VW GTI transmission/clutch problem

[QC]

My son has a 2003 VW GTI. 1.8 liter turbo, 5 speed manual. I had to have it towed home the other day and I am trying to make some repair decisions. I don't think I want to mess with it, but humor me here as far as diagnosis . . .

So, he's leaving a light and turning left. A small dip as you make the left and onto the next street. Starts off in 1st of course, then depresses clutch, and goes for 2nd. Releases clutch and nobody home. Free revs. He parks it. He swears no noises, and he wasn't Rickey racing. At that intersection it would be odd to be really hauling arse and I have explained that I just need to know what he experienced exactly.

So I get to it the next morning and there is no forward (or reverse)
motion regardless of what you do. The pedal is definitely lighter. I can see movement in the line (hydraulic?) that goes from the firewall into the tranny. I assume this is clutch actuation. It acts like the clutch is permanently disengaged. Or like the pedal is fully depressed. There is one exception, you cannot move through the gears without depressing the pedal, so the syncros do seem to activate when the pedal is pushed, but the clutch does not engage when I release the pedal.

Again, no noises, no sensation differences other than the pedal. No reciprocating noise change with the pedal in or out. No clutch slippage before this and no noises. I drive it quite often.

So if it was the clutch disc, why is it stuck disengaged? If it is linkage, why is it stuck disengaged? Leads me to think broken input shaft or output, but why the light pedal? And this is a front drive with two output shafts, right?

Sorry for the long post, but looking for some noodling help . . .

 

[xtraham]

Re: VW GTI transmission/clutch problem

OC; the VW's had a rod that pushed (about 10MM dia.) on the pressure plate and they were bad about that rod wearing a hole through the pressure plate, that would make the clutch pedal easy to push if that's what it did, (which was very common) but why you can shift into first and reverse is beyond me, it shouldn't go into any gear unless the cluster gear busted, if one of the shafts had rung off which I highly doubt you should be able to move the shifter into any gear, and BTW if it's been making a funny noise in reverse (they were bad about that to) the tranny might be shot

 

[mthieme]

Re: VW GTI transmission/clutch problem

If the clutch were not engaging and you went to put it in gear, there would definitely be the unwelcome noise of the gears grinding. It sounds like you said you can see the clutch mechansim engaging (?). Between this and the fact that there is no noise, I would suspect the shifter. If so, this is a relatively minor repair although the tranny probably would probably have to be dropped.

 

[QC]

Re: VW GTI transmission/clutch problem

Does not feel like shift linkage. That all works fine as long as I push in the clutch pedal. FWIW I am doing that with it running.

What I am "seeing" is a little deflection in the hydraulic line that goes into the tranny from the firewall, I am assuming this is the hydraulic clutch actuation line. Just looks like some fluid is moving and there is a slight movement in the hose/tubing assembly.

I am going to go double check reverse . . .

 

[QC]

Re: VW GTI transmission/clutch problem

OK, I can go through the gears with it running or not. Need to depress the clutch pedal to do so running. Same thing light pedal feel and nothing happens when you release it regardless of what gear.

When running, reverse feels notchier than the other gears and grinds slightly, and the car lurches slightly, but again, nothing happens when I release the clutch. It almost feels the same as the additional push and touch it takes to get reverse when things are normal. No noise change clutch in or out in any gear. No indication other than I have brought my foot up.

 

[xtraham]

Re: VW GTI transmission/clutch problem

clutch and pressure plate time, that's what they do

 

[QC]

Re: VW GTI transmission/clutch problem

So they fail in the totally disengaged position? Seems odd, but OK as it is not unexpected. Any other opinions?



Oh, 82,000 miles, so yes, clutch disc makes sense, it's the failure mode that is surprising to me.​

 

[xtraham]

Re: VW GTI transmission/clutch problem

OC; you said; "I can go through the gears with it running or not. Need to depress the clutch pedal to do so running."
if you need to depress the pedal to get it in gear but it will not move once in gear it needs a clutch and pressure plate, now I'm confused, do you, or do you not have to depress the clutch pedal to put the tranny in gear with the engine running?

 

[QC]

Re: VW GTI transmission/clutch problem

Yes, must depress the clutch pedal to get it in gear when running. Yes, nothing happens when you let the clutch out. Sorry if I confused you . . .

I guess I expected that the clutch would show some signs of wear before that, slipping, grinding etc. And that it would still try to engage . . .

 

[xtraham]

Re: VW GTI transmission/clutch problem

Yes, must depress the clutch pedal to get it in gear when running. Yes, nothing happens when you let the clutch out. Sorry if I confused you . . .

I guess I expected that the clutch would show some signs of wear before that, slipping, grinding etc. And that it would still try to engage . . .

most of the time with a hydraulic clutch, the clutch will engage when you let out on the pedal as soon as the pedal leaves the floor if it has wear, just the opposite of the old manual clutches, if you do not notice this minor little trait, yes, they just run out of travel which leaves clearance in the clutch and flywheel

 

[QC]

Re: VW GTI transmission/clutch problem

Thanks Tom!

 

[xtraham]

Re: VW GTI transmission/clutch problem

Thanks Tom!

any time, now teach the boy how to replace it

 

[QC]

Re: VW GTI transmission/clutch problem

. . . I think I would if it was rear drive . . . BTW, if it was a truck, and I had a transmission jack I'd probably consider it. It never occured to me that a hydraulic clutch would fail sorta opposite of a typical mechanical clutch and that there would one second be contact and the next moment none . . . Still weird to me.

 

[xtraham]

Re: VW GTI transmission/clutch problem

. . . I think I would if it was rear drive . . . BTW, if it was a truck, and I had a transmission jack I'd probably consider it. It never occured to me that a hydraulic clutch would fail sorta opposite of a typical mechanical clutch and that there would one second be contact and the next moment none . . . Still weird to me.

yup they do QC, I've seen it 1000 times, it's not real hard to R&R the clutch on that car, and I don't drop the tranny, you can fagnigal it back out of the way enough and prop it up without putting it on the ground, they ain't heavy either, the hardest part of the whole job is busting the ball-joints loose and that's not really that bad, it's about a 3-4 hour job if ya take your time

 

[dolluper]

Re: VW GTI transmission/clutch problem

Original BJ's take some time errrrr that's ball joints sorry JB is it fixed yet???