Help - Please! 2.5TD Auto Will Not Select Reverse Gear!

[Bish Bash Bongo]

Good morning friendly people! Happy 2012 and all that shabang! I am a VW man (Mk1 1976 and Mk2 1991 Golf) and we bought a bongo around a year ago. It has been great up until recent. She will require some further work soon, beyond the problem I have now. 2 years ago (previous owner) it had its head gasket done at a cost of about 500 quid, I fear this was done by what I class as cowboy spanner bearers. It is seaping all around the head and has started to burble. Should I check the head bolts for tightness, I take it they are stretch bolts from what I can see.

I woke this morning to find that my Bongo (Ford Frendee) will not select reverse gear. It selects all other gears no problem, cannot understand why. Checked all wires and they seem fine, no corroding on joins. The gearbox is spot on and goes through the gears fine. Levels are all fine as I check these regular (as I am a bit anal).

I cannot see any fuses on the list that would have anything to do with reverse not being able to be selected! The reverse beeper (which I love - <--- Insert sarcasm here) works fine as it should.

I am technically minded and handy with spanners and don't mind trying things myself. So if anyone has any tips/pointers please let me know.

All the best.

Ozz - Norfolk

[mikeWalsall]

I have seen similar problem mentioned before .... but maybe related to not selecting any gear..??

do a search on here for the gearbox interlock, its a cable lock that stops the gearbox lever moving whilst the footbrake isnt pressed,it locks everything up,check its adjusted/connected.
there have been times when it has broken under the gear lever.

[Bish Bash Bongo]

I have seen similar problem mentioned before .... but maybe related to not selecting any gear..??

do a search on here for the gearbox interlock, its a cable lock that stops the gearbox lever moving whilst the footbrake isnt pressed,it locks everything up,check its adjusted/connected.
there have been times when it has broken under the gear lever.

Gear lever moves fine, no problems there. All connected and seem to be doing required jobs. Selects all other gears fine, just not reverse!

Still smiling!

[teenmal]

hI Bish Bash Bongo,

The first thing that I would check is the selector mechanism on the side of the box,make sure its going to the reverse position.Other than that its an internal fault.

Cheers.

[Bish Bash Bongo]

hI Bish Bash Bongo,

The first thing that I would check is the selector mechanism on the side of the box,make sure its going to the reverse position.Other than that its an internal fault.

Cheers.

Is there a solonoid that pops it into reverse or a sender?

[teenmal]

hI Bish Bash Bongo,

The first thing that I would check is the selector mechanism on the side of the box,make sure its going to the reverse position.Other than that its an internal fault.

Cheers.

Is there a solonoid that pops it into reverse or a sender?

Hi,yes there are solonoids/accumulators/clutches etc etc.

I would give Alacrity a pm for some advice,he is an autobox expert and a very nice man.

Keep smiling

[Alacrity]

Unusual one this. There are two solenoids that are powered in reverse, but they also operate in 1st so if it has 1st then they are working as they should. There are also two clutches that apply for reverse, one also comes on in lock down 1st (i.e. the 1 position) to give you engine braking, if you have no engine braking then that clutch has failed. Unusual for a clutch to just stop working though - unless it has dismantled itself. The other possibility - & I don't know if this applies to the Bongo (Freeda) - is the ECU is seeing a road speed signal when at rest. Most transmissions have a safety feature that stops reverse from engaging when you are moving forward above 5 kmph, on an electronic unit it will usually inhibit one of the solenoids that are active in reverse until it 'sees' a low enough road speed. I have had vehicles in with no reverse & when data is looked at on a scanner (can't be done on a Bongo) you see significant road speed whilst stationary. Hence no reverse.

Now as I say I am not sure if this feature exists on the Bongo, perhaps someone would like to go down the road at 20mph & see if reverse will engage so we know!!

You could try disconnecting the solenoid connector (not the inhibitor/range selector switch or you wont be able to start it) & see if you have reverse then as it will go to a default setting. If not you have an internal failure & the 'box will need to come out & apart.

[longhaul8]

Did we ever get an outcome to this problem ?

[tracycrompton]

did this problem ever get sorted out, as we have the same problem