Broken reverse gear selector.

atreyu1

Member
Messages
183
Could someone provide an answer to this hypothetical question. Normally to select reverse gear the selector has to be lifted and then moved back. Mine will select reverse without being lifted which isn't a problem but isn't how it should be. So the question is this, what would happen if you were driving along quite normally and you inadvertently caught the reverse lever with your sleeve and selected reverse whilst moving forward. Would it go into neutral or would something more catastrophic happen? Would the gearbox fault light come on? Looking forward to an erudite answer.
 

atreyu1

Member
Messages
183
Thanks for your reply Catman. I asked the question because sometimes I get the red gearbox light coming on which is ok until you select neutral after which it won't select a gear until the fault is cleared. I read somewhere that a broken reverse selector can cause this because it's not securely held in place and can move about, perhaps on a bumpy road surface.
I suppose the only way to find out is to try selecting reverse whilst moving forward and seeing if the gearbox light comes on. I think I would have to be feeling very brave to try this. As you say Catman the electronics should not allow it to actually select reverse.
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,547
That's entirely a plausible reason for the red light. The lever is comparably easy to fix, if memory serves

Cheers

C
 

Wanderer

Member
Messages
5,791
The red transmission light comes on on a lot of occasions if the electronics get confused,

It did it with me when some idiot on another forum told me that the DS box could be made to go into launch mode by pulling both paddles for about 15 secs - result - no launch mode and a red transmission go to dealer warning. No damage tho, all worked.

Another time was in Leeds city centre when I missed the right turn into St Johns car park and had to panic-reverse in traffic, kept pulling the lever into reverse and it wouldn't go quick enough, tried, tried, red warning and go to dealer. Again, calmed down and it worked perfectly.

Doesn't like being told what to do!

BTW, does anyone know if the push button shift reverse/drive panel I saw a pic of on here (possibly on a Coupe or 4200?) somewhere would work in a QP5? Looks like the same size as the QP one, just two black buttons drive and reverse, rather than the rather toy like tee lever?
 

atreyu1

Member
Messages
183
Interesting to hear that you've had the red light as well, albeit for a different reason. Did it refuse to select a gear after the gearbox light came on?
 

Wanderer

Member
Messages
5,791
Interesting to hear that you've had the red light as well, albeit for a different reason. Did it refuse to select a gear after the gearbox light came on?
Well kinda, in the sense I was in sheer panic and trying and trying. Once I calmed down and selected slowly light went off and never seen issue since....

All told though in general I've never had a gear select problem in general, just when trying to force it to do stuff too quickly or trying something it's not programmed to cope with.