Can't shift into reverse

[polevaulter999]

I have a 77 fiat spider that i just picked up. All the gears worked when i got it, but now i cant shift it into reverse unless i sit there cranking on it for a half hour. Does anybody know what might be the problem?? Could it be the linkage maybe?? thanks for any help...

[So Cal Mark]

are you pushing down on the shifter when trying for rev? Does the shifter feel tight in neutral?

[mbouse]

when they first came out with automatics requiring you to step on the brake pedal before shifting out of park, i was clueless what to do with my brand new car. what had i done wrong?

my daughters infrequently drive my Spiders, and constantly have to be reminded to put the palm of their hand on the shifter knob and literally push that knob toward the floor before shifting into reverse.

i can see how a brand new owner would accidently forget this little detail.....it gets frustrating until it becomes habit.

[Danno]

when they first came out with automatics requiring you to step on the brake pedal before shifting out of park, i was clueless what to do with my brand new car. what had i done wrong?

my daughters infrequently drive my Spiders, and constantly have to be reminded to put the palm of their hand on the shifter knob and literally push that knob toward the floor before shifting into reverse.

i can see how a brand new owner would accidently forget this little detail.....it gets frustrating until it becomes habit.

Somewhere you will find a post where I had that problem. It was something totally weird to me, and I'd never had the fiat running, so I had to ask. i think it was Denise that set me straight.

[mdrburchette]

What year did they go from lifting up on the shifter to engage reverse to pushing down on the shifter? Mine has to be pulled up, which causes me distress when I pull the knob off. Gotta get that fixed one of these days.

[mbouse]

our very own SuperGirl! Good question, but i believe the '77 was a push down lock out.


the reason for the lockouts polevaulter999 is to keep overenthusiastic folks from accidently shifting into reverse while moving forward. nice little device to have, saved more than one of us from some expensive repairs.

[polevaulter999]

Thank you all for the advice, if i had read it before i pulled the console and metal plate off i would haven't felt so stupid when i saw the lockout pin lol. thanks guys

[rlux4]

Hey, at least you were able to see the purpose of the pin, that's good. Anyway, doing that sort of troubleshooting gives you more info on how it all works.
Ron