V40 gear selection problem - not bushes

[bfg666]

Hi,

I've got a 1999 V40 1.6 at around 122k miles with a Renault M3P gearbox. At the start of January, the clutch release bearing broke apart. To cut a long story short; a new clutch, bearing and slave cylinder are fitted, along with the garage sending the entire gearbox off to a 'specialist' to have the gearbox input shaft replaced.

Soon after, it becomes very difficult to move the selector far enough over to select 1st and 2nd. Around 2 weeks later, my partner goes to select first and gets reverse, finally managing to find 3rd and gets it home with difficulty.

After multiple trips to the garage and many different stories later, I have replaced the front and rear gear linkage bushes, removed the entire gear lever to check for play anywhere and checked that the plate that prevents reverse is in position. Now that the bushes have been changed, I admit that the gear changes feel like it is a new car, but it hasn't solved the problem.

Essentially, after a drive, the gearbox feels as if all of the gears have shifted one place to the right., i.e. reverse is where 1st/2nd should be, 1st/2nd are where 3rd/4th should be, 3rd/4th are where 5th should be and 5th is completely unselectable. I have since realised that this can be corrected by engaging 1st gear and then moving the gearstick to the left as far as it will go.

Investigating this, I had a mate look at the rod while I moved it from side to side in gear, the movement follows the selector rod all the way to the gearbox. Given all the nonsense I've heard from the garage, including the gearbox being full of water (??!), I'm inclined to believe that they have butchered something or dropped it (?).

Has anyone experienced anything like this before? Thanks!

(I have deliberately left out the horror stories involved and the B$ that the garage have fed us to concentrate on the problem. However, I will definitely never recommend Halfords Auto Centre to anyone.)

[Baffler]

Try adjusting the fork on the end of the linkage rod - just a few millimeters clockwise should be enough to notice a difference.

[bfg666]

Sorry Baffler, do you mean the bolt that allows you to change the length of the rod?

[Baffler]

Yep, slacken the bolt and, whilst holding the main rod, turn the fork clockwise a few mm, lock up your bolt and see if you can select reverse and first gears without difficulty. Adjust as necessary.

[bfg666]

Thanks, that makes a lot of sense. I'll try it in the morning and post the results.

[Jabe]

What Baffler said.

Also, check the actual rod itself. It would be hard to tell but if they've bent the rod even the slightest, this could be the problem. We had the same exact thing happen to us too. We changed the bushes (while we where doing the clutch) and in the process we managed to bend the rod somewhat (long story) which caused the gears to sit more to the right. Took HOURS trying to get it right but managed to fix it in the end.

[bfg666]

Thanks guys, the garage had left that bolt a bit loose and the fork was starting to turn. Tightened that and it's as good as new. Cheers!