Stuck in 4th gear!

[Gavin Cooper]

Ok, I don't think I want to hear the answer to this, but....

Just limped home in my pride and joy after getting stuck in fourth gear. Won't engage any other gear, even when back in neutral, release the clutch and it stalls.

What does it sound like? gear box/clutch?

 

[Shy19s]

Syncro is my first guess?

 

[HTC]

I would first look under the bonnet at where the cables attach to the top of the box. It may just be a broken cable end. They are plastic and can snap.

 

[Gavin Cooper]

Ok, so it could be the syncho...cheers Shy.

HTC - I'm gonna have a look under the bonnet now...can you give me any more directions please?

Thanks a lot guys

<fingers crossed>

 

[Gavin Cooper]

Hi HTC,

Just checked the cable ends where they attach to the box and it's a ball joint, rather than a plastic end. All moves fine when you move the gear stick and seems to move the selector and engage ok.

(This is the rigid cable in the engine next to the air box battery, that moves when you move the gear stick?).

Apologies for being such a novice!

 

[j4jon]

Its like a big metal block on the gearbox. It should twist and go up and down when you go into the different gears.

 

[Gavin Cooper]

Thanks Jon - It twists fine and goes up and down ok but still doens't select a gear.

Just been searching for similar problems on here and I should say, I can't even engage gears with the engine off.

Is this sounding like a broken syncro?

If so is it a new gearbox?

 

[Shy19s]

Its very strange for a syncro to go just like that (correct me if im wrong), was the gear box wining or jumping out of gear before this happend? did you crunch it before or just randomly poped? does it grind when you try to put it in another gear?

 

[j4jon]

What do you mean when you say you can't enagage gears?
Does it actually go into the other gears when the engine is off or will it not go into any other at all?
I wouldn't of thought syncro, aren't they used to match the speed of the different gears so that they don't crunch?
Possibly a selector fork, but I wouldn't of thought that you would lose all gears.

 

[Gavin Cooper]

Thanks for the replies gents....

I was accelerating hard, changing from 3rd to 4th...then tried to shift up to 5th but it physically wouldn't go in. No whining, no slipping out of gear before it happened. Just lots of revs. Tried to change down to 3rd again just wouldn't go in. So I pulled over and the car stalled.

Clutch in, selected 1st tried to move off...stalled.

So I revved the engine and slowely let out the clutch and managed to get going again (but the car was definately setting off in 4th!).

Now I've gone and parked and can't get it out of the parking space...car can't be pushed back, yes, the handbrake is off...got the missus in the car changing gears while I looked under the bonnet. Everything was moving as it should when she moves the gear stick. So it appears it is stuck in 4th and can't select any other gears now.

Just been down to the car and when the engine is off I can select 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, NOT 5th, 6th and reverse ok.

????
G

 

[j4jon]

I'm still going to say a broken selector fork (but I may be wrong.) Can you push the car backwards with the clutch pressed down?
If it is something inside the gearbox it would have to come out and be stripped to find the offending part. It may be easier to just get a replacement box from a breaker. Either way I'd guess it will be fairly expensive.

Sorry can't be any more help.

 

[Gavin Cooper]

Cheers Jon. Thanks alot mate - you have helped.

That's a good idea eh? push it back with the clutch down! doh!

G.

 

[j4jon]

Ok so maybe I have been able to help a little then.

 

[HTC]

Okay, sounds as if the cables and ends are good. So you can select all gears with the engine off.
In that case it now sounds like a clutch release problem. Next thing to check is the hydraulic system. You may have a duff slave cylinder. Does the clutch pedal feel strange or "loose" like you aren't pushing on anything? If the slave has died then the gearbox has to come off as it's in the bell housing. Is there any leakage of brake fluid under the car or box?

 

[HTC]

Just seen your sig. Pretty good power. Standard clutch??

 

[schwartza3]

i had a similar problem, mine happened gradually, first it was getting very hard to get in/out of gears, then started making a ticking noise, than got stuck in 2nd gear. clutch fork was bent and cracked, it was hitting the pressure plate on the 2 timing pins that stick out. sounds like yours is completely cracked. mine had small cracks on the side, it was getting bent over some time, so i could still manage to change gears, once the fork was bent too much, i was stuck in that gear.

 

[Gavin Cooper]

HTC - yes it's standard a clutch. Doesn't feel knackered - clutch feels exactly the same as always.

No leakage of brake fluid under the car.

But a friend did say that he thought there MIGHT be a oil coming form the transmission box ages ago, when it was up on the ramp. But I've kept an eye on it and it never seems to leave any oil on the ground when parked so figured it must be ok.

If the tranmission fluid was low, would it cause itself to stick in gear?

G.

 

[Gavin Cooper]

Update...

Called the RAC to come and tow me to the local Audi specialist (All Audi) - they're a good bunch and always friendly and reaosnably priced. They specialist is salvage parts and having spoken with them on the phone, they might already have 6-speed box in (just in case I need it).

The RAC man had a look and said the selector seems to be working fine and engaging gears, but it clearly isn't....So....as j4jon said looks like it could be a broken selector fork...which we won't know until the gear box has been dropped out and taken apart...oh joy.

I'll let you guys know how I get on. Just waiting for the flat bed now to tow her away...

Thanks for all the advice so far.
G.

 

[Gavin Cooper]

Just spoken with my local Audi specialist (All Audi).

It's definately a gearbox problem, a second hand box is £375 for the 6 speed (with 64,000 miles on it already). £380 + VAT for the labour. A new one is £750!
And if it needs a new clutch and flywheel as well, all in it will cost £1355. Ouch!

If it needs a new clutch will probably go for a[FONT=&quot] Spec Stage 3+ with Alu Flywheel if it need replacing (anyone know the best place to get one from?) Vagworx do them for about £385 and £315 respectively.

Does this sound like a sensible price? It sounds ok to me?!

Any advice is appreciated.

Cheers
Gav
[/FONT]

 

[jojo]

I paid £350 for a used box(Guy said 30k miles), so £375 isn't too far off. Labour rates varies, but I managed to get mine swopped over along with a clutch I supplied fitted for £225 by a clutch specialist. You could shop around or ask politely for the vat to be dropped paying cash for the work.

 

[Gavin Cooper]

cheers Jojo!

Sounds like it's ok, so will probably go with it. Much appreicated mate.

 

[GT130]

Good luck mate. Out of interest what sort of mileage is on your car - r the boxes pretty tough in general with the odd unlucky one....

 

[Gavin Cooper]

100,000 miles

Not sure about how tough the boxes are. As you can see from this thread, there's a few on here who's suffered in the past, but in general Audi stuff is pretty tough.

I think the upgrades I've had done coupled with too many hard gear changes have knackered my box. But that's only a guess!

G

 

[jojo]

Good luck mate. Out of interest what sort of mileage is on your car - r the boxes pretty tough in general with the odd unlucky one....

Mine had around 50k miles when one of the diff bolts decided to let go on the M42. You can see shredded metal filing in the first pic, and the diff gear in the second pic where there is a hole.

 

[j4jon]

Do you actually know what the problem was with your box, or have you just been told its had it?