Cars are sort of bulky and unwieldy – especially when the engine isn’t sending power to the ground. Getting anywhere safely without forward and backward mobility is next to impossible.
That is why a car that won’t go into reverse is as bad. Parking will be a nightmare, and changing directions will be impossible unless you have vast space to drive around. You will have to push your car out of a parking slot if you want to get going again.
ProTip: When the transmission or transmission selector switch fails, you will have problems selecting just more than reverse. Be keen on how the vehicle behaves when driving forward to note if it’s cycling through all available forward gears.
What Will Prevent Your Car From Going Into Reverse?
A wide range of transmission and transmission selector issues could prevent your car from going into reverse. Some are because you fault the system, while others are because you are using the transmission wrong.
Your Car Won’t Go Into Reverse Under the Wrong Circumstances.
Modern vehicles are full of security sensors and actuators that prevent users from putting a car into a dangerous situation.
The most common are:
- Shifting to reverse when the car is still not on in an automatic transmission
- Shifting into reverse without lifting the reverse lockout switch in a manual vehicle equipped with one to prevent you from accidentally selecting reverse
- Shifting into reverse without the foot firmly on the brake pedal in some vehicles
- Shifting into reverse with the car still rolling forward in some vehicles
- Selecting reverse when the rear proximity sensors detect a barrier and are protecting you from a collision (in some advances, autonomous driving cars)
Even though these scenarios sound trivial, they can happen, especially if you are distracted or want to drive away quickly as a new driver. Follow the correct procedure when shifting your vehicle into gear and stay focused.
- Ensure the car is on
- You are at a standstill with the foot firmly on the brake pedal
- Press the lockout switch or knob if your vehicle has one
- Fully depress the clutch in a manual car
Faulty Transmission Selector Switch
Since ECUs na power train control modules became standard in automatic transmission engines, most manufacturers severed the mechanical linkage between your gear selector knob and the gearbox.
Instead, the selector is a switch that sends a signal to the power train controller, which in turn uses actuators to select the gear – if it deems it fit. That is how the gearbox automates gear selection.
Any corrosion or dirt on these contacts could make them stop working. Quickly shifting from neutral to reverse might clean them up and get your car shifting into reverse. If this works, resist the temptation to keep using the car as usual. Have a mechanic look into it and fix the problem entirely.
A transmission position sensor tells the Power Control Module what gear you are in more modern cars. You won’t shift into specific gears like the reverse if this module fails. The ECU could also place the vehicle in limp mode limiting your forward speed drastically.
Worn out Valve Body
A valve body in an automatic gearbox is a maze of channels that shuttle around transmission fluid to the suitable valves to shift the gears.
If the transmission valve body is damaged or clogged, the hydraulic pressure won’t get to the right spots, and you might not select the gears you need. This could lock you out of reverse gear.
Low on Transmission Fluid
Low transmission fluid levels in an automatic gearbox could create all forms of havoc. This will range from overheating to slipping gears and shifting to specific gears.
Check out this post on low transmission fluid levels and some of the symptoms to be on the lookout for. It will help you narrow down the problem to low transmission fluid levels or exempt it and think about something else.
Broken Teeth on the Reverse Gear
Assuming your transmission is not a CVT, it relies on gears and cogs to send power to the wheels in the correct ratio and direction.
Broken teeth in these gears will prevent the affected gear from working. You will hear loud clunks and clicking noises when you shift into the affected gear.
If this is the case, the only solution is to overhaul the gearbox and the ruined gear replaced. If you can get a cheap working gearbox from the junkyard, this could sometimes be a faster and economical way out.
A Faulty Reverse Lockout Ring
A reverse lockout ring is an extra lock on a manual transmission that ensures you select reverse instead of another forward gear.
To use it, you have to lift it before shifting into reverse; otherwise, you will be locked out. Since the only way to shift is by engaging the ring, you will not shift if it is ruined. Have a mechanic inspect the ring if your car is equipped with one, shifts well into forward gears but has no reverse.
A Faulty Clutch
You will have issues shifting into reverse gear with a damaged clutch. The problem only exists if you shift with the car’s engine running. Try this to figure out if the clutch is the problem
- Switch off the engine
- Shift into first
- Shift into neutral
- Shift into reverse
If you can get the reverse gear with the engine off, your clutch assembly has a problem. Have a mechanic look into it to fix the issue.
Modern transmissions rarely fail on a single gear – unless you’ve been abusing it frequently. When your car fails to shift into reverse, and it’s not the lockout ring or another sensor-related lockout, chances are your forward gears will start acting up too.
It is an early sign that you need your entire gearbox looked into before the problem escalates and becomes even more expensive to fix.