Loud Clunk Going into Reverse

On or around Sat, 02 Jun 2007 22:27:47 GMT, "kjfhkfhs@" enlightened us thusly:

They all do that, Guvnor.

actually... check *everything* in the front half of the drive train and for good measure check the A-frame-to-chassis balljoint on the back suspension.

Check the idle speed is correct.

You can minimise the clunk by pausing in neutral before going to R.

The autos don't generally suffer in the same way as the manual boxes with output shaft wear.

Don't forget the CV joints and the splines in the driving members on the hubs, front and back.

As Austin says: it's a standard feature. Means that the transmission is still attached! Pain in the a*** in carparks and can attract surprised looks from the uninformed if manoeuvring in a multi-storey carpark with a good echo.

My solution: bring the vehicle to a halt, select neutral. Then off the brake, then on again, thence into Reverse. Also, but I doubt it is recommended, bring the vehicle _almost_ to a halt then go into Reverse without pausing in Neutral. An accidental discovery which I don't intend to repeat.

Apply handbrake momentarily whilst changing between forward and reverse and vice-versa, used to work for me. Takes more time I know but it eliminates the 'clonk'.

Martin

On or around Sun, 3 Jun 2007 11:22:02 +0100, "Oily" enlightened us thusly:

yeah, that'd work.

the 110 clanked less when I replaced one shot CV joint which had got to the rattling-on-full-lock stage, so I guess replacing the other one would help.

Mind, I quite like the clank - provided it doesn't actually fall apart, it makes people take notice.

Did that to a hire car in the US at about 50mph, loud bang, stalled engine and very surprised me. Didn't seem to break anything though.

I thought auto boxes had all manner of interlocks to prevent you doing that sort of thing, obviously not!

Hi Dave

I thought so too. Friend at college had a FIAT 130 saloon with an autobox. His trick was to select reverse at speed so as to unstick the rear wheels and produce clouds of smoke! I suspect that it might have been faulty (TIC)

The RR was so near stationary as to be only moving imperceptibly - sort of half a rotation of the wheels away from coasting to a halt due to the absence of drive type of speed.

Richard

You're lucky - IME (deliberate abuse of scrap vehicles) it generally leaves the propshaft lying on the road or tears the engine off it's mounts.

Modern electronically controlled ones often do, but the old mechanically controlled ones most decidedly do not.

I'm glad you think so, wish it would extend to the Land Rover. B-(

I think there is a difference between "deliberate abuse" and absent mindly trying to changing down a gear (as one does on a manual box), on approach to a junction.

My drunken BOL sitting in the passenger seat put my auto P38 into reverse while I was doing 70ish mph on the M4. Brown trouser moment but nowt happened!!

Gaz

On or around Mon, 04 Jun 2007 09:53:56 +1200, EMB enlightened us thusly:

generally, there's a button to be pressed to go from D to R, on most of 'em, or a wiggly gate to move the stick around.

Have to say thanks to the group for the replies. Puts my mind at ease a bit. I might trawl and look for a set of Poly Bushes for the Disco and see if that helps, you never know. I tried the Drive to neutral then pause then reverse, seems to minimise the clunk. will let you know how it goes.

Thanks again.

Mike "Austin Shackles" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

An interesting situation was described when the new RR was tested off road. Stalling on hill climb. Put on brakes, RR immediately starts sliding backwards, so ABS releases brakes. So auto gear box refuses to go into reverse - because it is programmed not to do so when the wheels are rotating. Descend hill on ABS brakes only.