[Mooz!]

Well, on the way home from the CD store, I was just driving down the road and coming upon a traffic light, I downshifted from 5th to third, slowly, not 'performance' like. Anyways, it seemed very difficult to get it in third, not like it usually is, and all of a sudden it felt like everything 'let go'. There was no force needed to move the shifter like there usually was, and everything seemed out of place. 3rd was where first was, 5th was where third is, reverse was in and down instead of in and up, and second and first were nowhere to be found. I managed to limp it home in 3rd gear (5 stop lights too, beauty. My poor clutch). I noticed after the 'VW Velocity Cruise' (lots of shifting, high acceleration, etc.) that second gear was quite difficult to find. Any ideas what might have broke? Or maybe shift linkages? I really have no idea, although I think I remember someone having this same problem a long while back...
Thanks.

 

[Mooz!]

Re: ANOTHER PROBLEM! Need some help or info... (Mooz!)

Bump.
Need some help.

 

[Mr. Joe]

Re: ANOTHER PROBLEM! Need some help or info... (Mooz!)

this may sound silly, but pull off your shifter boot and check to see that the little plastic tab that keeps you from goin into reverse hasnt snapped. my friends golf has that problem and it kinda feels like what you described. sometimes its just the simple things. good luck

 

[Mooz!]

Re: ANOTHER PROBLEM! Need some help or info... (Mr. Joe)

Checked it.
I read my Bentley, closest thing I can guess is Shift Linkages.
I hope it's nothing worse.

 

[The_Jerbel]

Re: ANOTHER PROBLEM! Need some help or info... (Mooz!)

It's probably the relay piece of the linkage, look under the hood and you'll probably see a broken arm. Either that or the shifter rod adjustment nut came loose and the rod slides back and forth.

 

[triton2]

Re: ANOTHER PROBLEM! Need some help or info... (Mooz!)

When replacing my shifter bushings... I had to quickly get it back together and drive someplace.
I didn't align my relay shaft correctly, and it did exactly what you described, 5th was 3rd, 3rd was 1st... basically all the gears shifted over a spot to the left. I actually was using 1st and 2nd underneath the reverse lockout, but had no reverse.
The relay shaft attaches to the end of the selector rod coming from your shifter. (There are grooves on the rod for the clamp to tighten on) The clamp probably got forced loose, and the relay shaft moved over to the left (rotated counter clockwise.) thereby moving your shifting. I moved my relay shaft an inch to the right, (clock wise) and it's fine now.
Try that first, and see if it changes. If it does, just keep trying different settings till it works.