Got a problem with the motor and I'm hoping that someone with more knowledge of how they work than me can shed some light on it. The car is a 1997 manual VW polo 1L, done 147000 miles Last Sunday I drove it to Bristol from home, about 100 miles, towards the end of the journey it started getting difficult to change gear, that is to say, difficult to engage a gear from neutral, like something was getting in the way. I've just taken it out to the shops and the problem changing gear is still there. There's also a whine coming from the gearbox, I know its coming from the gearbox because it disappears when I have my foot on the clutch but its still there in neutral and changes pitch with engine speed. I dont really have the foggiest idea what might be wrong with it, any suggestions? Moriquendi
Gearbox oil? It's not for your car but -> http://www.reluctantmechanic.com/step-by-step/change_gearbox_oil.php Do you have a http://www.haynes.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001 Manual which should tell you how to do it?
Clutch release bearing/thrust bearing? If it's going when you press the clutch in it could be that. I had a 1991 Golf do the exact same thing. Have you tried running the car with the bonnet up and someone else pressing the clutch in and out?
Gearbox oil was what my Dad suggested, neither of us can remember when it was last checked/changed. I dont really understand how it could make it hard to change gear but then I don't know all that much about cars. I don't have a Haynes, I've never really had any reason to mess with it before now, its only been my car for a couple of months and before that my Dad would just take it to the garage. The whine is there all the time that the gearbox is spinning though I suppose that could be something to do with the clutch, I don't really have the space to play with it here, Ill have to think about that. Thanks for the help, please keep it coming. Moriquendi
Well the whine disappears when you depress the clutch. So it can't be the clutch bearing as that makes noise when you press the pedal, due to the bearing recieving the load of the clutch spring. Have the oil checked first and foremost. It sounds like either a synchromesh ring problem since you have difficulty changing/engaging a gear. Is it the same in reverse? And I hate to rain on your parade, but if there is no oil in the gearbox, the gearbox has most likely had it. Your bearings will be shot due to lack of lubrication, the shift forks might be too. You could be losing oil through one of the driveshaft flanges or the main drive flange towards the clutch. Has it been slipping the least? Check for leaks near driveshafts and underside of clutch bell.
Yeah reverse is hard to engage too, synchromesh would make sense as its easier to (but still not easy) to get it into gear if I play with the revs a bit ( a touch of accelerator when changing down, wait for the revs to die a little changing up). Ill check where it was parked for an oil leak tomorrow, are we talking enough to show up on the road? Clutch hasn't been slipping at all. I really hope the gearbox isn't dead, if it is then its probably not worth replacing given the condition of the car. Moriquendi
I don't know about Polo's specifically, but I managed to change the gearbox on my nova in 90 mins, and get hold of one for £30, so I wouldn't write it off just yet.
I also had a 1989 Golf which had the release bearing go. It was very easy to change and would be worth trying before tearing off the gearbox, but I don't know how similar the box is to a 1997 Polo and whether it'd be as easy to do?
He said the noise goes when he presses the clutch down. And from my experience with three different VWs, that isn't true. The clutch release bearing is a very common failure in that era of VW's, and the symptoms are very similar to what I and lots of other people on VW forums regularly complain about. If you are sitting there with the engine running, and you can hear a noise from the gearbox, it could very well be the clutch release bearing. I can't speak for 1997 Polo's, but certainly on many older VW's of a similar era, the clutch bearing is located at the end of the gear box, at the furthest point from the clutch itself. The clutch rod runs through the length of the gear box - clutch end to bearing end, and the tip of the rod rests inside a small nook on the bearing itself. When the clutch is not depressed, the bearing is still moving. When you press the clutch, a hooked finger on the end of the gearbox releases the bearing, and the clutch disengages. I've had two bearings wear out and become very noisey. One sounded like a machine gun - a rhythmic tapping sound. One sounded like a high pitched moan. The noise originates from the bearing wearing out or breaking. Not saying this is the problem, but if the bearing is easily located and doesn't require the box being removed, then it's a £5 part and 30mins of easy labour. Worth trying if the gearbox oil is OK. Incidentally, if it is an oil leak, you'll probably not spot one at this stage with the box making that much noise etc. It will be long gone by now.
http://www.brokevw.com/TO.html Here's a pretty good guide on how to do it. They call the clutch release bearing a "throw out" bearing in the US edit: should probably once again point out this is for mk2 Golfs, and I haven't a clue how similar later Polo boxes are so you'll have to check
If it isn't any of the above you may find the wires that connect the gearbox to the gear-stick are rubbing together. We have a Citroen Picasso (2004, 100K miles) and there are two wires that run from the gear stick to the gear box that recently fused together making it very hard to change gear. Apparently we were the first people Citroen have ever had to supply the part to!
run your hand along the drive shafts, if your hand comes back black with oil, grease as F*** then the oil will be low or near to gone in the gearbox. Just be prepaired for expense in the long run. If it turns out the gearbox is dry, i would change it out as it could be hiding hidden troubles. Last thing you want is the box to seize when overtaking. Last year a rubber gator covering and sealing a CV joint on my volvo had split, spraying hot oil all under the car, it was everywhere. This was a simple fix and was caught in time before the oil dropped too far, i too was having issues with gear changes, which caused me to hunt the problem down.
Thanks for all the help guys, I'm going to take it to the garage on monday and see what they say, if the gearbox is knackered and its too pricey to fix I guess I'll have to move up my plans for getting a motorbike. Hope it survives being driven home tonight... Moriquendi
Get a gearbox from a scrappy dude, don't ditch the car. You're talking £50-100 for a box depending on mileage.
I have a similar problem with the defender. The synchros are becoming more knackered - changing gear you have to hold the stick pushing into a gear, then it suddenly goes into gear. You can feel the stick pulsing too. It also makes a whining in 5th gear, quiet but still noticeable.
A gearbox from a scrappy might only be £50-£100 but there's still the labour for fitting it, its certainly not something I could do myself, I dont have the knowledge or the tools. The car is probably only worth £300-£400 max, it's had a hard life. Now that I've got it back to wales I'll take it to a garage I know and trust and ask him what he thinks. Moriquendi
