Hard to put in reverse only when engine warm.

I'm having problems with putting the car in reverse but only when the engine is warm. Makes that awful grinding noise that makes every man in the vicinity turn round and look at this terrible woman driver. GRRRRR!
When the engine is cold it is fine.
I know I spotted someone with a similar problem here, but can't find it again. Any help appreciated.
 

pollyp

Club Member
does it shift into forward gears without much effort nor grinding? if yes then that rules out a dragging clutch.

always only shift in reverse when the car's fully stopped, reverse gears don't have synchromeshes.
when the gearbox oils warm n thinner, the input shaft takes slightly longer to spin down after pressing the clutch so wait like a sec.

occasionally the reverse gear cog teeth & other cogs don't line up hence hard to select, so you just keep in neutral, briefly release then press the clutch again to spin the input shaft to a different cog angle and then it'll prob slot in
 
Thank you all so much for your helpful replies. It is a wee bit stiff to put into lower gears at times, but it is mainly the reverse that is the problem. Even when the engine has been completely off for a minute, it still grinds badly. Have tried putting it back into neutral, and even into first then back in reverse, but it still makes the noise.
Going to take it to somewhere today to adjust the cable for me. Will ask them to adjust til bitepoint is at halfway as suggested.
 
Oh, don't know if it relevant to this, suspect it may be though. When moving off in first, I have to very slowly release the clutch, otherwise it make a bit of a noise. As soon as I get up to a few mph, the noise stops. Doesn't do it at all if I let the clutch up slowly. Think I read somewhere that it means that the tensioners aren't fully engaging quickly enough. (Listen to me, pretending I know what I am talking about!)
 

frank

Club Member
Thank you all so much for your helpful replies. It is a wee bit stiff to put into lower gears at times, but it is mainly the reverse that is the problem. Even when the engine has been completely off for a minute, it still grinds badly. Have tried putting it back into neutral, and even into first then back in reverse, but it still makes the noise.
Going to take it to somewhere today to adjust the cable for me. Will ask them to adjust til bitepoint is at halfway as suggested.
i prefer the bite point about 1/3rd up personally rosie, you could get them to tighten the nut about 3 full turns and see if it has improved
 
Thanks Frank. Do i just say to them to adjust it to 1/3 up? Will they look at me as if I am a mad woman? Or they should know what I'm talking about.
 

frank

Club Member
Thanks Frank. Do i just say to them to adjust it to 1/3 up? Will they look at me as if I am a mad woman? Or they should know what I'm talking about.
it depends what you prefer really rosie, have a check before you take it, gauge where the pedal is when fully down, and then gauge where the pedal is as the car starts to move (in relation to the pedal fully up) :)
 
Thanks so much for all the help. Took it to a clutch place where they adjusted it (for free!) and it is now pretty much perfect. My husband still thinks it is a wee bit hard, but I'm driving it very happily and not embarrassing myself in car parks any more!!!!
 
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