Hi all

I am experiencing a really annoying and dangerous problem with my 2002 Fabia SDI, which I bought six months ago from a local car sales outlet.

Basically over the last 2 to 3 months it has been intermittently refusing to register 2nd gear and therefore ends up in no gear and making a loud screeching clunky noise. This is now happening to both me and my parter about 1 in every 5 times we change into 2nd gear.

The gear stick sometimes stays in the position it should be when it should be in 2nd gear but has not registered 2nd gear. Other times it will shoot back out. With both scenarios, it may or may not register correctly when you immediately try again and can take several attempts. Not exactly what you want to be doing on a roundabout with a car on your tail.

I am very keen to get this fixed as it feels pretty dangerous losing control of the car at junctions and roundabouts.

Now I left it into a local garage last week and their initial suspicion was that it was due to selectors or something like that. Upon inspection (which they did admit to involving looking down a narrow hole so not entirely easy), they concluded that the selectors looked OK and that the problem must be the gearbox. This local garage is as honest as they come and didn't even charge me to look at the problem as they had not fixed it. I am a little wary about asking them to install a new gear box primarily due to the cost and also the fear that if they have diagnosed the problem incorrectly, the problem would still exist.

I am therefore seeking a second opinion here. Perhaps this is a common problem that my local garage are not familiar with? I was thinking it was maybe a good idea to leave it in to a skoda garage but have been warned they will rip me off.

Not sure if this is related to the problem but shortly after we purchased the car, there was a whirring / spinning noise when in second gear that seemed to appear once the car has built up speed (or perhaps I just couldnt hear it anymore due to the noise of the car at higher speeds).

Sorry for the long winded post, I wanted to give as much detail as possible.

I really hope someone can offer me some advice on what I should do next.

Many thanks

Paul

Sorry I don't have great mechanical knowledge, but I went through a stage with my 1.9TDi Fabia where the gear lever wouldn't actually move across the gate at all, and the only gear I could get was 4th. Then sometimes I could get all but one gear. My dealer insisted that it was the clutch. To which my Dad and I knew it wasn't, as he has around 20 years experience. Eventually the re-set the gear shifting cables and replaced the reversing switch, and amazingly problem solved.

Maybe a similar problem for you. HTH

sounds like a synchromesh problem alryt:)

Thanks for the replies.

If it is a "synchromesh problem", am I best to take it to a Skoda dealer to get fixed or is this something a local garage could fix?

I hope it does not require a new gear box as that sounds very expensive!!

Thanks again

Paul

your skoda garage wont repair a synchro chances are theyll recomment a new or 2nd hand box:)

Thanks for the reply Ian.

From the sounds of it I am faced with the prospect of needing a new gear box whatever happens.

Is it recommended to get this done at a Skoda dealer or will I have to mortgage my house to do so? I have heard mixed opinions about Skoda dealers - some say they will rip me off and some say they won't.

I would suggest a gearbox oil change and getting the linkage (cables) adjusted as over time these will stretch. This lot will probably cost £60 at a decent indy garage and might well save you spending a lot more.

Oil is fully synthetic 75w-90 which is about £8 a L and on the Octy TDI you needed 2L. You would need to find out how much you would need for the SDI but it gives you a ball park.

On a 2002 car don't go near a main dealer. As already said it is very unlikely they would recon your box. To do this you will need a gearbox specialist who would take your box off, repair the damaged parts and any others you ask them to and then put it back on.

Will cost a lot less than a new box, but still not cheap.