Transmission trouble at 3K miles???

[emulous]

I've noticed since about 2,200 miles on my R when driving agreesively (pulling out into traffic, driving through the hills, passing on the highway) when rpms are over 4.5K and gas pedal is 3/4 to full throttle, it is getting really difficult to up and down shift. At times it won't let you get into the gear until the revs drop. this is happening with 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears.

I took it to the dealership this week and the service manager drove with me in the car, and he drove it himself. He said he did notice some resistance, but it feels like the start of something which he doesn't know what it is, he doesn't believe the clutch or flywheel is warped, as when you are driving sedately, changing gears is easy as silk. I could not get him to drive it as aggresively as I sometimes do. He asked me to drive it for a week and report back.

This is not my first awd/manual transmission car, I've owned wrx's, legacy gt's, EVOs, 2.5RS, 323GTX, as well as many fwd manual transmission cars, and I never have had clutch, synchro or flywheel issues. I'm not saying I'm the worlds best driver or anywhere near it, but I do know proper techniques and have had many vehicles since new go past 100K without any transmission issues.

I have let other folks on vortex drive it, and they noticed the same thing. I notice now that it's been getting hotter (above 90 degree days) it's been getting worse.

I was wondering if anyone has experienced this and what the problem might be.

I love my R, so I determined to find out what is wrong and get it fixed. Just looking for ideas to determine where to look first.

[29_MALE_SOCAL_SPICY]

is it making noise? on accel or decel?

I would check all fluid, rear diff, haldex, Front tranny, etc.

Maybe the dealer will flush out all fluid for ya.

[Siliconrane]

This sounds familiar. In fact - it sounds like the return of my problem!!!

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...=Warranty+work

Read this entire thread. Then make your decision.

In the end - my clutch was cracked in 3 places, my pressure plate was chipped and my flywheel had too much end play. Oh yea - they also had to replace my throw out bearing. Save yourself some trouble and read my thread from start to finish. I even have lots of pictures. The problem you are describing is IDENTICAL to the one I had.

I wish to speak with you. Pm me your contact info.


What it boils down to is a clutch disengagement problem because your clutch has cracked. It still functions, but because it is cracked, it expands under heave strain and causes the entire setup to stick when you attempt to disengage the clutch causing a large amount of drag in the system. Your synchronizers are trying to compensate for this additional drag and it will eventually eat them. Get it under the knife ASAP. Print my thread and take it to your dealership.

[JedTI]

This sounds familiar. In fact - it sounds like the return of my problem!!!

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...=Warranty+work

Read this entire thread. Then make your decision.

In the end - my clutch was cracked in 3 places, my pressure plate was chipped and my flywheel had too much end play. Save yourself some trouble and read my thread from start to finish. I even have lots of pictures. The problem you are describing is IDENTICAL to the one I had.

I wish to speak with you. Pm me your contact info.

This. I had this identical problem on my MKV GTI. The clutch was cracked in 3 places, same a silicone, you should have your dealer look into it but this is most likely the problem.

[pierovw]

Another clutch thread!! NOOO

I am not sure if it has been my imagination since silicone's thread but I've been noticing something similar but not as noticeable as OP describes it...
Both the OP and Silicone have said that they have trouble engaging gears while upshifting and downshifting, and I have only noticed this while downshifting specially from 4th to 3rd and 5th to 4th gear. Upshifting is smooth and no problems engaging. Today I was pushing the car in the highway and it was the most noticeable so far, I was going in 5th and decided to downshift to 4th driving aggressively and the gear just didn't engage... put it back in neutral tried again and it engaged but pretty roughly and with force.

I am currently stage 1 but I did notice this problem before I got flashed

[Siliconrane]

Another clutch thread!! NOOO

I am not sure if it has been my imagination since silicone's thread but I've been noticing something similar but not as noticeable as OP describes it...
Both the OP and Silicone have said that they have trouble engaging gears while upshifting and downshifting, and I have only noticed this while downshifting specially from 4th to 3rd and 5th to 4th gear. Upshifting is smooth and no problems engaging. Today I was pushing the car in the highway and it was the most noticeable so far, I was going in 5th and decided to downshift to 4th driving aggressively and the gear just didn't engage... put it back in neutral tried again and it engaged but pretty roughly and with force.

I am currently stage 1 but I did notice this problem before I got flashed

That is how it started for me. If you have the problem, it will get progressively worse with time. Sorry - it is like clutch AIDS.

High rpms make the problem more pronounced.

[VWPDX]

Emulous

Are you chipped?

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[Siliconrane]

Pm replied. Let's hope that your dealership sorts this out before your syncro's take too much abuse.

[jsausley]

It's funny - when this issue first came up with Siliconrane's car I could have sworn that I noticed it once or twice in my car as well, but it was very subtle, like under hard acceleration I would have to double clutch occasionally because it wouldn't get in gear (basically what pierovw described above). This worried me of course, like the problem was just beginning but not fully developed.. but then it stopped, and I took it to Wookies and shifted hard many times there, and never noticed it again. So hopefully it was just my paranoia at first.

In the end after giving the car hell at Wookies and driving ... fairly spiritedly on the way back, I think my issue is just getting used to the car's shifter. The shifter moves so easily and light it seems like there's a lot of slop in it. When going through the gears quickly I find that sometimes I miss them, which is really annoying... never had that problem in the many many many other manual cars I've owned. I think it's just that the shifter is so smooth it has virtually no feedback to it. I'm used to a much more "mechanical" feel in the shifter. Oh well. That's my guess but maybe I'm going crazy.

Unrelated I know. Anyway, good luck getting this problem solved. It seems like VW is using some pretty crappy clutches or something.. who knows. At least two R's have needed replacements already and that seems like a lot...with potentially more on the way.

[pierovw]

It's funny - when this issue first came up with Siliconrane's car I could have sworn that I noticed it once or twice in my car as well, but it was very subtle, like under hard acceleration I would have to double clutch occasionally because it wouldn't get in gear. This worried me of course, like the problem was just beginning but not fully developed.. but then it stopped, and I took it to Wookies and shifted hard many times there, and never noticed it again. So hopefully it was just my paranoia at first.

Unrelated I know. Anyway, good luck getting this problem solved. It seems like VW is using some pretty crappy clutches or something.. who knows. At least two R's have needed replacements already and that seems like a lot...with potentially more on the way.

I'm just like you... I'm not sure if it's just my paranoia

[emulous]

is it making noise? on accel or decel?

I would check all fluid, rear diff, haldex, Front tranny, etc.

Maybe the dealer will flush out all fluid for ya.

No noise at all, yes, I suggested a fluids change to the service manager, but he didn't seem keen on anything after driving my car. I'm not saying he was being patronizing, he said he thinks it just might be at the early stages of a problem, so he doesn't know what it is.

[emulous]

This sounds familiar. In fact - it sounds like the return of my problem!!!

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...=Warranty+work

Read this entire thread. Then make your decision.

In the end - my clutch was cracked in 3 places, my pressure plate was chipped and my flywheel had too much end play. Oh yea - they also had to replace my throw out bearing. Save yourself some trouble and read my thread from start to finish. I even have lots of pictures. The problem you are describing is IDENTICAL to the one I had.

I wish to speak with you. Pm me your contact info.


What it boils down to is a clutch disengagement problem because your clutch has cracked. It still functions, but because it is cracked, it expands under heave strain and causes the entire setup to stick when you attempt to disengage the clutch causing a large amount of drag in the system. Your synchronizers are trying to compensate for this additional drag and it will eventually eat them. Get it under the knife ASAP. Print my thread and take it to your dealership.

Thank you, and I don't know how I ever missed your post. I read your complete build thread first (as that's where I was taken first) and then finally got to your tranny issues, it's pretty scary how we described the problem exactly the same and I never read your post until after I posted mine. I will send you a PM now, but I've got to head to bed, so let's talk tomorrow.

Thanks for posting, hopefully the service manager will read it.

[emulous]

Emulous

Are you chipped?

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Nope, totally stock in terms of those types (performance) of things.

[ppack]

Damn this sucks! Please keep us updated I hope things work out at the dealer and through VW for all of you affected.

[feels_road]

Also, sometimes just the shift linkage needs adjustment.

[Time for a GTI]

This threads make me worry.

Good luck OP.

[JosephHatfield]

Is there any way to tell upfront whether any particular R clutch may be a potential problem? For example, are the all failed clutches so far marked with a supplier name that we could look for? How much trouble is it to actually inspect the clutch? Would it make sense to just go to the dealer and ask them to look at my clutch?

[BigmountainVMD]

OP do you have any mods?

[VWPDX]

Is there any way to tell upfront whether any particular R clutch may be a potential problem? For example, are the all failed clutches so far marked with a supplier name that we could look for? How much trouble is it to actually inspect the clutch? Would it make sense to just go to the dealer and ask them to look at my clutch?

Sadly, I don't think this is such a simple diagnostic test. Once you remove the clutch, you have done the labor of installing a new one. Silconrane's first dealer claimed that they inspected the clutch, but missed the fractured plate completely.

[VWPDX]

OP do you have any mods?

Post #13

[VWPDX]

I'm just like you... I'm not sure if it's just my paranoia

I have to say, that I have felt this before when I first got the car. I was passing cars on an on ramp and then couldn't shift to fourth. I tried several times but it wouldn't engage. I ended up in second which was not particularly cool. It hasn't really happened since. I think I just have a better feel for this stick now. I do feel that I have to be forceful at times though.

[VeeDubDriver]

We should try to get production dates of the cars involved, see if there is any correlation.

[1.8turboB5]

If you guys send Me VINs I can check production dates

[Angina]

i scurred

[iThread]

I'm stage 1+ right now and just over 2k miles (chipped it with about 100 miles on it) and I'm not seeing any issues so far but, I'm also not beating on it. Not saying that anyone here is but, I've not done any clutch drops or really hard launches.

My production week was 11/14/2011, one of the first built if it helps.

[GTINeon]

I've been noticing that when I clutch-in at high RPMs there is a vibration up the pedal that seems unusual; it is almost like the clutch isn't 'balanced'. When I let out on the clutch the engagement is quite rough but then smooths out. The roughness almost feels like the chatter from a more aggressive clutch, but it goes back to buttery once fully engaged.

I haven't had the inability to get into a gear though.

[emulous]

The manufacturer sticker on my door jamb says 12/11 for manufacture date.

Coming how from work, with the clutch fully depressed, I got a major grind downshifting from 5th to third, I'll make another appointment for next week and offer to front the exploratory labor charges if they don't find anything, cause with the way folks drive in Austin, this condition can be very unsafe if not deadly.

[pierovw]

I just went for a good test drive to test my clutch and gears. I wanted to confirm if I was being paranoid or if it WAS an issue. I am happy to say that the car shifted perfectly upshifting and downshifting and I didn't have problems as far as engaging or disengaging any of the gears under hard acceleration and going thru all RPM's

I'm not sure if the times I have felt this problem specially when downshifting to 4th is just me not hitting the gear in it's place Who knows... I really hope it's not the beginning of Silicone's problem and just my imagination

For now I will keep this in my mind but enjoy my R every single day

[VWPDX]

Bright side:

If your clutch fails and VW denies the claim, the excuse to upgrade to a South Bend clutch is absolutely free!

[JosephHatfield]

Bright side:

If your clutch fails and VW denies the claim, the excuse to upgrade to a South Bend clutch is absolutely free!

Hmmm. The South Bend website shows no clutches available for Golf VI.

[keisuke_z]

I posted earlier in the "Annoying things about your Golf R" thread that my R seemed to have a strange fluttering/shuddering vibration when in neutral, and the clutch pedal is released. The sound went away when I pressed the clutch pedal in. After reading some of the gear changing issues/experiences here, I think I may have experienced this myself as well, but again, being a new stick driver - I didn't know any better....

Brought it into the dealership this morning and they initially thought it was just new gearbox, gear chatter and wanted to do some more research before doing deeper diagnosis but after a call to the western canada QA person and comparison against a Golf R they had on the lot.... I should be getting a proper diagnosis done at the end of next week. Definitely not a "normal" sound coming from the car... I've only got 1600 kms on it! Will keep you guys posted on whether my issue is anything similar to what you guys are experiencing...

[Siliconrane]

Bump for Updates

[Siliconrane]

Hmmm. The South Bend website shows no clutches available for Golf VI.

Call them - they have an application for our vehicle. Also - Look at APR's website - they have the DxD clutches for our vehicle.

[emulous]

Bump for Updates

The service tech manager hasn't returned my call yet.

[speedbump2]

Call them - they have an application for our vehicle. Also - Look at APR's website - they have the DxD clutches for our vehicle.

Do you know if anyone makes a better quality friction disc that will work with our OEM DM Flywheel & Pressure Plate?

--Chuck--