2002 Jetta TDI STUCK IN FIRST 5 speed

Hey Guys,
Really really need some help here. Just purchased my 2nd 02 TDI 5 speed. Everything was going great until this morning. I pulled into gas station on way to work, leave car in neutral running. Get back in go to put the car in gear and it’s like I can’t feel any gears at all. So I go to let out the clutch and i realize it’s in first. I try to push in clutch to switch again to second but like I said there is nothing there. No first no second third and so on. My clutch still work because I can coast when I engage it, but soon as I disengage it goes back to first gear. Someone said it could be a bearing that failed others said a cable could have come undone, but I know someone on here would know for sure. Anything will be greatly appreciated as I just bought this beauty. Also, I’m still kind of new to this forum so if there is somewhere else I can post this question please let me know.

First things first, there is no cable on these clutches they are hydraulic. Which of course means that if air gets in the clutch you can have all kinds of shift problems.

Check your brake fluid resivor the clutch and brakes share the same fluid from the same resivor. On the right side of the resivor is a small tap with a hose attached, is the brake fluid above that tap and within the high and low marks?

If the fluid level is good then look down beside the battery at the top of the transmission.
While there is no clutch cable there are shift cables that lead back to your shift knob. Are the cables attached or has one of them come loose?

If the fluid level is low you will need to bleed the clutch system, if a cable is loose that means one of the clips came off and you will need to reattach and replace it. Those are the 2 simplest problems that can be easily seen and diagnosed.

The search engine found in newbie section
https://cse.google.com/cse?q=+&cx=018097697432185261444:_idbzjdyxdm

https://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=366633


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Sounds to me like one of the shifter cables popped off.

Was there a lot of slop in the lever before this?

It certainly sounds like a diesel geek bushing kit is in the near future

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WildChild80 said:

It certainly sounds like a diesel geek bushing kit is in the near future

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That’s exactly what I ordered. Bad bushing caused it all. Thanks guys! I really appreciate all the help!

bthachad09 said:

That’s exactly what I ordered. Bad bushing caused it all. Thanks guys! I really appreciate all the help!

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I've got 2 kits cause I lost one then found it after a bought the second...I've got a shifter that's scary, didn't notice until I got my second TDI and felt a proper shifter...and it's a year older go figure



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WildChild80 said:

I've got 2 kits cause I lost one then found it after a bought the second...I've got a shifter that's scary, didn't notice until I got my second TDI and felt a proper shifter...and it's a year older go figure



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I wish I saw that sooner buddy

How much of a PITA is it to replace those bushings with everything still in the car? I know you have to drill a hole, but it just seems very cramped and hard to get everything in there.

I will also have to be doing mine soon. I already have the bushings, but I'm not looking forward to dropping the exhaust.

The bushings aren’t to bad a job. Drilling that hole keeps you from dropping the exhaust. As long as you have a hole drill it’s actually not to difficult to make that hole, certainly easier than dropping the exhaust. That bushing is the most difficult one to access, hence the reason to drill the hole.

That's why I'm waiting to swap bushings, I've got to swap exhaust among other things from one car to another so I'll be on the doorstep...

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Having that hole drilled saved me since I’ve had trouble with my shifter not going into or out of gear. I borrowed a drill bit like some have said can be used to hold the shifter stationary for adjusting cables, and it fell right down the locking pin hole! I had to return his bit to him and I got it out through the drilled hole with a magnet. So the hole is an upgrade!

Mine did the same thing! For quite a while, it was a PITA to get into reverse, & 1st took some finesse. It finally got stuck in 1st & I thought my tranny was screwed. But researching here, I found from the fine folks the bushings go bad.
I ordered a Dieselgeek bushing kit & replaced them all. The bushing on the right, where the hole is bored, was a real pain to get the shifter cable end ring back on, ugh!! Now, it shifts like a dream!! I can’t believe I lived with crusty bushings for so long!!
The Dieselgeek videos were really helpful. I even added the piece of card stock to the ball socket to tighten it up, too.