stiff gear change - passat V6 4motion

[richards]

Hi Guys, interested to know whether there is any information on a problem I have on my manual 2000-model Passat V6 estate.....

I had the car from new, and we covered 67K miles, all fully serviced by VAG (Sinclair, Bridgend, whom, by the way, I recommend very highly.) The gear change is as good as ever when cold, and I can cover 20miles/20 mins without any issue. When the car warms up, the gear change becomes progressively stiff. When I say stiff, I am not talking about a little irritation - it is physically difficult to get it out of gear after 1 hours driving. The stiffness is independent of whether the engine is running or not, so I discount the clutch (?). It is stiff in every gear change, including reverse. There is a sort of rubbery stiffness, if that makes sense, like metal is articulating with rubber which is not lubricated.

The fuel economy is as good as ever, and I can get over 30mpg if I'm careful, so I think the gears themselves are not having any difficulty. I had it in the garage already, and they checked the linkage, and the gearbox oil level, and the conclusion of the VAG agents is that the gearbox has to come off and be stripped (though they are not sure which bit is faulty), and they are asking me to consider also a replacement gearbox. Of course we are out of warranty, and the estimates vary from between £1500 and £3000 depending on which option I choose. The car is worth only £5000, and neither option is particularly attractive!!

Has anyone experienced this, or anyone got any ideas as to what is going on? I have also considered that the gearbox may be normal, but is getting too hot for other reasons. I believe the exhaust runs directly underneath the gearbox on the 4motion. Is it possible some shielding has come loose and dropped off?

Shame really, because the car is almost a write-off. It's been a good car, though not as nice to drive as my wife's Golf V6 4motion.... Now that is a great drive.

Good site, by the way.

richards

[user name]

did you ever find out what it was, we have a 1.9 tdi with exactly the same problem...thinking of chopping it in as we are sure something is serious is going on, but its been like this for 2 years at least - so what is it ?

[richards]

Well I still have the vehicle. Gear change is still stiff but it has got no worse. We didn't have any further investigation on the car. The guys at Sinclair in Bridgend (who I rate very highly, by the way) suggested that the most likely cause was wearing of the synchromesh. My limited understanding of this mechanism (from Sinclairs) is a pair of tapered brass bushes on the gear spindles, and these are the bits that touch first when you change gear. As they touch, the one that is spinning causes the idle one to spin, and as the speeds match, it becomes possible for the gears to mesh without grinding. (Sorry if that explaination offends anyone - I'm an electronics engineer, not mechanical!) The brass is relatively soft, and becomes worn, so the two parts don't splice together so well, and the gear change becomes notchy.

Just by the way, my reversing lights have also gone. It's the switch, not the bulbs. I guess the switch is in the gearbox itself.....don't know whether that is a mitigating factor, or just coincidence. How are your reversing lights?

Good luck!

richards

[martin1810]

If it was worn synchro rings it would crunch into gear not feel stiff. Have they looked at the connection between gearstick and box. This can sieze and make things difficult.

[cazyp]

Well I still have the vehicle. Gear change is still stiff but it has got no worse. We didn't have any further investigation on the car. The guys at Sinclair in Bridgend (who I rate very highly, by the way) suggested that the most likely cause was wearing of the synchromesh. My limited understanding of this mechanism (from Sinclairs) is a pair of tapered brass bushes on the gear spindles, and these are the bits that touch first when you change gear. As they touch, the one that is spinning causes the idle one to spin, and as the speeds match, it becomes possible for the gears to mesh without grinding. (Sorry if that explaination offends anyone - I'm an electronics engineer, not mechanical!) The brass is relatively soft, and becomes worn, so the two parts don't splice together so well, and the gear change becomes notchy.

Just by the way, my reversing lights have also gone. It's the switch, not the bulbs. I guess the switch is in the gearbox itself.....don't know whether that is a mitigating factor, or just coincidence. How are your reversing lights?

Good luck!

richards

Mmmm, something like that lol. As Martin said it might be as simple as the bush/linkage from the gear stick to the box. Worth getting under and having a play.

Re the switch it'll be ON the box housing somewhere near the clutch arm - black plug with a bunch of wires leading to it.

Simply a case of disconnect battery/unplug/unscrew out of the gearbox housing/buy new part from VW (don't get a brake switch by mistake - common) and fitting is the same in reverse so to speak!

HTH

[richards]

Are you familiar with the V6 4Motion gearbox position? - it appears completely inaccessible, right underneath the gearstick and obscured by exhaust pipes. Not so sure it is as simple as you describe - no black plugs or wires visible from underneath, and no way to view it from above, unless via the stick housing???

[cazyp]

Yep. You'll need to get under it and remove the heat shield to get to the linkage/bushes.
The switch will be on the side of the transmission housing.

[kunj]

Hi all,

It's not a V6 but I'm having the same problem on my 1999 1.8 20v. It's fine at slow speeds but 10 minutes into the motorway at 70mph, the gearstick is stiff in all directions. There's also a loud clunk on engaging 3rd, 4th and 5th.

Stop the car to cool for 5 minutes and everything's back to normal.

Anyone's found a cause/solution?