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Won't go into reverse all of a sudden?!?!

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tsi1991awd

tsi1991awd

10+ Year Contributor
1,366
6
Sep 28, 2008
Puyallup, Washington
I just had my clutch done, was at the shop when they reversed it out of the garage. Everything was good...shifts through all gears fine. I went to work, got off work and tried to put it into reverse to get out of my parking spot and it wouldn't go into reverse!

It doesn't grind, it's just completely gone all of a sudden. So I came home...next morning tried reversing to leave for work. Didn't go into reverse. So I pushed it out and went to work. When I got to work I parked and then tried to put it into reverse and it went in! I backed up and put it into first...pulled into a spot and then backed out. Went into reverse just fine.

Got off of work and it wouldn't reverse. Got home, wouldn't reverse. So today I changed the clutch line to a stainless braided line, bled it with a one man bleeder (there were no bubbles in it, I bled it for 15 minutes) I changed the shift cable bearings (skate bearing mod)....still wouldn't go into reverse. So I forced it into reverse and guess what?? It goes FORWARD.

What do I do?? I'm stumped!
 
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Mine had the exact same problem a while back. Turns out my cirlce clamps on my j-pipe were blocking the shifter arm on the transmission. Check those out, just in case
 
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There's nothing in the way of the shift cables...I don't see how a clutch job would throw it to where it won't go into reverse, but I'll see about the cable adjustment. If that doesn't work, then what?
 
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illeffekt vr-4 said:
Adjust the cables and go from there. Shifter Adjustment
Click to expand...

Adjusting them didn't work. Nothing hits the shifter arms when I can finally get it into reverse. If I step on the clutch and just shift through all the gears and then try to get into reverse, it wants to hit 4th a lot of times. I have to force it all the way right then jam it down and sometimes the reverse light will come on but it won't back up....it just kills the car. So I take it out of gear, turn car back on, step on clutch, reverse...then it works.

Think it could be the clutch needs to be bled again? Even though there were no air bubbles in the clear line I was using...?
 
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when you put it into reverse does it go into 4th? or nothing?

there is a bracket on the trans were the shifter cables are held up by there are two bolts that hold it on. I had the same problem because my stupid solid mounts viberated one of them out.
 
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That really is bizarre. My question is how did restarting the car do anything to get you into reverse?
My reverse gear acts up sometimes, and I find it easier to go from 5th to reverse. you could try that maybe..

** make sure to check the cable mounts everywhere... this was the cause of one of my problems after I installed the skate bearing mod, i didnt push the cable mount clip all the way in and it popped out.

thats the most I know, good luck!
 
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PIMking said:
when you put it into reverse does it go into 4th? or nothing?

there is a bracket on the trans were the shifter cables are held up by there are two bolts that hold it on. I had the same problem because my stupid solid mounts viberated one of them out.
Click to expand...

OK, here's the deal. I went out and checked the cables at the tranny while I had my dad go through all the gears. He could get it into reverse but it was hard...same problem I've been having. When in reverse, the left cable fully extends and the right one moves back just a bit. The reverse lights come on but sometimes it doesn't reverse....when you let off the clutch it will kill the car. So it seems like it's in gear, but it's just not going for some damn reason. It's not the bearing mod that caused the problem. I had this problem BEFOREHAND when the stock rubber bushings were in...when I got it out of the shop.

If you pop it out of gear and put it back in a few times you can get it to reverse. The cables look fine, I don't know the bracket you guys are talking about.....is it the bracket that has the two "squares" in them where the cables sit in...right before the "arms" with the bearings?
 
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Yes. Make sure it is tightened down, and make sure the tranny is bolted down tight to the engine.

Also, is that washer underneath the back up switch?
 
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Supa Dexta said:
Yes. Make sure it is tightened down, and make sure the tranny is bolted down tight to the engine.

Also, is that washer underneath the back up switch?
Click to expand...

Wheres the back up switch? Is it the plug thats to the left of the cables?
 
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A washer under the reverse light switch would cause it to do this?? Strange...ill take a look at it. Also i noticed one of the tranny to engine bolts is missing. Its the one on the very front of the transmission...the engine part has a thin metal piece and im assuming the bolt goes through that side and into the tranny.
 
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Does anyone know the size of that bolt i was talking about? Haynes manual only states 10mm and 12mm in the transmission section. Doesnt say which go where or thread pitch or length
 
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I decided to try and adjust the cables again. The one that needed adjusting was the side/side cable. I adjusted it a hair and now the reverse works great and the 5th gear isn't as hard to get in. Thanks for everyone's help!

Also, as I was saying there is one bolt missing. It's not one of the four tranny to motor bolts though. It will be a short bolt, it is pretty much directly behind the wastegate actuator / lower radiator hose. The piece on the engine is thin metal and it bolts onto the tranny (the tranny has no exit hole for the bolt)......I saw another one of these same bolts on the underside of the tranny as well. It looks like maybe it's just to keep water/dirt out of the clutch area, I don't know.
 
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tsi1991awd said:
I decided to try and adjust the cables again. The one that needed adjusting was the side/side cable. I adjusted it a hair and now the reverse works great and the 5th gear isn't as hard to get in. Thanks for everyone's help!
Click to expand...

I hate it when I'm right LOL. Glad to hear you got it working.
 
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Yep, its always a good idea to start with the free and easy stuff first. I went through the same thing few months ago. All of the sudden it wouldn't go into 1st, 3rd, or reverse. I tried adjusting the cables but didn't work so I had to buy new cables and put them in.
 
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