Q: Reverse gear went out

asked by on March 23, 2016

The reverse gear in the car went out, but I was able to get it home and have not driven it since. I do warm it up every so often and try to shift it. Sometimes the reverse gear will work and sometimes the drive gear does not work.

The first step is to check the fluid level and condition. If the transmission is full, and the fluid is not brown or black, we can proceed. The next step would be to try and eliminate an electrical issue that is causing this. The reverse gear has very little electrical involvement, and has the highest line pressure when working correctly. Next the computer will need to be checked for codes. After you check for codes, the valve body can be removed to check for problems. However, given the age, if you have high miles, or if the fluid is dark, the transmission most likely needs to be rebuilt.

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