Got a 1.4 Sporting. When selecting 'Reverse' gear either from cold start up or when hot......mine crunches sometimes even though I push the clutch all the way down.
Also, the brakes are making a sound....it's not the normal break squeal more like a slight fog horn type sound!

Any comments from people who've experienced these 2 faults would be appreciated.

ive got the clutch problem, crunches into first and reverse, judders all over the place like something demented.
My dealerships DET said i needed a new clutch....fiat uk said i didnt.
So im in a funny position, wait until it fails or demand its looked at again.

My mk2b Sporting 1.4 crunched into reverse too no matter what I did Must be a 'Optional Extra' of that lovely gear box. I ended up going to dealer and they put a new syncro ring on that gear I think. As for the fog horn while braking in reverse mine does that too .

Mine had brake squeal when new, which was sorted at dealers. Just this week it has started the fog horn in reverse, could be something to do with the damp weather. At least people hear you coming when reversing.

Thanks very much ChrisUK and VindiVee8 - I very much appreciate your comments.

Try selecting first and then reverse.

Most cars only have syncro rings on all gears but reverse, so I'm guessing with GP it's the same.

Thank you for your advice WorldTicki - I will try that.

fog horn sound can also be worn pads, check that your pads still have enough meat on them.

Rampage94 said:

fog horn sound can also be worn pads, check that your pads still have enough meat on them.

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On a brand new 06 car? I doubt it. And my dads 12 yr old Audi A4 had only just worn out its first brake pad after 12yrs and its a totally different noise to my GP.

no their is no syncro rings on reverce it is a simple gear lifted beetween the 2 shafts unless you have a 6 speed model it has a syncro reverse after fith in the end housing of the gear box

It is a 6speed box he said he has a Sporting which means it could be a syncro as it was on mine

Thanks ChrisUK......some of these guys don't read the original post....amazing!
Thanks Worldticki.....I've tried what you suggested and it works everytime.

Soooo ChrisUK.....do we or do we not have a 'Syncro' on reverse? Do you sometimes get the crunching sound on your MultiJet?
In the Handbook they do actually say..."depress the clutch fully and wait 2 seconds before engaging reverse".....if I do this, it doesn't crunch.
It's just that I can engage reverse in a Fiesta/Clio immediately, I was rather hoping I could do it in a Punto too.......obviously not.....just as long as there isn't a problem with mine......everything else is perfect, so it doesn't matter,
after all only cost me £9000.

Yeah I sometimes get it when im in a rush but if I do what it says and wait a short time its perfect.

in the manual it states that the car has to be completely stationary before selecting the reverse gear or it will make the crunching sound so bare this in mind.

sledge said:

Syncromesh is not generally fitted to 1st or reverse gear in any car gearbox. The purpose of a syncromesh design is to match the speeds of the 2 rotating gears of the chosen ratio to allow them to mesh together..hence the name, syncronised-meshing. When selecting 1st or reverse the car is at a standstill and there is no motion in the gearbox and hence no need for syncromesh. If you get crunching selecting 1st or reverse after a few seconds wait, the clutch is not fully disengaging.

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no all the gears except reverse are in constant mesh at the same time they are jus not engaged to the shaft they run on (excluding the six speed wich has a syncro reverse)

all the syncro rings do is syncronise the speed of the chosen gear to the speed of the shaft it runs on

almost all cars have a syncro on first otherwise you whouldent be able to go from second to first without double decluching

I dont agree fully with everything you say.......but hey, whats it matter.

It doesn't matter at all.

As said earlier he does have a 6 speed box which means it DOES have a syncro on reverse. I am living proof as I had the f**king thing replaced on my last sporting (mk2b) as it was always crunching no matter what I did into reverse.

Thanks for the support, ChrisUK......so many people don't read the original post....and just 'mouth off'.

realy it's all down to the amount of time the car has been idleing with the cluch engaged as even if no gaers are selected as the input shaft of the gearbox spins the drag threw the oil starts to spin all the moving parts so if you rush to put it into first or reverse the syncro ring has to do alot of work slowing thegears down to a stand still before the ring will alow the outer sleve to drop over the gear locking it to that shaft howether if you do every thing right ie waiting 2 or more seconds and their is still a crunchthen it may be a fault with the syncro rings not neseserily worn but not manufactured to specs

a simple way to test this is to try and engage first without depresing the cluch with the engine at idle you should have to put quite alot of presure on the gear stick before the syncro starts to make a crunch if they do atall but dont do this for more than 5 seconds or so as the ring will start to cook

this is a charicteristic of fiat (and i'm sure many others but not all) syncro rings

basicly their is teth on the end of the gear being selected and again teth on the shaft the gear runs on then their is a sleve with teeth inside it this slides over the to sets of teeth locking the selected gera to the shaft to transmit the power to the wheels howether inbetween the two sets of teeth their is a normaly brass ring also with teeth on it wich has a conicle inside shape wich maches a conicle shape on the gear as you push the outer sleve into the gear this bras ring grips it and trys to spin and due to the cut of the teth this stops you from pushing the outer sleve over the sets of teeth completly untill the gear has slowed down to the speed of the shaft if this ring is faulty then it will alow you to engage the gear before the speeds are mached causing the crunch the same goes for a worn out syncro so realy the syncro is like a cluch between the gear and shaft

ps. dont try this with reverse unless you are sure you have a syncro reverse

Thank you for taking the time to explain how 'Syncromesh' works Littlepip17.
Your consistant knowledge is quite simply OUTSTANDING and I think you are a valuable asset to this forum....we're lucky that you share your knowledge with us! ......it's a great help and always gives us an idea of what is going on.