Notchy gear change?

[phantom]

I think my car is developing what can only bescribed as notchy gear change , it's not one fluid motion/smooth change.

Cars done under 8800 miles , it's not awful by any stretch , but if there is somthing starting to go wrong i want it sorted , it could just be gear linkages or the syncro mesh? has anybody else had the same sort of problems?

Thanks

p

 

[h5djr]

Four of my A3s were manual and the gear change on each one was a bit 'notchy' which is why I was keen to try the DSG when it first came out. Decided to buy my first diesel with a DSG and have never looked back!

I think part of my problem could have been that I have fairly short legs for my height, which is why I can never have a car with a sunroof. This made getting the clutch fully down all the time a bit of a problem but now I don't have a clutch to worry about. Makes driving so much more enjoyable.

 

[phantom]

Four of my A3s were manual and the gear change on each one was a bit 'notchy' which is why I was keen to try the DSG when it first came out. Decided to buy my first diesel with a DSG and have never looked back!

Did you speak to the dealer about it Dave? did they do anything?

p

 

[Amchlolor]

Did you speak to the dealer about it Dave? did they do anything?p

Yeah, they sold him a Distinctly Sh*t Gearbox....
I'd rather I had to shift the moving cogs with my bellend, than go back to one of them.

Seriously, I've driven a fair few manual Audis and the gearboxes have always been notchy.
The question is, is yours unusually notchy...
You'll have to drive another one to tell.

 

[Iggu]

I think my car is developing what can only bescribed as notchy gear change , it's not one fluid motion/smooth change.

Cars done under 8800 miles , it's not awful by any stretch , but if there is somthing starting to go wrong i want it sorted , it could just be gear linkages or the syncro mesh? has anybody else had the same sort of problems?

Thanks

p

Mine's done just over 9,000 miles - I've not noticed any change in the 9 months I've had it but its always been a bit notchy, especially first gear and reverse gear travel. Worse when its cold - but nothing too bad to worry me.

 

[Iggu]

Yeah, they sold him a Distinctly Sh*t Gearbox....
I'd rather I had to shift the moving cogs with my bellend, than go back to one of them.

Seriously, I've driven a fair few manual Audis and the gearboxes have always been notchy.
The question is, is yours unusually notchy...
You'll have to drive another one to tell.

Couldn't agree more with your first point. I swapped a 3.2 A3 with DSG for an S3 (manual obviously) and would also never go back. DSG is like driving a video game. So relieved to get back to being in control.

 

[Amchlolor]

especially first gear and reverse gear travel. Worse when its cold - but nothing too bad to worry me.

My '02 Audi A4 was terrible, when cold.
Real fight to get it into first gear, some winter mornings.
FWIW, my BMW gearbox is a bit of a fight when cold too.
Only takes a wee while to warm up though, so not a problem.

 

[phantom]

I don't think it's too bad , i'll have a sit in somebody else's at the next meet/RR day.

p

 

[L60N]

Ive not noted the gearbox being notchy, on the contrary i find it very smooth. When warm its seemless.

 

[h5djr]

Couldn't agree more with your first point. I swapped a 3.2 A3 with DSG for an S3 (manual obviously) and would also never go back. DSG is like driving a video game. So relieved to get back to being in control.

I'm the complete opposite. I would NEVER want to go back to an old fashioned notchy clutch gear change. I control my gear box with the paddles (only use D is traffic jams) but without the need for a clutch. The only time it changes up automatically is when it reaches maximium revs in lower gears, which is fine by me. Suits my driving perfectly. On the odd occasion I drive my wife's manual Polo it seems so old fashioned. You even have to select first gear manually when you stop. Very primative.

The dealer didn't sell me a DSG. I test drove a car fitted with a DSG and the gearbox sold itself!
Each to his own though. At least Audi give us the choice.

 

[phantom]

Ive not noted the gearbox being notchy, on the contrary i find it very smooth. When warm its seemless.

Anybody else?

Car's going in next week for a FREE wheel refurb , i'll ask them to have a look/drive of the car, see what they think.

p

 

[Amchlolor]

Very primitive.

As is DSG's action, around town especially.
Jerk, bang, whiplash, bang, jerk, oof, whiplash, sorry, jerk, bang.

 

[bacardi]

I'm with you Dave - stirring a poxy lever in a double H pattern is very primative, and before anyone goes on about how a manual can be "really satisfying when you get it right" -yeah, it sure can, however it is ALWAYS a pain in the **** in traffic

I do wish it wouldnt change up in manual mode though, that little bit more control would be good

 

[SteveTDCi]

As is DSG's action, around town especially.
Jerk, bang, whiplash, bang, jerk, oof, whiplash, sorry, jerk, bang.

mines fine, I like dsg and its much better when you sit in traffic, the one thing I would change is that the car chnges up at the redline even in manual wether you like it or not.

 

[bacardi]

As is DSG's action, around town especially.
Jerk, bang, whiplash, bang, jerk, oof, whiplash, sorry, jerk, bang.

Must admit, Mine's not like this -
In manual mode its a bit of a lumpy one but in auto it seems fine, when traffic gets slow I usually put it back into D and leave it


one thing I noticed about my mates 3 series tourer is the particularly strong transmission shunt in slow moving traffic, how's yours on this front?

 

[Iggu]

I'm with you Dave - stirring a poxy lever in a double H pattern is very primative, and before anyone goes on about how a manual can be "really satisfying when you get it right" -yeah, it sure can, however it is ALWAYS a pain in the **** in traffic

I do wish it wouldnt change up in manual mode though, that little bit more control would be good

True : manuals are a pain in the **** in traffic - but DSGs are dull when you're going for it. Which is the bigger pain in the **** ? That's the question here. I buy a car for what it'll do when I'm going for it - not sat in traffic.

 

[bacardi]

True : manuals are a pain in the **** in traffic - but DSGs are dull when you're going for it. Which is the bigger pain in the **** ? That's the question here. I buy a car for what it'll do when I'm going for it - not sat in traffic.

To be honest with you, I went for the more comfy option, an A3 is the wrong car for "when you are going for it" as the safe predictable handling will never inspire me to go for it, yeah, it grips, handles safely etc but it will never be a car I drove for sheer enjoyment
90% of my driving is in traffic, hence DSG

 

[Amchlolor]

one thing I noticed about my mates 3 series tourer is the particularly strong transmission shunt in slow moving traffic, how's yours on this front?

The total lack of transmission shunt was one of the first things I noticed in my car.
You can pootle along at walking speed in first, with the clutch out.
No shunting/jerking at all.
Handy in my street, between the speed bumps.
One can accelerate up and down in first without using the clutch at all.
All the blurb mentions the Alpina using a ZF gearbox, but maybe all 3 series use ZF gearboxes, I don't know.

 

[bacardi]

hmmmm, that's strange, will be one of two things

1 - his engine mounts or gearbox ones are toast
2 - he drives like an ****

will let you know which one it is

 

[Amchlolor]

hmmmm, that's strange, will be one of two things

1 - his engine mounts or gearbox ones are toast
2 - he drives like an ****

will let you know which one it is

Or, as I mentioned, mine has a ZF gearbox, but his doesn't?
I don't know that much about them, sorry.

 

[Markm49]

Well fwiw my gear change is really smooth and not notchy at all - very slick and precise actually.

Drove a Golf the other week though and the gear change was sh*t - really difficult to get 1st gear etc.

 

[DaveA3-TDI]

I have noticed a couple of times when my car is cold that going from 1st to 2nd is a bit notchy/stiff. Is there any adjustment that can possibly be done on the gear linkages or cables or are these boxes just notchy ?

 

[Tommy]

mine doesnt feel notchy it just sounds notchy!

 

[heliflyer]

Mines very smooth cold or hot