HELP - Stuck in Reverse
06-11-2010, 12:10 AM
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HELP - Stuck in Reverse
I'm hoping this one becomes a funny story later. For now, I need some help and hopefully (?) someone has had or recognizes a fix to this problem.
I have a 1994 968, 6-speed. Today I had it out, turned off, not in gear, parking brake on. My son turned 8 today and we had been on a short ride (he's allowed to ride in front for the first time today) and went inside. He came out first. I later learned he had hopped in and managed to bump into the gearshift pretty hard. Don't worry though, he reassured me, after he hit it he pulled it back into place!
When I came out initially he didn't say anything and nothing looked out of place. I started the car, put it in reverse just fine and back up about 15 feet. When I went to take it out of reverse to go to first, it would not come out of reverse. I gave it a firm pull but didn't want to force it. I turned the car off and tried with it off. Then I turned it back on and tried again. It would still engage in reverse but would not come out of reverse. Its parked overnight in the driveway and covered. Luckily its not in the street or somewhere it could get hit.
I'm really hoping someone can identify a cable that's popped loose and that I have some chance of reaching or something similarly simple. If not, I'm in Dallas and can have the car picked up and taken to Ruf but I'm hoping there's a better answer. Any help appreciated. Thanks.
I have a 1994 968, 6-speed. Today I had it out, turned off, not in gear, parking brake on. My son turned 8 today and we had been on a short ride (he's allowed to ride in front for the first time today) and went inside. He came out first. I later learned he had hopped in and managed to bump into the gearshift pretty hard. Don't worry though, he reassured me, after he hit it he pulled it back into place!
When I came out initially he didn't say anything and nothing looked out of place. I started the car, put it in reverse just fine and back up about 15 feet. When I went to take it out of reverse to go to first, it would not come out of reverse. I gave it a firm pull but didn't want to force it. I turned the car off and tried with it off. Then I turned it back on and tried again. It would still engage in reverse but would not come out of reverse. Its parked overnight in the driveway and covered. Luckily its not in the street or somewhere it could get hit.
I'm really hoping someone can identify a cable that's popped loose and that I have some chance of reaching or something similarly simple. If not, I'm in Dallas and can have the car picked up and taken to Ruf but I'm hoping there's a better answer. Any help appreciated. Thanks.
06-11-2010, 12:31 AM
#2
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Thats odd. Sounds like the gear selector rod in the transmission may have got jammed somehow. I don't think its anything your son could have done from inside the car... probably just coincidence. I don't think the 968 shift linkage is much different than a 944 5-speed linkage besides minor design differences, so it should function the same. Try this...
Was the car parked on a slight hill by any chance? Try nudging the shifter forward to loosen it up and then backward. If no results then try giving it one good yank out of reverse. Sometimes when I leave my car in gear on a slight hill, I have to really give the shifter a good jolt to get it out of gear, even with the clutch pressed.
Was the car parked on a slight hill by any chance? Try nudging the shifter forward to loosen it up and then backward. If no results then try giving it one good yank out of reverse. Sometimes when I leave my car in gear on a slight hill, I have to really give the shifter a good jolt to get it out of gear, even with the clutch pressed.
06-11-2010, 01:58 AM
#3
RL Community Team
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My dad had a 964 that got stuck in reverse. It never came out... it ended up needing a tranny rebuild. We sold it! I later learned that reverse has no synchro, and that use and wear can sometimes lead to this. However, in the months leading up to this disaster, it did get harder and harder (and loud noises) to actually get it into reverse. It sounds like this problem happened out of the blue so hopefully your problem is less serious.
My 968 loves to get stuck in gear after it's been parked for a while. Try bumping it forward and backward a little bit while it's stuck in gear, while someone is holding the clutch and trying to pull the shifter to neutral. If it's just you, it's a little harder. Maybe you can nudge it back and forth, and then go inside and try getting into neutral.
Make sure the car is on level ground - you want to eliminate all the load on the gears to try to free them up.
It's unlikely your son is at fault, since reverse is so hard to actually get the shifter into.... but if your son did manage to violently shove it into reverse somehow without holding the clutch... well that would certainly cause this problem.
If you do get it out, be careful using reverse, always be completely stopped when shifting to R.
My 968 loves to get stuck in gear after it's been parked for a while. Try bumping it forward and backward a little bit while it's stuck in gear, while someone is holding the clutch and trying to pull the shifter to neutral. If it's just you, it's a little harder. Maybe you can nudge it back and forth, and then go inside and try getting into neutral.
Make sure the car is on level ground - you want to eliminate all the load on the gears to try to free them up.
It's unlikely your son is at fault, since reverse is so hard to actually get the shifter into.... but if your son did manage to violently shove it into reverse somehow without holding the clutch... well that would certainly cause this problem.
If you do get it out, be careful using reverse, always be completely stopped when shifting to R.
06-11-2010, 08:06 AM
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Has your shift been very sloppy? I had a very similar problem, solved by the RAC in 20 minutes at no cost, so try this first!
IF its like the 944 shift then the linkage above the rear transmission can move, apparently its a pinch bolt on a round rod (not a spline), so if a nudge slips it around the rod then you can get all sorts of symptoms, since the shift is no longer orientated properly in the gate.
You need to jack the back up and look at the linkage.
You probably (I'm not an expert) need to establish where the lever should be, for me it was easy - neutral. but if you are stuck in reverse, then i would orient it first in reverse. so if the nut is slack, tighten it with the car stuck in reverse and the lever where reverse should be.
get the car into neutral. then ensure the shift is still properly aligned in the centre of the gate, in neutral, if not , slacken and readjust.
As I say, i'm not an expert, but the above damages nothing and costs nothing.
Pete
IF its like the 944 shift then the linkage above the rear transmission can move, apparently its a pinch bolt on a round rod (not a spline), so if a nudge slips it around the rod then you can get all sorts of symptoms, since the shift is no longer orientated properly in the gate.
You need to jack the back up and look at the linkage.
You probably (I'm not an expert) need to establish where the lever should be, for me it was easy - neutral. but if you are stuck in reverse, then i would orient it first in reverse. so if the nut is slack, tighten it with the car stuck in reverse and the lever where reverse should be.
get the car into neutral. then ensure the shift is still properly aligned in the centre of the gate, in neutral, if not , slacken and readjust.
As I say, i'm not an expert, but the above damages nothing and costs nothing.
Pete
06-11-2010, 09:43 AM
#6
Burning Brakes
I often have the same problem with my S2. I sometimes leave the car in 1st or reverse and frequently it will take some considerable force to pull it into neutral even using the clutch.
After that it always performs faultless shifts ?
I think you just need to get someone to rock the car back and forth with some force whilst you pull the gear lever back into neutral.
After that it always performs faultless shifts ?
I think you just need to get someone to rock the car back and forth with some force whilst you pull the gear lever back into neutral.
06-12-2010, 11:26 PM
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Thanks again. Good news - that did it. I rocked it a few times, then got it, fired it up, and pulled it out of reverse. The forward gears and shifting just fine. Its a little sticky coming out of reverse but not too bad. I'll take it in to Ruf in the next week or so anyway and have them check it out. I think I also have a small leak along the center of the rear axle so I may be a bit low on fluid (though it was at Ruf less than 500 miles ago and gone over and nothing was spotted then). Thanks again. I'm glad to be back in business.
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06-13-2010, 06:50 AM
#9
Burning Brakes
glad to hear it Tex.
They all have their little quirks. My S2 frequently won't select reverse from a standstill so I have to drive the car a couple of foot forwards and then it will slip into reverse?
They all have their little quirks. My S2 frequently won't select reverse from a standstill so I have to drive the car a couple of foot forwards and then it will slip into reverse?
