Try putting it in a forward gear before you put it in reverse. Don't let out on the clutch in between.

 

tried that

Thanks Jeeper, but I've tried going up to first and third and then down to reverse, all without letting out the clutch, but that doesn't seem help. It is also sporadic, like today it has been working fine, but a few days ago I thought I was going to have to push it backwards to get out of a parking spot, but after repeated tries it finally slipped in. It may be slightly more likely to do this when it is cold out.

 

Like just about all manual tranny reverse has no syncro.
Sometimes the tooth meets the other gear between teeth and sometimes it is tooth to tooth and they will not be able to be pushed together

This is normal just put in a different gear and retry or put in neutral let up clutch to get the engine side gear spinning and depress clutch and try again


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Does it grind when you try to shift in reverse?

 

One of the most common reasons for hard shifting is insufficient lubricant. If it is in fact harder (than normal) to get it to shift into reverse, my suggestion would be to drain the transmission, check the oil for brass colored specks (there is a synchronizer ring on the reverse idler gear), and refill with fresh gear oil.

 

One of the most common reasons for hard shifting is insufficient lubricant. If it is in fact harder (than normal) to get it to shift into reverse, my suggestion would be to drain the transmission, check the oil for brass colored specks (there is a synchronizer ring on the reverse idler gear), and refill with fresh gear oil.

Just drained mine and cleaned the magnet on the plug. I refilled with Pennzoil Synchromesh and she shifts much better.

When I was draining my catch pan into a jug for recycling the bottom of the pan looked like a gold miners pan with all those specs of gold!

 

It is normal it is not syncro in reverse even Chrysler says so in their owner video

See minute 38-39 specifically on shifting into reverse on this new TJ owner video from Chrysler

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ofETsztmjZA

No need to mess with your tranny it is Normal


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I agree, there is no full syncro in reverse, but the FSM labels it as semi-syncro and there is a syncro ring on the reverse idler gear. As stated above, it could be normal, but since we don't know the exact circumstances, that can't be said for sure. Have you been driving this Jeep for a long time, and is this a new problem, or did you just get the Jeep and are experiencing it for the first time?

While shifting into reverse sometimes does mean releasing the clutch to let the gears spin down, and that is perfectly normal, if that does not work after several attempts, it could be a lubrication or worn parts issue.

 

Thanks for all the awesome feedback, guys! The situation is really sporadic and it may go for a few days without a problem and then it is back. I actually have had to push it out of the garage once because it just wouldn't go into reverse. There is no grinding at all, it is just as if there is no reverse to get into, like the shifter will slide across to the reverse position, but just won't go down as if there was no down there! When it acts up, I can usually just keep playing with it (up to third, over to fifth, clutch in, clutch out, etc..) and it will suddenly slip into gear.

I changed the transmission fluid recently following the excellent advice on this forum and used a good synthetic blend. No brass or steel particles were in the drained fluid. I changed ALL drivetrain fluids at the time and have noticed that the drivetrain (transmission, transfer case, axles) seems much quieter and smoother now, but this sporadic reverse shifting fail is about as frequent now as it was before the fluids change.

Again, this beast has 227,000 miles on it and is all original, as far as I know, and I can't say that the reverse issue has gotten any worse over the past two years that I have owned the jeep since I bought it from my son. I am pretty sure he didn't take it off-road, but I know he "enjoyed" it thoroughly.

 

As said above, Reverse is a no syncro gear. None of my cars, and I have a variety go into Reverse easily all the time.

My Jeep, when you attempt to shift into reverse and the gears are not lined up, you have to take a forward gear, use a little clutch, then try reverse again.

Mine has been this way since I bought it with 85,000, she now has over 325,000

 

I have the same issue and have with other 5 speed cars. What I have found that helps is put it in second gear first then straight into reverse with clutch still pressed.

 

I don't know if this is just me making things up, but I thought I was told to use 2nd gear if you're grinding reverse.

This is me, "let's go reverse," *grrrrrrind*, "eek, put in clutch, shift to 2nd, now go into reverse". Works everytime on my TJ, and my old YJ.

 

Our 99 TJ sporadically wont shift into reverse. Have play all of the games mentioned to no avail, in other words still not in reverse. The only time TJ is 100% going into reverse is with the engine off.
Its most inconvenient but works..

 

Normal watch the new owner video


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See minutes 38 and 39 for how reverse works

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