A3 not having any gears

janjis313 · Jul 21, 2020

Hello everybody,

yesterday I was driving and wanted to put the car in the 1st gear and it grinded like I would've been cutting out rusted side sils. Then I lost 1, 3, 5th gears. Okay no worries diesel torque will get me to home with 2 and 4 th gears. Then I tried shifting form 2nd to 4th and lost all gears. I tried putting in a gear from the engine bay but the shifter thing with the part code hit the air box. I think those are shifter linkages or is it something else?

since I'm fairly new to VAGs I don't know all the tips and tricks, hence I'm asking this question.

Thanks!

Mongler98 · Jul 21, 2020

The shift tower has enough wobble in it to hit the air box? Pull the shift tower off. Chances are not only the needle bearing is shot and gone, but something else sounds trashed. It can be swapped.
Or are you saying that the linkage for the cables is broken off? That's a much more common issue. Some pictures would be helpful

Steve Addy · Jul 21, 2020

janjis313 said:
Hello everybody,

yesterday I was driving and wanted to put the car in the 1st gear and it grinded like I would've been cutting out rusted side sils. Then I lost 1, 3, 5th gears. Okay no worries diesel torque will get me to home with 2 and 4 th gears. Then I tried shifting form 2nd to 4th and lost all gears. I tried putting in a gear from the engine bay but the shifter thing with the part code hit the air box. I think those are shifter linkages or is it something else? since I'm fairly new to VAGs I don't know all the tips and tricks, hence I'm asking this question.

Thanks!

By A3 do you mean Mk3 Golf / Jetta (Vento)? Based on what you describe about the airbox etc I'm not sure you're talking about the same generation of vehicle? Or are you talking about an Audi A3?

I believe the Audi A3 tdi are same platform like the Mk4 Golf / Jetta where the airbox is just above and behind the shift tower at the transmission and that's why the shifting mechanism is in the vicinity of that.

At any rate, it sounds like something either in the shifter assembly inside the car or something out at the shift tower (more likely) is detached.

I would check the mechanism under the hood. You might have to remove some of the plastic coverings to be able to see what's going on.

Steve

janjis313 · Jul 24, 2020

Mongler98 said:
The shift tower has enough wobble in it to hit the air box? Pull the shift tower off. Chances are not only the needle bearing is shot and gone, but something else sounds trashed. It can be swapped.
Or are you saying that the linkage for the cables is broken off? That's a much more common issue. Some pictures would be helpful

Steve Addy said:
By A3 do you mean Mk3 Golf / Jetta (Vento)? Based on what you describe about the airbox etc I'm not sure you're talking about the same generation of vehicle? Or are you talking about an Audi A3?

I believe the Audi A3 tdi are same platform like the Mk4 Golf / Jetta where the airbox is just above and behind the shift tower at the transmission and that's why the shifting mechanism is in the vicinity of that.

At any rate, it sounds like something either in the shifter assembly inside the car or something out at the shift tower (more likely) is detached.

I would check the mechanism under the hood. You might have to remove some of the plastic coverings to be able to see what's going on.

Steve

Thanks for the replies! The input shaft that connects to the shift tower turned out to be rounded and it just couldn't engage any gears.

and yes I think I got the wrong sub-forum becouse by A3 I meant Audi A3

Mongler98 · Jul 24, 2020

janjis313 said:
Thanks for the replies! The input shaft that connects to the shift tower turned out to be rounded and it just couldn't engage any gears.

and yes I think I got the wrong sub-forum becouse by A3 I meant Audi A3

Clearly the part that attached to the shift tower is cracked. Happend to my 02J
Take the opportunity to swap shift towers to the newer ones and the shifter too

Steve Addy · Jul 24, 2020

janjis313 said:
Thanks for the replies! The input shaft that connects to the shift tower turned out to be rounded and it just couldn't engage any gears.

and yes I think I got the wrong sub-forum becouse by A3 I meant Audi A3

That's fine, it explains the location of the air cleaner, which was a big clue that you were talking about Audi.

The engine is still transverse mounted so it's the same shifter, shift tower and trans setup that we have back to Mk3, but it would be more closely aligned to the Mk4 Golf / Jetta, or placed in the Audi A3 forum too.

Steve

A3 not having any gears

janjis313

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Mongler98

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Steve Addy

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janjis313

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Mongler98

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Steve Addy

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