dossauce Posted January 28, 2015 Posted January 28, 2015 I have an 03 VW Jetta 1.8T 5spd manual transmission that back in November 2014 stopped going into gear. I was taking a small road trip of about 1.5 hours and about an hour into it I was pulling out at an intersection and it just lurched and then I couldnt get it back into gear easily. 1st gear was damn near impossible so I manged to drive it home using 2nd-5th gears which still were not easy to switch between but not as bad as 1st.When the car is running it is almost impossible to put the car into any gear, when it is off it shifts just fine. It is a hydraulic clutch so i've already gone ahead and bled the clutch and put in new fluid, no air pockets. I realigned the shift linkage and everything is fine there. I'm really hoping this doesn't mean I need to pull the clutch apart. Does anyone have any knowledge of transmissions that could recommend me trying anything to narrow down the issue? Thanks so much in advance!
bountyhunter Posted January 28, 2015 Posted January 28, 2015 it just lurched and then I couldnt get it back into gear easily.///1st gear was damn near impossible It does sound more like a clutch issue.
Lifeislarge Posted January 28, 2015 Posted January 28, 2015 You need a clutch. Not too bad if you're handy. Those transmissions don't weigh a lot and most can wrestle one out on their own.
SonOfSpartans Posted January 28, 2015 Posted January 28, 2015 Could you describe how the clutch pedal feels when you are driving? Is there more travel than usual before you feel resistance? Does it start to engage and move the vehicle very close to the floor? Is the clutch slipping when you drive? You have already stated it is a hydraulic unit. If the master cylinder has wear in it you could have a condition where it does not displace enough fluid to disengage the clutch fully when depressed. It is "dragging" the friction disc. It could be other things as well but it is hard to tell without a test drive and some inspection. Quite a few of those have required new clutch masters....
Ultimo-Hombre Posted February 2, 2015 Posted February 2, 2015 No way around it amigo, yer clutch is kaput. Unless you got a lift and transmission jack you will be WAY better off having a shop do this one!
Shadowrider Posted February 2, 2015 Posted February 2, 2015 I had a damper spring jump out of the clutch disk and lodge between the disk and pressure plate once. I knew something was bad wrong because the pedal was hard as hell towards the bottom and the clutch wouldn't completely disengage. Could be that with your hydraulic you just don't feel it as pronounced as I did. Sounds similar anyway.
dossauce Posted February 19, 2015 Author Posted February 19, 2015 Sorry, I was busy getting ready for the Florida Open. I ended up driving there on my motorcycle, quite the experience on a sports bike haha. The clutch feels fine. Total resistance all the way through. The car will move even with the clutch pedal all the way depressed. It wants to roll a little in 1st. The clutch isn't slipping when I drive it. I can drive it, just sometimes it won't get out of 1st gear. The other gears are tough but not impossible to get out of. I came across someone else on a vw forum that described to the T my same problem. It ended up being the clutch plate and the springs on it that come into contact with the pressure plate. Essentially if one snaps it puts uneven pressure on the clutch which could be why it's difficult to get in and out of gear.
Poppa Bear Posted February 19, 2015 Posted February 19, 2015 I would still suspect your cylinder. My F-150 would start getting soft in the clutch as the cylinder started wearing out. When I replaced the units the pedal would disengage the pressure plate within the first third of pedal movement. When they started to wear out it would take more and more clutch movement to fully disengage the pressure plate. If you pump the clutch pedal several times before you try to shift does it work better? If so it is the cylinder.
9146gt Posted February 19, 2015 Posted February 19, 2015 What is " just sometimes it won't get out of 1st gear" ? When the car is moving you should be able to pull it out of gear into nuetral. Clutch hydraulics can be not working and you should be able to drive the car if the mechanical parts are in working order. I have been around VW Audi Porsche vehicles for many years and have driven them even with broken clutch cables and hydraulics . You just drive them like a truck or race car that has dog type gearboxes. Stuck pilot bearing in the crankshaft will make shifting hard as is does not allow the transmisson inputshaft to slow down. Tom
whitedog Posted February 19, 2015 Posted February 19, 2015 Disclosure....ASE master tech for 22 years here. Take it for what that's worth. If you can put it through the gears with the engine not running, it is not a mechanical problem. Ie: bent shift rod for example. If it does not shift with engine running, you have a clutch problem. All this point talk of springs and pilot bearing are nice, but either way the trans is coming out. Without seeing or driving it, I would bet a six pack that the pressure plate is the problem. Of course this is based on what you have said about bleeding the clutch and such. Hope this helps.
dossauce Posted February 21, 2015 Author Posted February 21, 2015 Pumping the clutch doesn't help it into or out of any gear. I would agree it's a pressure plate issue. +1 on the six pack haha. Car will shift into all gears when not running. It is difficult to shift in every gear when running. 1st gear is just the hardest.
whitedog Posted February 21, 2015 Posted February 21, 2015 Depending on the trans, first is hardest because the trans is not moving. Once the trans starts moving the shifts become slightly easier due to the syncros helping. An example is an old Allison trans in an 18 wheeler. Once you get the rig in first, if you time throttle and shift correctly, you don't have to use the clutch again. To up or down shift. Again, hope it helps.
dossauce Posted February 21, 2015 Author Posted February 21, 2015 Yep sounds exactly what I had to do to get it home after the incident. Now if only I could use your help to tear this thing apart. I'm much more of a hands on person when it comes to things, I'd rather fix my car myself. Unfortunately being young and in college means not a lot of tools. Is there a way to drop the transmission without a lift?
whitedog Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 Nothing is impossible.....but without a lift will be a pain in the ass. Only way I can think of is to use ramps. You will have to support the engine so you don't damage engine mounts. If I remember, been awhile since I did a VW, the trans is not that heavy. Go slow and pay attention to what you are doing. It's not a race, be safe and don't damage anything. Cell phone pictures as you go will help with reassembly....
dossauce Posted February 22, 2015 Author Posted February 22, 2015 I have four ramps. I've seen some people do it with car jacks. I've got a 2 ton rolling jack and some small ones that have came from trunks. I'd think that with the right placement I might be able to get it out. Sounds like a down and dirty project for a couple weeks.
Nik Habicht Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 Whatever you do, do not get under a car that's supported only by jacks...... Jacks fail -- often at the most inopportune time.....
whitedog Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 Roger that.....do not depend on a Jack. Use Jack stands.
dossauce Posted February 23, 2015 Author Posted February 23, 2015 No no I'm saying just to support the engine like you were saying whitedog. I think a rolling floor jack would be more supportive then a jack stand, no?
twodownzero Posted February 23, 2015 Posted February 23, 2015 (edited) I think you have a hydraulic problem. Your clutch is not releasing all the way. I highly doubt you'll have to pull the transmission out to fix it. Yes, it could be the pressure plate, but that is extremely unlikely in my opinion. Figure out why your clutch fork isn't releasing the clutch all the way and you will solve the problem. Removing the transmission probably won't tell you a damn thing if the slave/master cylinder are shot. Either that or you have air in the lines still. Either way, your problem is probably hydraulic in nature and external to the transmission. And do NOT get under any vehicle that is not supported by jack stands. If you have to ask that question, you're on your way to a darwin award. Edited February 23, 2015 by twodownzero
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