Hard gear shifts when cold (A temporary solution)

[shirish_bh]

Hi,
This topic has been discussed before. However I did not find whatever I am going to write. So read on!
The hard shifting doesnt seem to be a problem. It is just an inconvienence that goes away in a couple of minutes.

We all seem to have gear shifting problems when it is freezing outside, espicially when going from 1st to second. Temps are routinely near zero here in Auburn Hills , MI.
I tried a small trick, which most of you may have heard, which helped me get a smoother shift when cold. That is "Double declutching".
The sequence is:
from 1st gear - declutch to shift to neutral - engage clutch in nutral - declutch and shift to second.
Try this sequence out and you will be surprized by the results.

My car : 2000 Golf TDI/GLS, Cold weather, Luxury.

 

[ertzog]

I had the stiff shift for the first time tonight. Startling as I try to race out of the parking lot, but it passed after running the gears at a stoplight.

5'F or so today.

------------------
Blk/Blk Debadged 2000 Golf GL TDI

 

[CFriedriszik]

two more options:
a) give the second gear a lot of time to syncronize at low engine speed
or
b) shift from 1st to 3rd for the first time - after a 100 meters everything is fine.

This isn´t a bug, but a feature, mind you ! It is there to remember to warm and drive the engine GENTLY at first ...

After all, VWs, Renaults, Lancias and Audis to the same trick ...

 

[Switca]

I noticed that the first few minutes of shifting became difficult after I switched to Amsoil gear lube. After a few minutes, it shifts great.

 

[dieseldorf]

After switching to redline trans lube my car became nearly impossible to shift when ambient temps were cold.

I switched back to VW's own synthetic and find better results. The VW lube appears to be very light and is very $$$$$$$$$$.

------------------
96 TDI Wagon, ABS, emerald green
00 Jetta TDI GLS, silver arrow, CWP, LUX1, etc, etc.

 

[valois]

I have applied some never sieze to the linkage at the tranny and the shifting seems smoother.

 

[The_Moose]

That is exact;y what they told me at the VW dealer last Friday.

The Moose.