The definitive Gearbox thread

[PhilM]

Can anyone offer me advice on my lupo 1.4 16v - gears are constantly very hard to select, first is almost impossible (without a lot of force) reverse ALWAYS grinds, clutch has to be put right to the floor and is extremely stiff! Recently I have discovered that it's almost as easy to change gear without even using the clutch... :/ It never falls out of gear though. (at least that's something eh??)

I love my car but it really is a task to drive.. I don't want to get shafted by a mechanic either so any advice would be great.

Thanks

[Tomjw]

Just found out my gearbox is on its way out and not the pedal box. Ive got the horrible whyning noise when I lift off the pedals and when im driving at high speed! Flippin great

[Tomjw]

Is that what it is? Replaceable?

[Tomjw]

Ahhh atleast I know what it is now... Im taking it out on the weekend, giving it a clean, re-fitting and adding a gearbox treatment along with fresh oil for it to see how that goes then run it in until it completely breaks then get it rebuild at a gearbox place

[hunid-brake]

Ok people this is URGENT!!! i need my car for work and i need to know if this is serious or if any garage can take care of it. Basically when pulling away in first today, as i went to put it into 2nd it ground and then went in (clutch depressed correctly-its done this a few times now) as mentioned its done this a couple times before and once its done that its been almost impossible to put it into 1st or 2nd. In the past ive used a bit of force to get it in and then it sort of works itself loose and its fine again. There is no whining, gears have never ever slipped, never ever popped out, there is no problem at all getting it into any of the other gears they slot in lovely. Anyway it happened today and it will go into second fine but it is having none of 1st at all, even with "considerable blood boiling violent force" it wont go in at all so im guessing its totally not aligned anymore???? I have no clue and i havent heard anything about this happening before. Please help i need this sorted asap as i need the car for work, i am in the country and screwed without a car. I daren't take it anywhere unless it really ****s up so am i going to have to take it to my robbing lovely person local stealership? HEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!

[hunid-brake]

and i dont think its anything to do with the clutch as it goes in all other gears fine, might i also add that the car has only done 37k, this is bloody ridiculous!!!!

[hunid-brake]

seriously? nothing?

[hunid-brake]

well after speaking with a transmission specialist it sounds like the selector or something on the hub has gone, so £200 for the box to be removed, £300 to get it stripped and refurbished, £100 for a clutch (may as well be done while the GB is off) and £220 to hire a car for 2 weeks while the work is done equals me pretty pissed off. I think this is it for me and Lupo's. Love them to pieces but i think ive just about had enough. You may see my car on the for sale page in the coming weeks/months.

[hunid-brake]

i know but i NEED a car for work, it has to be fixed, plus the box in my car is only 37k miles old!!! all the gears themselves are fine, no whining from the pinion bearing, no slipping, no popping out its literally just something with the selector or some ****. So if i get this refurbed at least i know all the gears are sound as apposed to a recon'd one that could be god knows how old and covered however many miles. The transmission place said the 6 speed is more finicky to do than a 5 speed hence the slightly higher price. and the 200 for taking the box off covers putting it back on again with new gb fluid which is about 40 quid included. I dunno, i just give up with these bloody cars, ive just been looking at other cars to buy and nothing interests me, i LOVE lupos but just cant take the bills anymore its crazy.

[zmaricz]

hi all,

just got home after driving a 50mile round trip in the gf's lupo (1.4e).

on the way there we noticed a whining noise in 5th gear which i likened to a supercharger noise, that increases with road speed.

on the way back the gear selection began getting stiffer and stiffer, and popped out of 5th a couple of times. It also stalled once while in 4th.

feels really tight, but not when the engine's off??

does this mean new or refurbed box?

or could it be:

gearbox oil?

gear linkage?

selector fork?

clutch?

clutch cable?

whats worth trying?

if it turns out to be the worst then anyone got some links to where to get a new or refurbed box??

really stuck as we're both uni students with very little money!!!

many thanks

[zmaricz]

dont worry, turns out there was virtually no gearbox oil in it.

still a very very very slight whine at 70mph in 5th but you wouldnt even hear it unless you knoew it was there

[hunid-brake]

£550 for the gearbox to be rebuilt, apparently over £300 worth of parts off VW. New hub, synchro and replacing final gear bearing too just as well. Plus cost of removing and putting back in, moving house and hire car equals a very pissed off mother fker

[TonyN]

Hi, good thread, I joined up to ask a quick question, I have a friends 2000 1.7SDI Lupo here, thats munched the gears after a bearing failure as seen so often in this thread.

The people who have got Recon'ed boxes, where did you get them from, The only place I've so far found is 1st Gear Transmissions who I believe have been mentioned in this thread, but they want £695 for a gearbox, way more than mentioned earlier in thread.

Are there any other suppliers people have used I can call?

Many thanks,

Tony.

[wee-jo]

Can anyone calrify what gearboxes are changeable over different cars? Is it possible to put a box from say a 1.4 16v into a 1.4 8v?

[BAZIL]

mine has just staring f*cking up , its not whining , just on he way home from work was hard to get in gears and kept popping out of gear . can anybody shine some light ??

[nic78]

Hi, my gearbox on my Gti is whining when it is in gear. All changes are smooth with the exception of reverse which clunks a bit. If I put it into a different gear and then into reverse it goes in fine. Can anyone tell me if it sounds like its on its way out. I am planning on getting the oil changed to see if that stops the whine.

Any help/advice is appreciated.

Nic

*Edit* It's a 6 speed box

Edited October 25, 2010 by nic78

[Luke_rupert]

Hi just a quick question my gear box has started to be wine (mainly in 4th) and i was just wondering can i use any gear box (Apart from gti) for my lupo sport or are they different? I know i sound like a noob but I need a little help

Cheers

Luke

[Defcon5]

The other ones may physically fit, but they will have the wrong ratios

[nic78]

Hi, my gearbox on my Gti is whining when it is in gear. All changes are smooth with the exception of reverse which clunks a bit. If I put it into a different gear and then into reverse it goes in fine. Can anyone tell me if it sounds like its on its way out. I am planning on getting the oil changed to see if that stops the whine.

Any help/advice is appreciated.

Nic

*Edit* It's a 6 speed box

Anyone?

The whine is most noticeable when in 3rd/4th when slowing down.

Edited November 1, 2010 by nic78

[sam bignell]

Anyone?

The whine is most noticeable when in 3rd/4th when slowing down.

Afternoon Nick,

Hope the car is still going well in your hands now.

Reverse gear is no issue!!! This is a common design in VW 6 speed range, the feeling you have maybe just the fact you've been driving a C2 previously

Not sure on the whining noise, I don't remember this being a issue when I had the car.

Germania gave the car a good clean going over and commented on the conditioning being very good.

I'd take the car to VW or someone who has experience with the set up, they'll be able to tell you straight away if they're any concerns surrounding the gearbox

Sam

[nic78]

Afternoon Nick,

Hope the car is still going well in your hands now.

Reverse gear is no issue!!! This is a common design in VW 6 speed range, the feeling you have maybe just the fact you've been driving a C2 previously

Not sure on the whining noise, I don't remember this being a issue when I had the car.

Germania gave the car a good clean going over and commented on the conditioning being very good.

I'd take the car to VW or someone who has experience with the set up, they'll be able to tell you straight away if they're any concerns surrounding the gearbox

Sam

Yeh the car is going well thanks! I thought that the reverse gear wouldn't be anything to worry about. I suspect its fine, but I think its due for a service within the next couple of months, so I'll get it checked out then.

Good to see you still using the forum Hope the Clio is going well!

[MrLuke]

My car seems to be squeaking now.. But does it happen when in neutral or when starting the car? It seem to only happen when it's warn as well.. Any ideas anyone?

[MrLuke]

Warm even

[si_leeds]

Our lasses polo was grindin into reverse and ocassionally into second, but the biting was really low and the pedal box has just gone so is it likley I don't need to worry about the gearbox and that it was just because the clutch wasn't disengaging fully cos of the pedal box being on its way out?

[GeX]

My Lupo E gearbox is slowly leaking oil from the seal and is continuing to rip new seals everytime I replace them and fill the gearbox with oil. This is because someone damaged the rod by ripping the seal out with mole grips or the like and made it all sharp, I tried filing the sharp points off the rod and putting a new seal in which had held up for a while but now my box is leaking oil again so I need to get a second hand gearbox as it's starting to get loud.

Gearbox Code: ESY

Does anyone know where I can find a reconditioned or second hand one?

Does the new one need to be the same code?

Are Polo ESY and Lupo ESY boxes the same?

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I need my car for work.

Edited December 11, 2010 by GeX