If you can get any form of drive in reverse, the problem is almost certainly a selector adjustment. Disconnect the linkage at the gearbox end and engage reverse here, ensuring that the selector falls into its detent. If reverse gear operates normally, adjust the linkage to VAG's instructions - not a completely straightforward job.

One final thought - has anyone changed the gearbox oil recently and taken the wrong "plug" out? It's possible to remove the locking bolt from the reverse idler shaft - then the gearbox has to come out to fix it...

659.

I don't think water ingress would affect the linkage but it would affect the gearbox if its got inside.

Does it grind when you try to engage reverse, if so the clutch is not disengaging properly.

If you have no issues with the forward gears I cannot see it being a problem with the cables. The ARL engined Golf 4 has an 02M series box, likely to be an EFF, ERF, FMH, JRV or JNA code version. These are known as three shaft boxes where most are two shaft but in addition they have a fourth “reverse shaft”. The other half of reverse gear is on the same shaft as 5th and 6th gear and I suspect you have an issue with the reverse gear selector fork, a £45 part but seriously involved to install as the box has to come out and be completely stripped down and at which point the problem will become clear anyway.

Hi Chris,

Was the plastic blocking it internally or on the external selector? I have the same problem at the moment on my GTi and my mechanic seems to think its the gearbox tower that is the problem...