The clutch peddle on my vw polo is very loose and is hard to get into forward gears and grinds into reverse what could it be ?

The VW Clutch


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George, Not a lot out there to show removal of Polo tranny. May want to find a manual. Check the attached links,instruction and guides, Good luck
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VOLKSWAGEN POLO CLUTCH REPLACMENT part1
VW A2 Golf 1 8L Clutch Transmission 020 Removal
Front Wheel Drive car clutch replacement
http://www.repairservicemanuals.com/Volkswagen

Clutch needs adjusting 1st and reverse gear not synchronised so they will grind if your clutch is out of adjustment

Yup....You nailed it! Time for a clutch!!!

it could be clutch problem reverse gear not fitted with synchro so inclined to grind more if clutch adjustment is out

when a vw gearbox is shot it jumps out of gear or grinds badly or even whines out loud,so if you not getting any of the above,...... yes it is a notchy box (skoda make it)

TRANSMISSION FLUIDS CAN BE CAUSED BY ONLY A COUPLE OF THINGS. MOST COMMON BEING A WORN OR BROKEN SEAL. THE TRANSMISSION SEALS ON MOST CARS ARE MADE FROM RUBBER OR METAL. BEING IN ALL KIND OF EXTREME TEMPS FOR YEARS ON END NOT TO MENTION THE PARTS MOVING AROUND THEM WILL EVENTUALLY CAUSE LEAKS. ALSO FAULTY INSTALLATION (OF A SEAL) CAN ALSO CAUSE A LEAK TO HAPPEN. THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT CAN CAUSE A LEAK TO MY KNOWLEGE WOULD BE IF YOU BOTTOMED OUT A CAR LOW ENOUGH THAT IT CAUSES DAMAGE TO THE TRANS CASE OR PAN. One cause of grinding when shifting into reverse is improper adjustment of the clutch linkage. If the adjustment is correct when the clutch is depressed the gears should stop turning and eliminate the grinding. Make sure there is some free play in the linkage when the clutch is not depressed. Most manual transmissions do not have a sychronized reverse gear. When you try to go into reverse from neutral, the transmission countershaft (which is linked to the pilot shaft) is still turning. The main shaft (which is linked to the tailshaft) is not turning. Therefore, since there is no sychronizer (or clutch brake like on a heavy truck tranny) the sliding cluctch gear (splined to the main shaft) grinds against the main shaft gear (floating over the main shaft but meshing its respecive countershaft gear through the reverse idler). The slider's function is to lock the main shaft gear to the main shaft thereby transmitting power to the rear wheels in the desired gear ratio (depending on which main shaft gear is locked to the main shaft). The way to cure this is to select a forward gear to stop the transmission and then go to reverse, all the while holding the clutch down. If it still won't go into gear you can either slip the clutch ever so slightly to "bump" the gears while gently pushing the stick into reverse (not too hard!! you can bend or break forks!! OUCH!!) or go into neutral, let the clutch all the way out, go into a forward gear and then reverse.

your clutch disk is wore out!! you need to remove the tranny and axles and pull the tranny back to install a new pressure plate and clutch disk

how much clutch pedal do you have when the car is running does the pedal feel loose? if the clutch is not disengaging when depressed it is most likely time for a new clutch

Have them flush the fluid out under warranty and put in new fluid, and have them bleed the clutch lines in case air is getting in there. Audi and VW claim lifetime transmission fluid but it's BS - I've changed relatively low mile fluid from these cars and it was horrendous. It's possible that the fluid itself is causing trouble, but it's more likely that it is a synchro problem. If it was a clutch issue, you should have problems with more than just reverse gear - a clutch simply engages and disengages the engine and transmission, regardless of which gear it is. The problem (if not fixed by fluid) is in the transmission, and being under warranty, don't accept another "suggestion" like they're giving you. Changing your clutch isn't gonna do it.