shoebear
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2002
- Location
- Colorado Springs, CO
- TDI
- 1998 Jetta, 2003 Jetta Wagon, 2005 New Beetle, 2013 Sportwagen
I've been loaning out my 2005 NB to a friend who is in town for about a month. A few days ago, she called because she was stranded in traffic. She said there was a loud bang, and then the car wouldn't shift out of gear, so she got into the middle turn lane and killed the engine.
When I got there with my truck, I was able to shift into neutral easily enough with the engine off, but I noticed that the clutch pedal was only about half way up. I thought maybe the brake fluid had gotten low, causing air to get into the clutch slave cylinder. This would have been an easy fix, but unfortunately, the brake fluid reservoir was full.
My friend (who is not very technical) said that a couple of days before that, she had an episode where no matter how she shifted, the car seemed to stay in a low gear, no matter where she shifted. She turned the engine off/back on, and then it was OK.
My friend initially said she knew how to drive a stick, but when I picked up the car, she said it must be her fault, because she stalls frequently, and she doesn't think she's very skilled with it. I don't know what to make of this; she could have just been rattled and blaming herself instinctively as some people do, or there could be some substance to it.
Please help if you have ideas on diagnosing the problem. Thanks!
When I got there with my truck, I was able to shift into neutral easily enough with the engine off, but I noticed that the clutch pedal was only about half way up. I thought maybe the brake fluid had gotten low, causing air to get into the clutch slave cylinder. This would have been an easy fix, but unfortunately, the brake fluid reservoir was full.
My friend (who is not very technical) said that a couple of days before that, she had an episode where no matter how she shifted, the car seemed to stay in a low gear, no matter where she shifted. She turned the engine off/back on, and then it was OK.
My friend initially said she knew how to drive a stick, but when I picked up the car, she said it must be her fault, because she stalls frequently, and she doesn't think she's very skilled with it. I don't know what to make of this; she could have just been rattled and blaming herself instinctively as some people do, or there could be some substance to it.
Please help if you have ideas on diagnosing the problem. Thanks!
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