Howdy all,
Well there i was driving the car and i put it into reverse no more then 15 minutes before and then i came to my house put it in reverse and crunch it wont go in.. it can go to low 1 and 2 just fine, but if i try reverse it crunches and then it wont go into low after that, When the car is off i can go into all the gears just when its on, any help would be appriciated for my little baby beetle.
-Marc
Wll update strange, i left the beetle for about 1 hr and let it cool down and no problem just drove it again and it seems back to normal anyone had this?
-m
Hiya Eraser,
Just a couple of questions and a couple of thoughts............
When you tried to get it into reverse, did it grind? Or did the shift lever simply refuse to move into the reverse position?
Have you checked your gearbox fluid level lately? Everything OK with the shift plate? Rear shift coupler in good shape? Front shift bushing in good shape?
Shift problems can usually be ironed out by checking/adjusting/fixing all those things listed in the second paragraph. If these steps don't make a fix, then you could have problems inside the case.
Mike
1970 AS Bug
It was just grinding wouldnt go in at all, but then when i started the car later it was going in perfectly. But when it was grinding it would then refuse to go into low and there was no grinding just wouldnt go at all. Seems ok today as well, now to test the atf does the stick need to go compleatly in as i have a serious hard time getting the stick down the hole.
-M
Hiya Eraser,
Yep, the stick needs to go all the way down the spout and into the tank. The cap needs to be all the down on the lip of the spout. I know what you mean about being difficult to "stick". Just be patient and wrestle with it for a while. By the way, make sure your ATF has been warmed up and that your engine is off when you do stick the tank.
And about your shifting.........sounds to me like you may have an intermittant (the hardest kind to find) problem with your electricals in the shift system. One actually shifts electrically in an AutoStick. The electrical system kicks the vacuum system into operation and that, in turn, activates the clutch servo which actually does the shifting.
So...... you need to take a good look at the parts and wiring leading from the shift lever to the solenoid on the control valve. Inside the shift lever is located a set of contact points. These need to be cleaned and reset for gap on a regular basis. See Bentley for details. Leading from the bottom of the points and out through the base of the shifter is a blue wire. Check to make sure that this wire is not shorting out on the base of the shifter which is a common wear point. This blue wire leads back to a connector under the rear seat. Insure that this is a secure connection.
In the engine compartment make sure that the inside of the inline fuse holder is clean and shiny (and, of course, that the fuse is OK) and the line connections to it are secure. The inspect the solenoid. Make sure that both electrical connections are secure (and bright and shiny).
The most common of the problem areas listed above are the connections. Since thay are easy to do, I'd check them first. Then look at the other items. If you still experience problems after all that, then it is most likely that your solenoid is on it's way out.
Mike
1970 AS Bug
Hi,
just one more thought on this. Mine used to have a problem slotting into reverse. I found out my carb wasn't producing enough vacuum (it was actually a carb problem in the end, I've fitted dual carbs and one side wasn't tuned up correctly)
The upshot was on a 3 point turn there was not enough vacuum to do a shift into forward and then another shift into reverse. Pretty much the same possibility with yours you have to move from one gear to the reverse and it may be using up the vacuum on the first shift so you could try slotting into neutral first, giving it a few revs to build up the vacuum again then try reverse.
It could be you are losing vaccum, maybe a split in a pipe or the vacuum tank has a leak somewhere?.
rgds
Kev
Update again,
well for a while there i could get it into reverse but now cant and same goes for low :( doesnt look liek somethign a novice like me can solve looked and everythign i can off to a mechanic and if worst comes to worst i got a semi-auto gearbox spare at home. Also i tried the atf fluid but it didnt fix it (although it was low).
-M
so you can get 2 & 3 but not R & 1
bit odd.
If you couldn't get any I would still go down the line of not enough vacuum to do the clutch moving job.
Is the arm moving on the servo when you press the gear lever. It might be that the arm needs to be adjusted on the spline as the clutch is wearing. WD40, unbolt, lift off, move back a spline at a time and test.
Maybe that will give you a starter. I guess you have done the obvious and checked gearbox oil levels?
good luck,
Kev
Yet another fabulous update in the saga of eraser's beetle, Well I found out if I go into low (can get into it now) and then go to reverse it will engage, but if I go from first to reverse or even neutral to reverse it will crunch, any ideas. The only idea I can come up with is that there is a loose connection and when I go to low it somehow works again ?? sound stupid?
BTW on the lookout for a bently :) i got a haynes here btu not much help really.
-M
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