Polo GTI - Continuing issue with reverse gear

[Ziggy]

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping you may be able to give me some advice regarding a continuing issue with my Polo GTI.

I purchased it from new in July 07 and had it back to the dealer within 6 weeks after the reverse gear selector completely locked out on me (IE. unable to push down, across and up to engage). Left it with them for a few days and was collected (apparently) fixed, (was told that a pin of some nature had fallen out?).

Within a few months the gearbox started crunching badly between changes, and reverse gear became increasingly difficult to engage so took it back to the dealer who once again fixed it.

I had a pretty good run with the car (especially after getting it APR flash tuned!) until March of this year when once again the gearbox decided not to engage into reverse (this took ages for the dealer to sort out). To quote the dealers service report word for word:


CHECK GEAR BOX OPERATION NOT GOING INTO REVERSE AT ALL Carried our removal of the gearbox, found to be all OK. Refitted and found now shifting into reverse. Checked over all linkages, found all to be OK. Made sure all secure and nothing jamming it. All was OK. Road-tested vehicle over next few days, found to be all OK. No problems getting reverse. Customer to monitor.

As you can tell from that they never actually found out what the problem was, they simply put it back together and reverse gear worked again - as if by magic...

Well I am sure you can guess what I am now going to tell you.....Yesterday morning I jumped in the car and attempted to reverse out of the garage and low and behold once again I am unable to select reverse, (and yes I have tried every trick I could find online from other people who have experienced the same issue, such as pumping the clutch etc. but to no avail) it is simply seized and will not go in.

So what do I do? Can I demand a new gear box (even though the car is now out of its manufacturers warranty?). Is the work from March covered under a warranty? Should I just continue to drive it and have the wife push me out it required (joke)

I am really frustrated with the whole experience and basically am just looking to get this re-occurring problem sorted out once and for all.

Any helpful advice would be much appreciated.


Regards,


Ziggy

[Jmac]

Sorry to hear about your ailing gearbox, you have a good paper trail there mate, same fault again just out of warranty, and it has been checked and addressed in warranty, you would surely have a good call to have it covered. Double pumping clutches etc not the cure as it would be doing the same with 1st that being the case IMO. not a clutch issue but a Selector problem, had problems with 02J gearboxes way back which is very similar to the 02R in the Polo, was a problem in the selector shaft, but i would be having the gear adjustment checked at least. Double pumping clutch is a clutch thing not a tranny thing.
Hope it works out
Jmac

[Stan]

it's a recurring issue, hopefully you have receipts etc for the work, so I cant see how it's not covered. i would fight this big time.

[Jmac]

Any updates mate?? keen to hear what they say
Cheers
Jmac

[geoff_gti]

I had a similar thing on my Mk IV Golf a couple of years ago (similar 1.8T / 5speed anyway). The gearbox dropped a washer or something in between Reverse and 1st and I couldn't get into R either. It was stripped down and repaired, but then 5th gear broke about 2mths later. I ended up with a 2nd hand replaced gearbox. Good luck with it!