Gearbox issues

[vc-10]

My brother borrowed the Polo, and has returned it unable to engage 3rd gear. The others all engage, but it's feeling very rough. It was absolutely fine yesterday (of course). The big problem is that we're in North Wales visiting family for Christmas. Anyone have any ideas why it's playing up? It's a 2002 9n 1.2 with the 5-speed.

[Doctle Odd]

Try this, petrol is the same system


How to adjust your Volkswagen manual transmission shifter cables

[vc-10]

Awesome, thanks! I'll give it a go tomorrow, avoiding the family and the frantic Christmas rush...

[vc-10]

OK, so I tried adjusting the linkage but to no avail. Even when I disconnected the linkage, and tried putting the gearbox into 3rd by moving the bits on the outside of the transmission, and it wouldn't go in. I think we'll be able to get home, but it might be quite slow stuck in 2nd up all the Welsh hills! It's not a syncro issue either I don't think- double declutching didn't help. Any idea on what else could have gone wrong? And any idea on how much a new gearbox would be? The car's done 145k miles and is bottom spec (no central locking even!) so isn't exactly worth much, but it's been a fantastic car and I'd be very sad to see it go.

[Doctle Odd]

Pull back the gaiter on the gear handle and align the hole in the handle with the hole in the casing. A masonry nail will do. Then loosen the bowden cable springs and pull the collars back and lock them. Put the selectors in the service position using the little L clip. Allow the bowden cables to snap into position and lock the collars. Undo the selector locking clip and remove the masonry nail. If it doesn't go into gear smoothly you need a gearbox. Those gearboxes aren't great they dislike abuse

[vc-10]

That doesn't sound encouraging. I followed that procedure, but couldn't get it to work. I disconnected both clips, with the gearbox 'locked' with the little handle on the transmission, locked the gearstick with a 5mm drill bit, and reconnected the clips. I tried this a fair few times, and it never went into 3rd although all other gears are working. I also disconnected the gearstick, unlocked the transmission, and tried manually shifting into 3rd. Trying to start the car and move away in 3rd just resulted in a horrible griding gears noise, even though the selector on the transmission was as far back as it would go. It's going in to the garage when we get back, but I'm not holding my hopes up. If you say that if it needs a new box if it's not the linkage then that's really annoying. Poor car. The shift has been a bit weird for the last couple of years- the stick doesn't self centre properly all the time- and the engine burns oil, steering rack is slowly dying (parking can be iffy at times) and, in general, it's getting a bit tired.

[vc-10]

We lost 4th on the way home, but it made it. Luckily there's just about enough overlap between 2nd and 5th to cope, but the Welsh hills required a bit of a runup!

Anyway, I took it to the garage this morning. He thinks the selector fork has gone, and that it needs a new box. They don't do gearboxes, and he thinks that putting in a new box will cost between £600-£750 for the box, plus VAT and fitting (he reckoned on £150-£200 for labour, I guess plus VAT on top of that as well). I'm going to phone up their gearbox place on Monday morning, but I'm not holding my breath. Quite worried about the poor thing- it's worth about £1200 tops I reckon as it's a bit tatty and falling apart. Are those sorts of prices reasonable for a new (refurb!) gearbox?

[Doctle Odd]

It's not worth spending that on it. A good VAG breaker should have a box between 100-150.00 90 day warranty. Good Indie fit the box for a ton

[vc-10]

I'll try and find one then!

[vc-10]

Right... now I need to find a transmission! I think it's an FQE box (at least that's what it says on the sticker in the boot floor!). Are there multiple types of box? Will any FQE box fit? And if there is variation in the boxes, which part numbers do I need to look for? I've found a couple on eBay and I've got a friend who does up old 911s and SAABs who's going to give me a hand and I'm going to do it myself and have him check it over.