calling all mechanics!!

my 1999.5 volkswagen jetta GL 2.0 five speed manuel is acting weird. i just got this car about a month ago and about three to five days ago I have started to notice a shifting problem. I know that this is not the clutch because it only has 3000 miles on it. Anyways, when i have to shift down into first gear it will sometimes grind but most the time it is hard to get into first gear so what i have been doing is before i shift into first i hold the clutch in and pop it into second and without letting the clutch out i will shift into first and then it shifts smoothly... what the hell is wrong with it?
 
my ranger did that alot when i first got it. Mine had been sitting for 5 years though so i changed the oil in the tranny and it went away after i started driveing it every day
 
my ranger did that alot when i first got it. Mine had been sitting for 5 years though so i changed the oil in the tranny and it went away after i started driveing it every day
I thought only automatic transmissions had oil in them hahaha. what brand and type of oil do you think i should use
 
See what the owners manual recommends. I use Mobil 1 in my Jeep tranny as it is the same rating as gear oil and many members on my Jeep forum have used this with good results. Not sure but I believe 30 weight motor oil is the same as 80 gear oil. I would have to go back and look.
 

SRAD97750

Moderator
Staff member
The labor involved with changing them is what's expensive. Syncros are sold in kits for like $50.
But 10 hours of labor to fix it...
 
syncros sounds like its expensive lol are they?
Probably not the cheapest thing to have fixed so try the oil change first. If it works fine other wise, just get used to it and drive it. Why do you need to down shift into first gear anyway? My Jeep is not easy to do that either.
 
Not every manual transmission has synchros on first.

They do wear out though. I've had high mileage cars where it was double clutch or grind. Come to think about it, my current truck is somewhat like that for third gear. Double clutching is skill to learn. Learn it good any you can drive without the clutch except for starting up.

Be sure to check what kind of fluid is needed. The manual in my truck actually specifies ATF.
 
Obviously the kid has not watched enough Fast and the Furious
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Yes, Most newer cars are using ATF... But if its not been drove alot you need to just drive it. Might need to drain and flush the master cylinder on the clutch
 
Yes, Most newer cars are using ATF... But if its not been drove alot you need to just drive it. Might need to drain and flush the master cylinder on the clutch
but It is a new clutch. I'm checking the fluid level tomorrow and hopefully it is just low. and it isnt just when i down shift. it happens all the time i want to put it in first. what is double clutching?
 
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