been sat in traffic with stop-start, and it won't go into 1st, without lifting the clutch ill quickly pop it back into 2nd, then into 1st again, it seems to shuffle things just enough for it to go in fine.

 

That being said, i've not had even the slightest issue since i got my new gearbox. My old one had a failed synchro mesh on 5th gear, that box on occasion would get stuck in reverse and i'd have to give it a bit of a yank to pull it out of gear.

3 hours ago, FabiaGonzales said:

that box on occasion would get stuck in reverse and i'd have to give it a bit of a yank to pull it out of gear.

 

I have that.

Just occasionally it is stiff to pull out of reverse. If you turn the engine off it is then normal.

 

Thanks AG Falco

AG, that's normally caused by the clutch disc sticking on it's splines slightly. This causes slight contact with the flywheel applying pressure to the gears. Turning off the engine eliminates the pressure. It's nothing to be concerned about unless you start having problems engaging or disengaging other gears.

I now make sure I don't drop it out of gear until i'm completely at a stand still. Before, I was sometimes a little eager and would drop it out with the clutch in while still coasting slightly, then try to engage reverse when stationary. Not had a single instance since of having to lift my foot off the clutch pedal to engage, although sometimes it feels smoother than others. Might just be coincidence, or might be making sure both shafts are stationary makes it more likely to be aligned.