I've got a 99 1/2 Jetta TDI with a 5 spd manual tranny. When slowing from highway speeds, if the car is left in 5th gear it doesnt want to come out of gear once stopped. It tends to stick in 5th gear when slowing down from about 28mph or less. You will then have to shut the car off to get it to come out of gear. (which is still fairly difficult at times) Any ideas?
Stuck in 5th gear
CB99TDI
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I've got a 99 1/2 Jetta TDI with a 5 spd manual tranny. When slowing from highway speeds, if the car is left in 5th gear it doesnt want to come out of gear once stopped. It tends to stick in 5th gear when slowing down from about 28mph or less. You will then have to shut the car off to get it to come out of gear. (which is still fairly difficult at times) Any ideas?
Does reverse ever crunch or grind when you select it?
If so, it would be a clutch disengagement issue.
If not, you might have a problem with the linkage itself, or something further in the trans at the 5th gears.
It comes out of gear normally once the engine is off? Does it select gears normally when the engine is off?
Any other gears showing difficulty when selecting them?
reverse will occassionally grind when going in. It seems to go into and out of all gears fine, with the exception of the described condition. Second gear goes in a little tough once in a while, but for a car with this many miles, it doesnt really suprise me that it happens. The 5th gear thing bothers me though. Once the car is stopped and the engine off it will sometimes come out of 5th gear normally, and sometimes you have to play with it a little, or even force it. What do you think?
If it is hard to pull out of gear even with the engine off, it would suggest something in the linkage or the trans selector itself, possibly something at the 5th gears or fork.
Reverse grinding is because the clutch isn't disengaging properly. It could also be the cause of poor shifting in the forward gears.
99.5 cars have the 02A trans type, correct?
I don't know much about those or the selectors or where to start with those trans and the cable linkages, but grinding reverse is the clutch failing to disengage, so I'd start with fixing known problems first then move from there.:thumbup:
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21 Posts
Me too
I have this problem in my '99 Beetle. I find that it will stick sometimes even at freeway speeds. I find that I have to disengage and immediately reengage the clutch (i.e. step on and immediately let go) in order to get it to "let go" of fifth.
If I forget to take it out of fifth before the car has stopped, then I have to let the clutch out a bit while applying pressure to the gear shift trying to move it out of fifth while the car is idling and my foot is firmly on the brake. This usually kills the engine and worse, it angers the people waiting behind me who are trying to get thru the green light. I'm sure it's not great for the tranny either.
I've been hoping to find that "Oh yeah, it's a common problem; just do this..." post, but this is the first time I've heard of anyone else having the problem. For now, my wife and I just try to be disciplined even reminding each other on the off ramp, "You're in still in fifth..." If I do get confirmation that it is in the gearbox, then I'll at least wait until I need a clutch as it's pretty manageable so far.
I have this problem in my '99 Beetle. I find that it will stick sometimes even at freeway speeds. I find that I have to disengage and immediately reengage the clutch (i.e. step on and immediately let go) in order to get it to "let go" of fifth.
If I forget to take it out of fifth before the car has stopped, then I have to let the clutch out a bit while applying pressure to the gear shift trying to move it out of fifth while the car is idling and my foot is firmly on the brake. This usually kills the engine and worse, it angers the people waiting behind me who are trying to get thru the green light. I'm sure it's not great for the tranny either.
I've been hoping to find that "Oh yeah, it's a common problem; just do this..." post, but this is the first time I've heard of anyone else having the problem. For now, my wife and I just try to be disciplined even reminding each other on the off ramp, "You're in still in fifth..." If I do get confirmation that it is in the gearbox, then I'll at least wait until I need a clutch as it's pretty manageable so far.
My guess for both is a failing slave cylinder. Especially if you have to pump the clutch pedal. The selectors aren't generally an issue, and with no trouble engaging, just disengaging with a little grind in reverse, I'd be pretty sure that the slave cylinder seals are failing, or the hydraulics are contaminated; who doesn't love a good run-on sentence...
Both easy fixes. A slave cylinder bolts on to the outside of the trans case and takes probably 10 minutes to change and 30 -40 minutes to bleed.
This is a common fail point for both 02A and 02J transmissions.
Both easy fixes. A slave cylinder bolts on to the outside of the trans case and takes probably 10 minutes to change and 30 -40 minutes to bleed.
This is a common fail point for both 02A and 02J transmissions.
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21 Posts
Considering that it is only sticking in fifth and not all gears and no one's complaining about having to refill their reservoir, I would say that's not a real great guess.
Besides, I had to have the shift linkage fixed and the shop was able to verify that the gearbox is in fact sticking in fifth and the car needed to be "rocked forward" to pop it out. That's why letting the clutch out while decelerating against the engine allows it come out of gear.
How does reverse engage when you select it?
Any noise at all as you move it into reverse gear?
Hydraulic leaks don't have to leak onto the ground to fail. If they go past internal seals the fluid stays in the system but doesn't operate the system.
Have you ever seen someone pump their brakes to build pressure to stop? The brake fluid isn't going on the ground, it just isn't pumping up the brake cylinder at the wheel because of leaking internal seals. Pump fast enough and you outrun the leaking internal seal and the brakes work.
Not all gears are the same... the ratios, tooth pitch, etc. can affect how each gear engages and disengages. They wear at different rates as well... in the 020 trans, 5th is usually in good shape if it hasn't been ran low on oil, while 2nd is usually beat up no matter how much oil is in it. The gap between ratios (from 1st to 2nd or 4th to 5th) are not the same, so the wear is different.
The point is that 5th can act up but not the other gears. Reverse can be a problem by making noise on selection but the rest of the gears can be fine. 2nd might grind on fast shifts while 4th is fine no matter how fast you shift.
In the end I would say his guess is worth at least what you paid for it.
If nothing else, he was the only one who took the time to reply to the thread you brought back from the dead so while you may not think it a good guess, it does look like it is the absolute best response you've gotten, his guess beat out every other guess you were offered
Mine recently got stuck in 5th gear when the car in front of me decided to stop at a yellow light last minute. I didnt take it out of gear just put the clutch in and abruptly stopped behind them. My gear shifter was stuck in 5th, turning the car off didnt even help me. So i grabbed with both hands and yanked it out, which in turn broke the cables going onto the shifter arm. So dont get too rough with it or you'll be stranded like I was.
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