Hi guys - I'm new to this forum and to Mini ownership. I'm hoping maybe someone can help me out with this issue. My car occasionally doesn't completely shift into reverse. So I have to put the car back into neutral, step off the clutch, then step back on the clutch, and shift into reverse again. I don't think this is a big deal, except for the fact that when I do this the gears frequently grind. I've never experienced anything like this with other cars while the car is not actually moving. Why is this happening? What can I do to prevent this from happening? I've got the clutch pressed all the way down.

I am wondering if this is something I can learn to avoid by altering my behavior, or if I need to just take the car to the dealership to be looked at. Any advice?

Thanks!

 

As an old guy who has been driving for over forty-five years, every auto is different in the clutch/transmission department and takes a while to get used to. That being said, I can't believe a grinding sound of any kind is normal and having to try a second time to get the shifter into reverse does not sound like the way it should be. The practice of pushing hard left into reverse position is a little hard to get used to. Are you sure it goes all the way left? Just some observations. hth

 

Most cars with manual trannies, even these days, do not have synchros for reverse. I avoid the grinding by shifting into third and then immediately into reverse. Works every time.

Zip

 

id do the same thing about half the time!!
i thought something was messed up with my tranny also!!
i have the 5 speed 06 MC....if it matters...

 

Thanks everyone - I will try these tips and see how it goes. It happened again this morning. :( I probably need to start paying close attention to *exactly* how I move the shifter when I shift into reverse.

Regina

 

+1 Or any gear other than reverse for that matter.

 

I concur with the syncros.

 

Sometimes when I shift into reverse the gears tend to ggrriindd a bit. It's usually in the morning when I first start her up and am in a hurry. Whenever I slow down and take my time in shifting correctly...works everytime. You just have to get used to the Mini's tight shift pattern. But if it kept up, I'd have someone take a look at it.

 

It doesn't need to be looked at.

Zip

 

Hmmm interesting.. I have an '06 and she goes in reverse, everytime, no problem. However, my other car, an Audi, I definitely need to put it into a forward gear (I use first) before putting it into reverse, or she will grind a touch.

 

The OP didn't mention whether the car is an MC or MCS. I think I remember reading a thread somewhere about this happening mainly on MC's (not S) with the 5-spd. My MC does this as well on occasion.

I don't think it is a problem. I think everyone who mentioned syncros is right, and what ericvonzipper said seems to work for me as well.

 

Hi all - thanks again for your advice. I've been shifting into first and then shifting into reverse and this seems to be working well. I am not freaking out anymore!

(FYI, my car's a MC, not an S)

Regina

 

lately iv tried shifting into 3rd then reverse...it worked...about 50% of the time..lol...
i figured out that if you keep ur hand on the shifter...giving a little pressure toward the gear...when u let off the clutch it pops back into place and is good to go!!

 

Yes, like anything else that is, or approaches an art, it requires a but if finesse to do correctly.

Manual trannies can be driven clutchless if you match revs (except for getting into first) - that is, engine speed to road speed for each shift. When the crank and flywheels are all spinning at the same speed, this can be done with no noise, or harm, to anything. A truck driver friend showed me how to do this many years ago. Not something I do on a regular basis, but it goes back to that whole art and finesse thing. Even for finding a noiseless reverse, sometimes a little finesse is necessary.

Zip

 

There is no syncromesh on the riverse gear .
But the new mk2 has.