# Reverse won't work - but not all the time...? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [September 4, 2015, 2:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/reverse-wont-work-but-not-all-the-time/91084 "2015-09-04T02:25:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davepelfrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@davepelfrey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davepelfrey)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 2:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/reverse-wont-work-but-not-all-the-time/91084/1 "2015-09-04T02:25:40Z")
2012 Trailblazer 4x4. Got up this morning to go to work, no reverse gear. I pushed it out & drove to work (15 miles). Got to work & reverse works fine now. Drove home & parked. An hour later I go out & again, no reverse. Can anyone tell me what’s going on? ---
**Author:** ![davepelfrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@davepelfrey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davepelfrey)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 2:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/reverse-wont-work-but-not-all-the-time/91084/2 "2015-09-04T02:35:05Z")
No “pops” or odd noises. All forward gears seem to be working fine. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 2:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/reverse-wont-work-but-not-all-the-time/91084/3 "2015-09-04T02:48:13Z")
Hard to say. Since the transmission is electronically controlled, the problem might be with the transmission range switch. Try putting the transmission into reverse and see if the back-up lights come on. Tester ---
**Author:** ![davepelfrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@davepelfrey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davepelfrey)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 3:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/reverse-wont-work-but-not-all-the-time/91084/4 "2015-09-04T03:04:27Z")
Thank you, “Tester”. Next time it fails I will check that. ---
**Author:** ![davepelfrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@davepelfrey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davepelfrey)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 3:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/reverse-wont-work-but-not-all-the-time/91084/5 "2015-09-04T03:07:08Z")
I went out just now & put it in reverse & it worked. It will likely fail again tomorrow morning, when I’m late for work! ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 3:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/reverse-wont-work-but-not-all-the-time/91084/6 "2015-09-04T03:32:17Z")
If reverse works when you get home back in your drive at least in the morning you can get to work on time. ---
**Author:** ![davepelfrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@davepelfrey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davepelfrey)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 3:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/reverse-wont-work-but-not-all-the-time/91084/7 "2015-09-04T03:37:34Z")
Done, Volvo V70!!! Lol! ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 4:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/reverse-wont-work-but-not-all-the-time/91084/8 "2015-09-04T04:55:45Z")
Check fluid level and take it in to have the pressure readings checked. Might be OH time but agree just back it in for a while. ---
**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ad7895/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan2)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 6:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/reverse-wont-work-but-not-all-the-time/91084/9 "2015-09-04T06:31:07Z")
Make sure you press the brake hard enough before putting it in reverse. ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 6:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/reverse-wont-work-but-not-all-the-time/91084/10 "2015-09-04T06:48:56Z")
Has the transmission ever been serviced? You might add a bottle of Trans-Medic or Trans-X and if that improves things have the transmission serviced and hope for the best. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 6:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/reverse-wont-work-but-not-all-the-time/91084/11 "2015-09-04T06:55:17Z")
I don’t know what the problem is, but symptoms like this, the first thing to do is a proper service. If that doesn’t fix it, then on to more invasive tests. It’s quite possible a service will fix it, and if not, maybe all that’s needed is a switch needing an adjustment or a solenoid replaced. ---
**Author:** ![davepelfrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@davepelfrey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davepelfrey)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 9:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/reverse-wont-work-but-not-all-the-time/91084/12 "2015-09-04T21:00:24Z")
Thank you all for the responses. To answer a question from the top of this thread. Yes, the backup lights come on when in reverse even when the gear is failing to engage. ---
**Author:** ![lenjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f475e1/32.png) [@lenjack](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lenjack)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 1:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/reverse-wont-work-but-not-all-the-time/91084/13 "2015-09-11T01:54:22Z")
It’s not a problem if you have a circular driveway:) ---
**Author:** ![ken\_green](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ken_green/32/816_2.png) [@ken\_green](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ken_green)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 3:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/reverse-wont-work-but-not-all-the-time/91084/14 "2015-09-11T03:03:23Z")
In the way-back machine… low fluid would cause odd and temporary ‘‘functions’’. Do you partk on an incline…when it most often doesn’t work right ? ---
**Author:** ![oblivion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3ab097/32.png) [@oblivion](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oblivion)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 4:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/reverse-wont-work-but-not-all-the-time/91084/15 "2015-09-11T04:27:09Z")
I had a car that had been sitting for over a year before I owned it. The transmission’s seals had dried out and shrunk, and reverse would only work once the car warmed up. Of course this was a purely mechanical transmission, no electronics. Gradually reverse worked better and better as I owned the car until there was only a short delay even in cold weather. You may have a failing internal seal in the transmission too if the problem is not electrical/electronic.