2006 vw jetta tdi manual won't shift out of neutral

Suadwa

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2018
Location
Spokane wa
TDI
2002 VW Jetta Tdi
First of all I want to thank everybody for helping me around my 2001 vw jetta,

Second I just got my 2006 vw jetta tdi with manual transmission that won't shift out of neutral, sometime if you play wi th shifter it will go in a gear but it takes some time,
So I am just looking for some advise or idea where to start or to see if anybody have had this issue before

Thank you in advance
 

mr.loops

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2010
Location
Kelowna
TDI
2002 jetta, 2003 Bora 1.8T
Do the easy stuff first. I would do a visual inspection of the selector tower. Make sure nothing is blocking it and inspect the selector cables.

If everything passes, I would then perform a shifter adjustment. You just might need a re-adjustment






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IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Will it shift gears when the engine's not running? If so, your clutch or flywheel may have failed.
 

Suadwa

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2018
Location
Spokane wa
TDI
2002 VW Jetta Tdi
I will be doing some visual inspection tomorrow morning, and check all the cables along with adjustments, clutch was replaced 7months ago I would asume its still good, by the I just bought the car today.

Does anybody have diy for adjusting cables
 

JETaah

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Jan 18, 2001
Location
mi 48836
TDI
96 B4V, 1999.5 jettaIV,2005 BEW Beetle
Check for critter activity under the hood.
I had a car come in where a squirrel had set up home in the shifter area and packed it with nuts.
 

Suadwa

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2018
Location
Spokane wa
TDI
2002 VW Jetta Tdi
Well today i figured out the issue with the transmission, i opened the filler hole to check the oil and i didnt see any coming out pull the bottom drain plug and litterly a rain drop came out of it, looks like they drove it like that for a while and completly crushed all the gears inside. Well now I am looking for a new transmission code GQQ, let me know if anybody has one

Thank you everybody
 

Tdijarhead

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 10, 2013
Location
Lawrenceville PA
TDI
2003 TDI Jetta Daughters Car, 2001 TDI Beetle, Wife’s car, 2005 Golf TDI Mine, all 5 spds
Before you pull and replace the transmission, fill it with oil and just for laughs see what happens.

It probably has a leaking axle seal.
 

JETaah

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Jan 18, 2001
Location
mi 48836
TDI
96 B4V, 1999.5 jettaIV,2005 BEW Beetle
If the plug looks anything like this don't bother with trying to fill it.

 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Some of the '06 Jettas were under-filled at the factory. They only got about a liter of gear oil. The oil tends to disappear over time. If the oil is changed at 100K miles usually they survive, but sometimes not.
 

Nevada_TDI

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 17, 2008
Location
Reno, sort of...
TDI
2001 Jetta TDI
I agree with Tdijarhead, put some oil in it and see if it becomes drive-able. It will cost you around $20.00 to do this, but it may extend the amount of time you have before you must replace it.
 

Suadwa

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2018
Location
Spokane wa
TDI
2002 VW Jetta Tdi
I did try filling it and then I took it out and opened it, the fifth gear had not teeth on it at all all completly grided down, that was just the cover I didn't bother opening the transmission completely, also when I filled it oil it would make jingle bells song in it while just jerking forward nothing else.. thanks
 

Ol'Rattler

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 3, 2007
Location
PNA
TDI
2006 BRM Jetta
As you found out, putting oil in a devoid of oil FUBAR-ed manual transmission won't magically bring it back to life. Sometimes a low automatic that is slipping will stop slipping if you top it off.
 

jetta 97

Vendor
Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Location
Dallas (McKinney) ,TX ,USA
TDI
2 X Jatta MK5 2006
I did try filling it and then I took it out and opened it, the fifth gear had not teeth on it at all all completly grided down, that was just the cover I didn't bother opening the transmission completely, also when I filled it oil it would make jingle bells song in it while just jerking forward nothing else.. thanks
Sorry to hear that.
Who ever did clutch did not fill transmission correct way.
Those transmission has proper way to fill transmission fluid back in via reverse switch.
If you use plug on the side of the transmission it will happen like this.
I bet that is what they did.
So I suggest take it back to them and try to make that to pay for transmission.
I would go and ask them how they fill fluid back in transmission, If they said on side plug and you show them instructions how to do it correct way and tell them that transmission is toasted now and you want them to pay for it .


Here is the how to fill or replace fluid correct way:

https://www.myturbodiesel.com/images/pdf/a5translevel.pdf
 
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Ol'Rattler

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 3, 2007
Location
PNA
TDI
2006 BRM Jetta
Jetta, your spot on about servicing the tranny, however, How are you going to "make" someone replace a tranny on 12 YO car that was most likely bought as is? I can just imagine the seller ROFLTAO.

The sellers response after he quit laughing might be something like this:
"Son, you need to go over to the Community Collage and take a class in how to pack sand and for extra credit take a course in how to hit the road".
 

Suadwa

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2018
Location
Spokane wa
TDI
2002 VW Jetta Tdi
I bought this car knowing worst case tranny replacment, car only has 84k miles and it family owned with lots service records I got it for a very good price, will see what happens on Tuesday when I recived a different tranny
 

jetta 97

Vendor
Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Location
Dallas (McKinney) ,TX ,USA
TDI
2 X Jatta MK5 2006
Jetta, your spot on about servicing the tranny, however, How are you going to "make" someone replace a tranny on 12 YO car that was most likely bought as is? I can just imagine the seller ROFLTAO.

The sellers response after he quit laughing might be something like this:
"Son, you need to go over to the Community Collage and take a class in how to pack sand and for extra credit take a course in how to hit the road".
Knowing now that car has only 84k , there is not way it can just happen because of the age.
My car , same 2006 model , has close to quarter million miles and tranny shifts perfect.


But this is what happens when you go to un-trusted mechanic .
 

Ol'Rattler

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 3, 2007
Location
PNA
TDI
2006 BRM Jetta
Very true. Maintenance done incorrectly can be worse than no maintenance at all. The age only means that the car most likely came from a private party and did not have any sort of warranty. And plus, the limited warranty that used car lots sometimes offer is usually a joke.

My car is a young pup compared to yours. I'm at 185K miles and am just finishing up it's 2nd timing belt. If it wasn't for me being a little OCD, I would have assumed that the level plug was how the tranny level was suppose to be checked and would have burned up 5th gear a long time ago.
 
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