What Causes the Noise When Shifting to R Gear?
3 Answers
When shifting gears, friction occurs between the gears. If the clutch is depressed for a short time, the reverse gear in the transmission may still be rotating. At this point, attempting to shift will inevitably cause gear grinding. However, if you depress the clutch and wait a few seconds for the rotating reverse gear to come to a complete stop before shifting, the noise will not occur. P Gear: Parking—The parking gear, abbreviated from the first letter of the English word 'Parking.' After parking the car, remember to shift into P gear, which engages the braking system and prevents 'rolling.' Typically, the P gear is located at the top position of the gear selector and is used when the vehicle is parked. R Gear: Reverse—The reverse gear, abbreviated from the first letter of the English word 'Reverse.' Positioned below the P gear, this is the gear most frequently used for reversing while driving.
My car also had that clicking noise when reversing before. This sound usually comes from inside the transmission. For automatic transmissions, it could be due to aging transmission fluid or a problem with the torque converter. Veteran drivers often call this 'transmission coughing.' For manual transmissions, it's more common for the clutch to not fully disengage. Like my old manual car, the release bearing was worn, and stepping on the clutch always felt like sand grinding. If it's especially loud when shifting into R after parking for a while, it's likely due to excessive backlash in the differential gears. Once during maintenance, the mechanic said worn engine mounts can also cause the entire powertrain to shake and produce noise. Most importantly, don't ignore it and keep driving. Last year, my neighbor ignored the noise and ended up spending over 8,000 on a major transmission repair.
As a tech-savvy person who often tinkers with cars, I believe the abnormal noise when shifting to R gear should be investigated in several scenarios. The simplest check is to see if the transmission fluid has turned black or deteriorated - this stuff affects lubrication if not changed for five years. Next, inspect the chassis components, especially the driveshaft universal joint wear which can produce regular clicking sounds. Last month I fixed my own car and found the transmission mount rubber cushion had cracked, causing engine rearward movement and gear misalignment during shifting. For automatic transmission models with torque converters, a faulty lock-up clutch can also create metal grinding noises. For manual transmissions, focus on checking the clutch three-piece set - incomplete disengagement will cause gear grinding sounds. My advice is to first check fluids before examining hardware components, don't rush to dismantle the transmission.
