Gearbox... hard to shift quickly?

[McDub]

I've only had my gti for about 3 weeks, but i've noticed that if i try to change gears quickly, bascially it won't let me.
1st to 2nd is usually ok, but to 2nd, 3rd 4th etc (or back to second), i find that i have to move the stick fairly gently/smoothly and slowly into position.
the harder/faster i push it, it basically just seems to oppose it and you physically can't get it in.

Is this just a normal thing on manuals?
When changing gears with the car sitting still, the stick moves through each gear perfectly, but it's a different story when i'm actually moving...

It's just so frustrating when you're giving it some, and you try to wack it into gear and you can't get it in, so you're there in limbo for a while trying to ease it back in. really sux

while i'm on the topic of gears, i was rolling fowards slowly today, about to reverse, and i don't think i had the clutch all the way in, and i put it into reverse and i hear a real unhealthy crunching noise, followed by a rattle. i slammed the clutch in (and i think i put it into neutral, not sure), and yet the spinning grinding noise didn't go away! so i quickly cut the engine, started it back up and it was good to go. what do think happened? i'm not too familliar with the mechanics of a gear box, but am aware that it obviously was not healthy for it! was a bit embarrissing too...
also i swear i've had the clutch all the way in before while rolling slowly forwards, and when putting it into reverse, heard that unhealthy grinding of gears... but this time was the first time that something actually got stuck (and where i had to kill the engine)

[sierra055]

i'm no mechanic, but sounds like something with the syncro's.
Might be worthwhile replacing your gearbox oil with something like the Redline MTL.

Reverse does tend to crunch a little as there is no syncro and it's a straight cut gear, as opposed to a helical cut gear. As a general rule, whether it be right or wrong, I tend to push mine towards reverse and if it doesn't go smoothly, de-clutch, put into first, then back into reverse. All smooth then.

[Treza360]

From my experience the six speed in the R doesn't like to be rushed when shifting at all. Take your time and concentrate on your gearshifts and make sure they're nice and smooth. A little rev matching with a blip of the throttle never hurts either.
As has already been said changing the gearbox fluid with some nice Reline MTL will help with the feel as well.
Cheers,
Trent

[EVN-88G]

I've only had my gti for about 3 weeks, but i've noticed that if i try to change gears quickly, bascially it won't let me.
1st to 2nd is usually ok, but to 3rd or 4th (or back to second), i find that i have to move the stick fairly gently/smoothly and slowly into position.
the harder/faster i push it, it basically just seems to oppose it and you physically can't get it in.

My GTI does the same thing, for instance when going down from 3 or 4 into 2 to slow for a heavy corner, it dnst pull straight into 2nd as it wont go in, then once the car slows and the revs drop it will go in.

I agree with Treza that these gearboxes dont like to be rushed, and rev mathcing is the best way to go about changing evenly and smothly, but i find reving down gears hard in this car because you can jab the accelerator (which is quite springy) and the revs wont jump up that fast, unlike my old 4wd diesel, you hit the accelerator to rev down and the revs will pop up quite quikly.


Ev.

[HOLEIN1]

as some have mentioned it sounds like the syncros, got similar problems with my box at the moment - looks like the fool before me was a bit of a michael schumacher with is gear changes

ive changed my oil to the redline stuff and to be honest it didnt really make much difference, if at all... since changing it a number of VW mechanics have said that its better to just replace with genuine gear oil as the redline stuff is too thin? im sure others with more experience will be able to comment further... im just going to leave as is untill it gets worse or my clutch goes, ill think about doing something then to save on labour charges...

unfortunatley with all my cars ive found that with gearbox problems theres no cheap fix, but definitley give new oil a go as it ant hurt to try, you might get lucky...

keep us posted on how you go

[99gti]

Mine doesn't have any issue like any of the above and I can throw between gears as quick as I like.

As a general rule I drive fairly gentle but on the odd occasion when I open her up jumping back to 2nd has never been an issue for me.

Also, since I'm a 99 model I have a different linkage to most Mk4's.

[McDub]

maybe i'll just get the mechanic to give me his opinion next time i get it serviced.
i was playing around with the clutch in while driving, and i was moving it back and forward between 3rd and 4th, and even when i moved it slow and smoothly, it still felt quite rough.... (but when the motor is on when i'm stationary, it's smooth....)

[McDub]

i find reving down gears hard in this car because you can jab the accelerator (which is quite springy) and the revs wont jump up that fast, unlike my old 4wd diesel, you hit the accelerator to rev down and the revs will pop up quite quikly.

yeah i find this too, and i've read someone else mentioning that the mkiv's have poor throttle response.
also means you often roll back a bit further when doing a hillstart without the brakes.

[McCosker]

This sounds like a problem. im my 99 GTI, i can swap gears up and down as quick as i like. if my hands could move faster i could change faster.
Was there something different in the gear box through the year models?

[dubai gti]

I had a similar problem before and after replacing the clutch on my '00 GTI. I fixed it by having the gear change linkages replaced (they'd done 127k klms) now problem solved...

[sierra055]

Mine is an 02 and I can change gears as quick as necessary (or un-necessary sometimes )

I notice too that the throttle response is pretty poor, mainly when just blipping the throttle on a downshift.

[99gti]

This sounds like a problem. im my 99 GTI, i can swap gears up and down as quick as i like. if my hands could move faster i could change faster.
Was there something different in the gear box through the year models?

There is a slight difference in the early Mk4's. They had the shifter linkage stolen from the VR6. Not a huge difference though.

[HOLEIN1]

There is a slight difference in the early Mk4's. They had the shifter linkage stolen from the VR6. Not a huge difference though.

are the linkages able to be replaced like the later models? mines a 1999 model like yours 99gti, and was thinking i might give it a crack as well!

sorry, trying not to hijack!

[99gti]

are the linkages able to be replaced like the later models? mines a 1999 model like yours 99gti, and was thinking i might give it a crack as well!

sorry, trying not to hijack!

Yes and no. On visual inspection you could with a little drilling on the shifter. Just drill out the pin that the cable conects to but I havn't attempted it. Beyond that minor difference, I'm not sure what else there is but there are other minor differences.

[HOLEIN1]

Yes and no. On visual inspection you could with a little drilling on the shifter. Just drill out the pin that the cable conects to but I havn't attempted it. Beyond that minor difference, I'm not sure what else there is but there are other minor differences.

i remember reading on here some time ago that the difference between the early and later models was on the gearbox end of things

however i may be wrong....