Reverse irregularity
 

I have an MP5 5speed. Every so often when I drop it into reverse it doesn't go into gear. It seems to be hanging up in neutral despite being pulled into the slot. If I let the car roll an inch or two the stick drops right in and everythings fine.
Just wonderin if anyone else has experianced this, it can really be annoying!! Thanx

I can't say that I've ever had this happen in my Pro...maybe it's a P5 thing? But I wouldn't think so b/c IIRC, the tranny should be the same.

Yep, has happened on pretty much every manual tranny car I have driven. You can also slightly let the clutch out while doing this to get the tranny to spin just enough so the gears line up. Kinda annoying, but the P5 is better than the old '92 Protege and my '91 Miata at getting into reverse easily.

Nissan actually aknowledged this problem in their 1st generation SE-Rs and suggested you release the clutch completely, then try reverse again - I've had pretty good luck with the technique.

John is right. Reverse does not have a synchro so it will seem hard every now and then. Its normal, all my manual cars have done this.

Not only is this normal.......if you read your MANUAL it even tells you this may happen and how to get the car into gear.

it has nothing to with the fact that there is no syncro opn reverse. it has to do with the fact that you are trying to get two straight cut gears into mesh. if the gears are not lined up, they will not mesh and the lever will not go any further, but it will feel like you are in gear.

Actually the gears on a manual trans are always meshed up. When you hear grinding or when "it doesnt go into gear" what is actually happening is that the shift fork puts pressure on the collar. What you hear grinding is the dog teeth on the collar not the gears. The collars dog teeth plug into the gear causing the gear to be locked on the shaft.

Here is a good article on how it works. Probably what is happening is that when you attempt to put it into reverse the teeth are not engaged and thus no reverse.

http://www.howstuffworks.com/transmission2.htm

all FORWARD gears are always in mesh, but reverse is the one the is only meshed when engaged.

the red one!!!
 

what does the red one do?!!?!?!? ;) jk