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> I have a 72 Notch auto wihich has suddenly dropped its reverse gear. > Appears to engage but nothing happens. > All forward gears are OK, but a real nuisance having to push it out the > driveway. Oooh! That sound nasty. Has this happened suddenly or has the transmission been doing other strange things as well lately? As you might know, the 003 automatic transmission has a set of planetary gears, two brake bands and two multi-plate clutches. These bands and clutches act on various parts of the planetary gear set in order to give 3 forward and 1 reverse drive ratio. In order to select reverse, the hydraulic gear control systen applies the first/reverse gear brake band and the direct/reverse clutch. To check which of these are at fault do the following test: Start the engine, let the transmission warm up and check the oil ATF level. It should be at the top mark on the dipstick.Smell the oil. Does it smell burnt? Select position 3 on the selector lever. The transmission applies the forward clutch in order to engage the drive. How smoothly does it do this? Apply part throttle and listen for any sign of engine run-up during changes, particularly between second and third gear. Repeat this test under almost full throttle and pay particulat attention to the change into third gear. Any increase in revs during this change indicates that the direct/reverse clutch is worn. Stop the car and select position 1 on the selector lever. The transmission applies the first/reverse brake band in order to hold first gear. There should be no change in idling speed between this position and 3. Apply part throttle. Does the car pull normaly or is there any sign of slippage - engine speed increase without vehicle speed increasing. If there is it indicates that the first/reverse gear brake band is either too loose and needs adjustment or it might be broken. Unfortunatly there is no quick fix for any of these problems. The transmission will have to be removed and opened. In order to do an overhaul you will need a gasket set which includes all the seals and other stuff and a set of clutch linings for the two clutches. Finding that shouldn't be a problem as VW used the same 003 transmission in the type 2 kombi with automatic transmission, 411, 412, Audi 80, Passat etc. Any reputable automatic transmission specialist should be able to supply this kit - at a reasonable price. If these kits are available in South Africa, where I live, it should be available over there as well. Lastly, you cannot convert from an automatic transmission to a manual one as the automatic chassis is different and will not accept a manual shift lever and rod without serous modifications Its not worth it - rather fix the automatic transmission properly. Regards Adriaan Loedolff '69 Squareback Automatic