What's up with my car? (too impatient to wait for Lopez to get home)

Lostkat · 11 Feb 2011 at 16:24

I've been having trouble getting the car into 5th gear for a few weeks now. It doesn't crunch but it just physically won't go into 5th sometimes. I told Leon and he'd noticed it too. Naturally, being Leon, he made some suggestions as to what it could be, but didn't take a look or anything

I had just escaped the horrors of Derby today and went change up to 5th so I could enjoy the thrill of escaping at speed, when I realised it had gone straight into 3rd. I put it back in neutral and tried again. 3rd. The gear stick was suddenly very loose in my hand I could move it left to right with no resistance.

Upon arriving at a junction, I discovered that 1st and 2nd had also vanished into thin air, leaving me to navigate traffic lights, junctions and roundabouts using only 3rd and 4th. What joy

I'm just glad I didn't have any hill starts!

So what's up with it? I'm hoping the linkage, because we have a spare one of those that came with the car.

Malt_Vinegar · 11 Feb 2011 at 16:31

I think the gearbox is broken

Can you select the gears with the engine off?

Scania · 11 Feb 2011 at 16:34

Linkage u/s. or possibly the 'box its attatched to?

What time is Lopez to the rescue then?

Lostkat · 11 Feb 2011 at 16:34

Only 3rd and 4th

Lostkat · 11 Feb 2011 at 16:36

R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
Linkage u/s. or possibly the 'box its attatched to?

What time is Lopez to the rescue then?

He finishes at 5. Thankfully I managed to get home and wang it on the drive (reverse doesn't work either) so I'm not stranded. I did wonder what people thought of me when I revved the bits off it at all the junctions and lights though.

Dogbreath · 11 Feb 2011 at 16:37

Do you still have the Mk2 Golf? Linkage problems are very common on these, either just through wear or through misalignment.

Malt_Vinegar · 11 Feb 2011 at 16:37

I think if you can't select the gears with the lever, but still can on the gearbox itself, then perhaps the selector linkage would be a sensible diagnosis.

Lostkat · 11 Feb 2011 at 16:42

Malt_Vinegar said:
I think if you can't select the gears with the lever, but still can on the gearbox itself, then perhaps the selector linkage would be a sensible diagnosis.

I'm not prepared to roll around in the mud looking under the car, so I've found the new gear linkage and will present it proudly when he returns from work, with promises of steak for tea upon completion

Haha

Yes Dogbreath BTW, still got the MK2

(well, not so

at the moment!)

Aero · 11 Feb 2011 at 17:06

Lostkat said:
I'm not prepared to roll around in the mud looking under the car, so I've found the new gear linkage and will present it proudly when he returns from work, with promises of steak for tea upon completion Haha

Sounds like a good deal to me!

Gaijin · 11 Feb 2011 at 17:07

I think its cross with you for bleedin' running everywhere instead of driving it.

It's got the right hump with you. Still, it'll be a nice surprise for Mr L when he gets in from work - that relaxing weekend he had planned will be spent under a car in the wind and the rain (pics plz for gloating purposes).

Lostkat · 11 Feb 2011 at 17:15

Gaijin said:
I think its cross with you for bleedin' running everywhere instead of driving it.

It's got the right hump with you. Still, it'll be a nice surprise for Mr L when he gets in from work - that relaxing weekend he had planned will be spent under a car in the wind and the rain (pics plz for gloating purposes).

You're probably right actually DP2. Poor, neglected little car. I promise to be less athletic in future

And you seem to be insinuating that Mr Leon hates working on my car. He LOVES it!! I can just see the smile on his happy little face when he gets in now

He'll be so pleased with me, haha

Lostkat · 11 Feb 2011 at 17:30

He's home and it's fixed
Now that's service

Lopéz · 11 Feb 2011 at 17:34

Women.

DRZ · 11 Feb 2011 at 17:35

Lopéz said:
Women.

Lostkat · 11 Feb 2011 at 17:39

Lopéz said:
Women.

Look here, most women would have been stuck in Derby at the side of the road, or in the middle of a junction crying until you came to rescue them!

Lopéz · 11 Feb 2011 at 17:44

Good point.

For those bored enough to be interested, the main gear linkage rod had parted company with it's end sockets and fallen off down the road somewhere.

Repair time 15 seconds approx. Lovely.

Gaijin · 11 Feb 2011 at 17:45

What was it in the end? Teaching her how to use the clutch properly?

Gaijin · 11 Feb 2011 at 17:46

Lopéz said:
Good point.

For those bored enough to be interested, the main gear linkage rod had parted company with it's end sockets and fallen off down the road somewhere.

Repair time 15 seconds approx. Lovely.

****. Was hoping to see a miserable FB update on Monday about how you'd got VW induced Hypothermia over the weekend.

Lostkat · 11 Feb 2011 at 17:48

Gaijin said:
What was it in the end? Teaching her how to use the clutch properly?

Careful or I'll get your big sis to deck you!

Frozennova · 11 Feb 2011 at 18:15

Had a sloppy linkage on my mk2 golf, replaced it when I bought the car as it only had a little play that meant I was occasionally hitting reverse instead of 1st, kit was about a tenner from GSF and an alignment plate was about £4 off ebay.