1st gear difficulty

[VictorPapa]

Over the last 4 or 5 weeks, getting my Golf into 1st gear has become more and more difficult. This only seems to be when the car is hot and once in 1st if moved back to neutral and then back to 1st, it goes in without problem. Also when lifting the clutch fully in neutral, the engine note changes ever so slightly, as if it's not fully released. I can also feel a vibration on the clutch pedal if, when in neutral, I place my foot lightly on it. VW are apparently aware of this pedal vibration already.

My car is going in for a check next week but I wonder if anyone else had the 1st gear problem and if so, what was the cause and how was it rectified?

[Keithuk]

Over the last 4 or 5 weeks, getting my Golf into 1st gear has become more and more difficult.
Which Golf?

Please put your spec in your signature.

Oh sorry I see you have a pic.

A dificulty in engaging a gear usually means the clutch doesn't disengage. When you go in for the check get them to check it out.


I can also feel a vibration on the clutch pedal if, when in neutral, I place my foot lightly on it. VW are apparently aware of this pedal vibration already.
This happened on mine as I've said on another topic and they didn't know why so they put a new clutch in it and it still vibrates. I'm still concerned about this. ;)

[slowhand]

I get this sometimes, if I pull up at the lights and put it into neutral it is sometimes hard to get it into first again, a real embarassment.
If I rev the engine a little before trying to engage it seems to fix it.

I also get a loud rattle from the release bearing after I pull up and let the clutch up in neutral, a rev of the engine stops it, but I suspect the release bearing is not quite right.
But as usual if I go to the dealer I can't reproduce the fault, so I guess I will just have to wait until it gets worse.

[VictorPapa]

At least it's not me being fussy then.

The VW dealer I bought it from had my car last week and surprise surprise, nothing wrong. No explanation on what they'd done to investigate either. A whole day to tell me nothing. I wasn't happy so I took it to another VW dealer, this time closer to home, for a second opinion and what a difference, they couldn't have been more helpful. The workshop manager came out and actually listened to what I had to say before taking the car on a test drive with me. He acknowledged that what I noticed was actually there but said that the car seemed to drive ok. He explained much about the gearbox and said that to make certain everything is as it should be, they would have the car in and check it over. The guy explained everything they would look at/adjust. Whilst there, they also let me try out another GT TDi 140 of about the same age with a similar 8000 mileage. The issues were evident on that too, although not as bad. If when it goes in everything is found to be in order, then at least I know how the land lies and that I'll just have to live with it. When I pay over £20k for a quality car, I expect the quality to be noticeable, and had the car I test drove been like this, I wouldn't have bought mine.

As for VW, I can't believe that two service centres could be so different and I can really recommend Autohous in Kettering for their excellent customer service. As for the other one, I doubt I'll be using them again.

I'll post what, if anything, they find.

[slowhand]

Please do let us know.
I am getting a bit fed up with mine now, if I push it into first slowly it isn't too bad, but I get caught out at the lights and am left waggling the lever about desperately trying to get it in, very embarassing.

Trying to leave it for as long as possible, then will get them to change the clutch plate while they are at it.

[Keithuk]

Well you guys had better get it sorted quickly as the longer you leave it the more you get charged for a clutch replacement and at about £450 it isn't cheap. The clutch is a waring part and they will only replace the faulty parts under warranty.

I read on another forum someone had a problem with then thrust bearing making a noise so VW replaced the bearing under warranty but charged the customer for the drive plate replacement as its a waring part. ;)

[VictorPapa]

Please do let us know.
I am getting a bit fed up with mine now, if I push it into first slowly it isn't too bad, but I get caught out at the lights and am left waggling the lever about desperately trying to get it in, very embarassing.

Trying to leave it for as long as possible, then will get them to change the clutch plate while they are at it.

Update: Car in today but they had a couple of technicians off and two big engine jobs that overran so unfortunately mine didn't get done. Wasn't happy to be without my car and that it has to be rebooked but as I mentioned before, customer care at Autohous seems to be excellent and for my trouble they are fitting mudflaps FOC when it goes in next week.:D

I'll let you know what, if anything, they find next week.

[VictorPapa]

Car back in at Autohous today.......clutch and linkages all adjusted, gearbox level checked etc. It seems well now and I can notice that the clutch is tighter and maybe less (not much though) vibration on the pedal.....I suppose time will tell if the problem is really sorted though as it was always a lot worse when the car got hot. With the weather due to hit 28C this weekend, and a drive in slow traffic, I hope to find out if it really is ok:drive: If it still has the same issues then it's something that I'll have to live with as they seem to have done all they can.

Oh, and as promised, they did supply and fit my F & R mudflaps FOC so a big :bigok: to Autohous Kettering.

[p3asa]

I get this sometimes, if I pull up at the lights and put it into neutral it is sometimes hard to get it into first again, a real embarassment.
If I rev the engine a little before trying to engage it seems to fix it.



Takes me back to when I had to drive a car with a snapped clutch cable.
You rev the engine and just as the revs are coming down the gear stick slips into gear with no problems. When trying to change up you force the gear into neutral, apply pressure to the gear stick in the direction of the gear you want to select, rev the engine and then as the revs dip, the gear stick will slip in with no problems.

I know its not relevant to the OP but explains why when you revved the engine, you were then able to engage gear.

[slowhand]

Well at last I got the car into the dealer, and after a lot of messing about they have replaced the clutch release bearing, it is still not great but a it is better.
The service manager rekons that it may be the lay shaft in the gearbox, so I am just going to drive it until it gets bad and then they can replace the gearbox.

[VictorPapa]

Further to the earlier problem that occasionally still re-occurs, recently I've noticed that down gear changing can be done without using the clutch. Whilst I suppose that if all the cogs and suchlike line up then it can be done but surely it's not a normal thing to be able to do. I first found out it when I was explaining to my son how the gearbox is used and he was changing gear for me but was a little too keen and changed from 3rd to 4th just before I'd depressed the clutch. I've tried myself and it can be done without any force between gears. Getting the car into reverse is difficult on occasions too so I'm wondering if there's a problem with the gearbox or clutch. The car is booked into the dealer in a week or so but I wondered if anyone else has also had the same issues.