Gearbox baulks engaging gear?

Sometimes I have this problem getting my 1.4tdi (90PS) into gear. The gearbox is just realy stiff, as though it is obstructed, or the clutch is dragging.

I definitely have the clutch pedal fully depressed, but it is a real struggle getting the car in to gear, and then again for the next few changes.

The problem seems fairly random, but I have noticed a scenario where I can reproduce it. If I freewheel down a hill (out of gear, engine running) - not that I do this oftem, of course - for a mile or so, I can almost guarantee that I wil struggle to get the car into gear, and to change gear. This problem, can then persist for the next 30 miles or so, gradually getting easier.

The car is due for a service in 6000 miles (it's on AVS) and I will ask the stealer to check. Based on recent performance (Taunton Audi), however, I don't expect them to be able to help other than change the oil and filters!

Wondered if anyone had any similar experience, or knew what might be happening ...

TIA.

I think I know what you mean

I agree. I get this somtimes in both reverse and freewheel. I assumed it was somthing to do with the mechanism loosing pressure with the clutch pressed in so long. I just re-apply my clutch and it gets on with it. The gears do seem stiff at times, let me know how you get on....now that somone else has flagged it I may go to nottingham tomorrow and ask about it. I find second is my stiffest gear.

I Think i have the same problem changing into 4th
thinkin it may just be a notchy gear change .....

I got this then i got a new gearbox, now its gone. Might be the bearings. Is your gearbox noisier than before?

Had a loan car whilst mine was in for warranty work - the usual roll bar item, I notice the gear change was much lighter than mine, told them this and they changed the cables under warranty, could be a similar problem, also it sometimes graunched when changing gear and now doesn't

A little more data

The baulking engaging gear is variable. When I took the car on hols (lots of small, gear changing trips) it became impossible to engage reverse without it sounding like the clutch wasn't depressed. Whenever I could, I switched off the engine before I put it in reverese, then dipped the clutch and started it.

When I change gear, there is a really pronounced "clonk" from the transmission as the drive is taken up. I know that there is normally some transmission backlash to take up, but this is far more than normal.

A colleague has suggested not the the clutch or gearbox, but the flywheel. He commented that a friend with a Polo with the 1.4tdi engine, had to have the dual mass flywheel replaced.

Odd thing is, with my daily 40mile each way mostly motorway commute, things seem not so bad. Still clonks, but engages ok.

Still more food for thought. I'm going to book it after Easter.

Worried of Somerset - but thank goodness it's under warranty!

Alan

diagnosis of the baulking gear change

A2 in for service today at local Stealer, with extra request to look at gearbox/clutch problem.

Just taken a call. Service completed, but ...
... "Your car needs a new gearbox".

Diagnosed as internal linkages in the gearbox have failed/are failing. No gearboxes in the country at the moment, one on order. car will be needed for 2 days. "Don't worry, it's under warranty".

It's at least the second one that's needed this - see earlier post in this thread. So if you get this type of problem and you are under a warranty, get it looked at fast.

I'll try to get a look at the bill that they send to Audi to see how much it will cost ...

The gearbox should be around £1400. That's how much mine was. My Audi warranty expired in 2005 and had a warranty with the garage i bought it from who i also work for.

Long post - Baulking Gearbox now fixed - interesting dealer experience

As I mentioned above the local (Taunton) Audi centre diagnosed a new gearbox for my problem, as far as I can tell without doing anything more than driving me to pick up my wife's car. I asked if the car was "OK to drive" as I didn't want to be accused of creating a subsequent problem. "As long as you don't drive it too far", I was told. Hmm. I despaired quietly and took the car back. They told me to call Audi Assistance if I was ever concerned, and they would recover me and the car. How reassuring.

They said that they would order a gearbox, and would call me to arrange fitting when it arrived. It would be under warranty, and would take two days, for which they would provide me a courtesy car.

Over the ensuing 8 weeks, I called three times to enquire about the delivery of the gearbox, and each time I was told that they would check, that the parts man was busy, and that they would call me back asap. Each time, they took my contact details (which they already had).

Two weeks ago, I couldn't select a gear at all with the engine running (a clutch problem if ever there was one!), so I stopped the engine, selected second gear, started the engine, and drove the car to the dealer. In my opinion, the car was now dangerous to drive. I asked my 10 year old son to take all his school bags out of the car, and place them on the forecourt, next to my bags, and I went in to explain that I was no longer happy to drive the car.

"Ah ... we haven't called you back, have we?" said the service receptionist, nervously. "The thing is, I don't have any courtesy cars ... perhaps you could drive off, and call out Audi Assistance. They will recover you home, and provide a hire car".

I explained that I wasn't planning on driving the car anywhere, and that I would rather they call me a taxi to take me home. (I am fortunate to have an alternative car).

Eventually, after the receptionist talking to the manager (sorry, dealer principal!), I was provided with a petrol A2 from the sales forecourt to drive (as it happened until my car was fixed).

Three days later, I was called to say my car was repaired, and was ready for collection. I went to collect, and asked what had been the issue with the gearbox. "No, it was the clutch", I was told. No sh1t! The dual mass flywheel and clutch assembly had basically disintegrated. Amazing how accurately one can diagnose when one actually takes a look.

As a footnote, a friend of mine has a VW Polo with the 1.4TDI (75bhp) engine, and has had exactly the same problem with the dual mass flywheel disintegrating.

So if you get the baulking, get a look at the clutch quick, before it implodes like mine did. Mine was under warranty, but I bet there is collateral damage to the gearbox as yet undiscovered. Hmm.

The dealer also mentioned that all my 17" wheels were buckled on the "Advisory" section of the service invoice. I must go and ask what I am supposed to do with that piece of information. The invoice states that my car (A2 TDI 90 Sport) is an A3 1.6 SE petrol. It's clearly logged incorrectly on the system. Great for the history file! I asked if they could change it and reprint a copy of the invoice. "No, I'm sorry, we can't change that bit. But we'll cross it out in biro, and put that it's an A2".

Hmm. 23 years in IT tells me that it should be possible to change it, but ho hum. I got them to sign the correction, and stamp it with their little dealer stamp.

All in all, not the best dealer experience. For an outfit that charges £100 per hour, I'd expect them to be able to call me when they say, or at least call me back on one of the 4 times they promised. It's a shame, I love Audi products - this in my 6th, including a fabulous RS2 and S3 - but I think their dealer channel sucks.

Gearbox/clutch/flywheel trouble!!!

My g/f and I have just come back from holiday with the car (A2 Tdi 75, less than 21,000 mls on the clock) and I have to say that I didn't think that we'd be getting home in the same car!

After driving on a variety of roads- motorways, country lanes etc- I found that one morning I started the car and engaged reverse, to find that on moving the car back slowly, it sounded like the engine was about to drop out! The noise was on the driver's side, and sounded like a clattering/grinding noise spinning round. I stopped the car, started it again, with no reoccurrence of the problem. I just presumed that I'd clumsily not depressed the clutch pedal enough. No problems all holiday until......

On Sunday (yesterday), we were driving on country lanes and I'd just changed to third gear, not accelerating, but coasting, when the same noise reoccurred- I seriously thought that I'd run over something and that it was trapped in the wheel. I stopped the car, couldn't see anything and thought that I'd see if it happened again. It didn't, and we drove home steadily. I rang to book the car into my local Audi dealer for it to be checked at the earliest opportunity.

Over the phone I agreed with the service lady that it may be an idea for a mechanic to do a diagnostic drive with me. However, reading the earlier dialogue here makes me think that I might mention that they should check the clutch, gearbox and flywheel. I just pray that whatever it is it will be fixed, as the warranty expires early to mid September!!

I think that car is great otherwise, but it's so ironic that a premier brand is the first one that has ever given me any mechanical cause for concern- this is my 14th car across various makes- Vauxhall, Nissan, Seat, VW.

I'm taking the car in tomorrow and will no doubt report back.......but any thoughts form A2oc colleagues in the meantime may be helpful. Mechanically minded I'm not!

Many thanks,

James.

I find that out gearbox is a bit clunky in the A2 (2004 TDi 90). I will get it checked out I think now, under warranty.

Clutch Drag

The symptom of sitting at lights with clutch pressed in (while in gear) and the carinching forward is exactly the symptom that I had. It came and went, and when it was bad, it was difficult to engage a gear with the engine running due to clutch drag. I did have to almost throw my toys out to get it taken seriously and fixed. It gradually got worse by the way.

The other symptom I had (due to the clutch basically falling apart) was a definite "clunk" when the clutch was released or depressed as I changed gear. Very important to get it reported to the dealer so that it is on file in my opinion. I was very keen to ensure that it was within the warranty period.

Gearbox/clutch problems? Update

Yesterday I wrote about grinding and clattering noises from the engine of my A2 Tdi. Today I dropped the car off at my local Audi dealer for a check up. Not too impressed so far, but lets give them a chance!

I took the car in, with no problems on the way in. I explained the problem to the service desk-and also mentioned a minor problem with the gearlever rettling in 3rd gear on acceleration.

I called at the end of the day for an update. Evidently they had found that 3rd gear was harder to engage than the others, so had lubricated the linkages. (I'd never actually noticed this!).

Their diagnostic drive in the car didn't reveal any other problems, so the garage advised that they wouldn't be stripping anything down (i.e. gearbox etc) to have a look, particularly as they only gat paid by Audi for fixing something that has been disgnosed and needs a repair/new part.

In essence, my understanding of this position is that: if they can't find anything on the test drive, then- tough. They have agreed to keep the car for another couple of days to check it, but the prognosis seems to be that I'll get the car back, it will still have the problem ('undiagnosed') and since I only do 5,000 mls per year in it (use the bus a lot to work), then the problem is likely to run on past the expiry of the warranty.

I find this quite strange. I wouldn't want to put anyone to un-neccessary expense in undertaking abortive work, but the logic here seems to be that the dealer is possibly quite happy to let the problem run on and (potentially) develop into something bigger, more expensive and more complex to put right.

I obtained the Audi customer service number and I await a call back from them so that they can explain the warranty policy in more detail. I'm giving the garage a chance to sort this, and to be fair to the service personnel, they were very polite, and did call me back. I'll see how Audi deal with my enquiry, and I hope that I don't get the same poor service that other A2oc colleagues appear to have received.