Problems selecting reverse on S3 '01

[Meza]

Hi I've just got my S3, hope I'm not already in trouble...
had a problem selecting reverse today. It was a bit difficult to get it in, (ooeer) push down and move it across, but it just wouldn't go, no grinding though. Give it a wiggle and it would pop in and be fine.

But then I tried to reverse later on and it just would not get in gear, no matter what I tried I couldn't get reverse. I got worried because if I went forwards I'd be in someone's front room, was 1/3 of the way through a three point turn!

I turned the engine off, restarted it, and it went straight into gear. huhh??? It 's like the gearbox is made by Microsoft... restart and it's fine.

Any ideas?

 

[Stewart]

Trouble selecting first and reverse is 90% of the time due to misaligned linkages.

The gearbox uses cables to control the linkage so tend to stretch etc over time.

It's dead easy. Get some one in car, put in 1st. Open bonnet. Look at shift linkage on top of box. The up down movement should be obvious from side to side movement of the gearstick. Adjust cable length to give correct side to side movement.

To adjust cable, push collar back against spring, and pull cable in and out to adjust.

Do the same for front to back movement. It rotates the selector shaft. Again put gearstick in 1st, and adjust cable so that selector shaft on box is in 1st. Try in other gears, and adjust to give best position.

The factory procedure involves putting a locating/locking pin under the gearshift gator, and a pin on the selector shaft. It's more accurate, but you can get it 99% there doing as above.

 

[Meza]

Cool, that sounds helpful. I'll enlist an assistant and report back. Thanks