Gearbox problems need a bit of help

[Priggy]

Okay, I have a 1998 Audi a3 1.6 and I've established I need a new gearbox mine has ccompletely failed, but I would like to know the cause of failure,
What happened was, reverse gear started playing up, and popping out of position, grinding and shaking the car badly. And then one day it popped out of reverse and the whole gearbox went stiff, like the linkage got stuck? And now I don't have reverse, 1st or 2nd gear. But in its place is, 3rd gear where reverse and first should be, and 4thgear where 2nd should be. Yes literally when I put it in where reverse should be it engages 3rd gear? Anyone know the underlying problem other than its completely knackered? Or are the gearboxes on the Audi a3 1.6's garbage.

Many thanks

 

[s17atw]

Hi, 1.6 golf /a3 boxes are not the strongest
i have rebuilt / replaced a few over the years ...... It should be rebuild able if there are no holes in the casing

 

[Priggy]

Hi, 1.6 golf /a3 boxes are not the strongest
i have rebuilt / replaced a few over the years ...... It should be rebuild able if there are no holes in the casing

Are the gearboxes exactly the same on the a3's and golfs? Have you heard about this problem before or know the cause?

 

[Benjiman46]

Sounds like syncros have died, causing a broken selector fork or something along those lines inside. Won't be visible until you open it up or get All Gears in Worksop (The best around here) to have a look.

Ben

 

[Priggy]

Okay try explain this :S got in my car was going to take it to a friends garage, and all off a sudden it's all loosened up and now it works fine, well it's a bit stuff to get in first, and reverse still pops out sometimes, but it's like it was before anything happened???