Source
r/tdi•
rnbwpnt

Getting Into First Gear (2014 Jetta TDI VE)

I have a 2014 Jetta TDI Value Edition with a manual transmission. i love love love my car and i drive it a lot: last week i crossed 130k miles. (yes, i did the timing belt at about 110k. thank yoooooou goodwill package.)

since i bought it, however, i've had an issue getting into first gear.

when at a dead stop, i push in the clutch and move the shifter to first ... except that when i let the clutch out the car moves slowly/dies because it's actually in third. clutch back in, down and back up, sometimes we wind up back in third, sometimes in first. if we're in third, do it again. usually after two or three of these (with people honking at me -- they get an automatic finger, it's a reflex from my cab driver days), i'm good to go until i have to stop again.

i've had the clutch replaced once, at 70k, when i burned it on the freeway because i tried to downshift and accidentally missed three gears (sixth to third, instead of sixth to fifth). but this issue has existed since before that incident.

can yall offer any insight?

Posted Jun 13, 2016, 1:47 AM UTC

211
cfc1016•

Sounds like user error, man.

9
rnbwpntOP•

What's the error, then?

-1
2_4_16_256'12 Golf TDI•

Putting the shifter in third instead of first

4
rnbwpntOP•

since it's the same position, hard to the left and up ... no. that's not what's going on.

-1
Phayzon2010 Jetta CJAA•

Sounds like perhaps your shifter cables/linkage are a little out of whack. If you push the shifter down, as if to go in reverse, but don't go quite all the way to reverse, does it go into first?

3
rnbwpntOP•

from memory without going outside and trying it now, no; it won't go into any gear but reverse with the handle down. will need to try it in a bit.

0
Phayzon2010 Jetta CJAA•

Pushing the handle down just opens the reverse lockout. It should still go into all forward gears. Unless for some dumb reason VW changed that for Mk6, it's been that way since the Beetle through Mk5.

Actually, what made me mention this is that my Beetle's linkage is wonky, and I have to open the lockout to use 1st and 2nd.

1
iloathusernames•

I was having a similar issue on a 2010 golf. The nylon connectors on the transmission were worn. I locked the transmission in place (there are videos on YouTube on this) took the connectors off the transmission - cleaned and lubed them, put it all back together. That was about 18 months ago and I have not had an issue since.

2
rhino-x•

I just dealt with this on my 2012 wagon. I had to adjust the shifter linkage as I believe my cables were stretched or slipped. I have 66k and for the last 5-6k miles it progressively got to the point that I would have to try three or four times to get it into first at a stop.

I did it yesterday following the diesel geek YouTube video and it's pretty easy. Just tedious because I seriously over adjusted on the first try and spent an hour trying to get it right again. The shifter is fine now.

1
NotRoryWilliams•

This is a surprisingly simple repair, you just need to follow the calibration steps. I just went through the instructions for a shifter modification kit (http://bd8ba3c866c8cbc330ab-7b26c6f3e01bf511d4da3315c66902d6.r6.cf1.rackcdn.com/APR_short_shift_kit.pdf) and did the calibration steps. Somewhere out there is a slightly more concise guide.

Here are the steps:

  1. take out the air filter box
  2. loosen the collars around the shift cables
  3. Lock the transmission-side of the shifter into the calibration position.
  4. Pop the boot off the shifter in the car.
  5. using a custom tool or anything with the appropriate diameter (I used a drill bit), lock the shifter lever into the calibration position.
  6. Re-lock the collars around the shift cables.
  7. Unlock the transmission's calibration lever, remove the calibration tool inside the car, and put everything back together.

Should shift correctly right away.

1
cheezburgerwalrus•

Shift bushings. The stock ones like to wear out and get floppy. Remove, replace with these, profit.

Make sure you check your end links before buying as there are a few different bushing configurations.

1