1998 1.4 MKIV Golf sticky gears between 3rd and 4th?

[BurnTheAction]

Hey newbie here,

I recently picked up a MKIV Golf. Its been running nicely but i have two niggles that im not too sure about:

a) the gears tend to stick a bit between 3rd & 4th, the transition is not smooth like it should be

b) when i go over humps i get a slight knocking sound from the rear, i've been told this is something to do with the spring in place on the exhaust and that it is a common golf issue?

just wanted a general idea of the problems before a garage drains my savings!!

appreciate any help, cheers

[Trophy Blue]

a, Possibly a dragging clutch, but this normally affects the lower gears first, try double pumping the clutch pedal before you change gear, if it changes smoothly, suspect the clutch hydraulics. It could be an oil leak on the driven plates, do a couple of vicious racing starts to burn off any residue and retest. Or it could be worn syncro rings (internal problem - 2 choices, live with it or change the box)

b, Could be anything, but the Mk4 is prone to breaking rear springs, an easy check.

[herby0001]

a) Have you checked the gearbox oil level? If it is low, it can cause lumpy/gritty gear changes.

[BurnTheAction]

cheers for the input guys, ill check it out tonight when i get back from work