right, heres what i know -
my car is a 2001 polo gti, with 23,000 on the clock, i've owned it since august, when i had to have the clutch replaced, but i dont think they replaced the cable.
the gearbox has always been reluctant to engage first, and can feel very notchy and bad, sometimes gets better once the car had warmed up.
i noticed a graunching in the clutch pedal when it was being pressed, when i looked under the bonnet it turns out there is a section of cable with a large cylinder on, that is held in pace agains the car bodywork by a moun shaped to hold it. this plastic cylinder wasnt held in place, once it was clipped in place the pedal felt much better.
but once again a slight graunch has returned - i drive without shoes on so can feel it easily, the gearbox can be a bit troublesome sometimes, but i get the feeling its at the fault of the clutch, the box feels very notchy, and if it wont engage first then most of the time depressing the clucth again makes it easeir, but still by no means smooth to put in. today the clucth has felt graunchy and it unsettles me a bit
i'm thinking either it the gear linkage alignment many of you talka bout, or a new clutch cable needed? is the clucth cable easy to fit? expensicve to order? let me know what you guys think, i'm pretty certian its not the pedal box at fault
thanks!!
clutch advice
You drive without shoes on? 
I've been having some similar sounding issues with my reverse gear of late whereby when you try and select it, it engages the reversing light but the gearlever doesn't fully push into position. When I lift the clutch pedal I know it's not in because the gearbox graunches at me
so I have to go back to neutral and try again. The only way I have found to "cure" this affliction is to put the car in first and roll forward an inch, then go into reverse, which is then absolutely fine. The trouble with reverse gear only happens maybe 2 or 3 times out of 10 attempts, but is frustrating and concerning all the same. Sounds like you're having something similar with your car, but in first. Any problems with reverse with your car?
I spoke to a VW techie at my local dealership about this and he reckoned that although they would be happy to check it, it didn't sound like gearbox oil levels or the linkages as all my forward gears are just fine. He suggested that it could be the selector mechanism, which if true would require the stripping of the gearbox and inspection of the suspected faulty parts before replacement of parts and rebuilding of the 'box - probably a solid day's work in the workshop, maybe 7-9 hours worth!! Expensive
I'm going to keep an eye on the problem and see if it worsens...
You can ask for your local dealership to take a look at the linkages and realign if necessary, but it will probably cost you an hour's labour for the job!
I've been having some similar sounding issues with my reverse gear of late whereby when you try and select it, it engages the reversing light but the gearlever doesn't fully push into position. When I lift the clutch pedal I know it's not in because the gearbox graunches at me
so I have to go back to neutral and try again. The only way I have found to "cure" this affliction is to put the car in first and roll forward an inch, then go into reverse, which is then absolutely fine. The trouble with reverse gear only happens maybe 2 or 3 times out of 10 attempts, but is frustrating and concerning all the same. Sounds like you're having something similar with your car, but in first. Any problems with reverse with your car?I spoke to a VW techie at my local dealership about this and he reckoned that although they would be happy to check it, it didn't sound like gearbox oil levels or the linkages as all my forward gears are just fine. He suggested that it could be the selector mechanism, which if true would require the stripping of the gearbox and inspection of the suspected faulty parts before replacement of parts and rebuilding of the 'box - probably a solid day's work in the workshop, maybe 7-9 hours worth!! Expensive
I'm going to keep an eye on the problem and see if it worsens...
You can ask for your local dealership to take a look at the linkages and realign if necessary, but it will probably cost you an hour's labour for the job!
i have the same problem on my polo too, when its started up and cold, the gearbox is very notchy, mainly between 1st and 2nd gear
i just try and take the revs to about 5k an then change to 2nd gear, it goes in smoothly then
i sometimes get the crunching in reverse too, p*%%es me right off too, but it only happens every now and then.
i just try and take the revs to about 5k an then change to 2nd gear, it goes in smoothly then
i sometimes get the crunching in reverse too, p*%%es me right off too, but it only happens every now and then.
i just wish i could figure out what it is - i sometimes also have the reverse problem, normally when i've just started the car
the driving without shoes started when i had my first and second cars, both peugeot 106's and the pedal boxes were too cramped for my size 11s, i tried to drive with shoes in the polo when i first got it but missed being able to feel the biting point ect though my feet, plus because the polo's acc pedal is not as sensitive as the 106 was it makes things easier to take my shoes off. i'm vaguely aware that its illegal to drive without shoes on, bu i figure if i'm more comfortable and feel able to drive better then it's nothing compared to the shotgun that i had to saw off to fit in my unfeasably small glovebox. i really love this car, and want to get it sorted
the driving without shoes started when i had my first and second cars, both peugeot 106's and the pedal boxes were too cramped for my size 11s, i tried to drive with shoes in the polo when i first got it but missed being able to feel the biting point ect though my feet, plus because the polo's acc pedal is not as sensitive as the 106 was it makes things easier to take my shoes off. i'm vaguely aware that its illegal to drive without shoes on, bu i figure if i'm more comfortable and feel able to drive better then it's nothing compared to the shotgun that i had to saw off to fit in my unfeasably small glovebox. i really love this car, and want to get it sorted
Sounds like the clutch is dragging slightly, not disengaging enough. Note that the Polo RHD version is NOT self adjusting, try adding a couple of turns clockwise on the adjuster at the end of the release arm on the bell housing. Generally wear and tear would make it disengage more, but for some reason they do tend to require tightening, maybe the cable stretches a bit over time?
Yeah, mine is cable operated, and they stretch, so they can be adjusted, but be very very careful! the cables stretch only a very small amount. If you adjust it too far you will find that you will lose two gears.
Reverse is different, it is designed as a crash gear, so that is why it always feels like putting a spoon into a bucket full of marbles. The best way to get it in is to wait 2 seconds between clutch depress and reverse engage. Never engage whilst moving forward or reverse as it has no syncro.
Also another tip is to engage reverse if you know you need it BEFORE starting the engine.
I have always found the boxes to be fragile at best, even my old beetles were dodgy, I got 4th and reverse at the same time once and it wasn't possible to fix without taking the engine out and the transmission!!
Reverse is different, it is designed as a crash gear, so that is why it always feels like putting a spoon into a bucket full of marbles. The best way to get it in is to wait 2 seconds between clutch depress and reverse engage. Never engage whilst moving forward or reverse as it has no syncro.
Also another tip is to engage reverse if you know you need it BEFORE starting the engine.
I have always found the boxes to be fragile at best, even my old beetles were dodgy, I got 4th and reverse at the same time once and it wasn't possible to fix without taking the engine out and the transmission!!
Also note that the GTi has a flaw in the pedal box design, basically I think its a weld that cracks.
Like I said, if gears hard to engage tighten the cluch cable, if still difficult you can get more life our of your box with an additive like slick 50. But don't get it on your hands, else you can't grip anything and you get stuck in the garage forever! Its got PTFE in it!
Like I said, if gears hard to engage tighten the cluch cable, if still difficult you can get more life our of your box with an additive like slick 50. But don't get it on your hands, else you can't grip anything and you get stuck in the garage forever! Its got PTFE in it!
That definatly sounds like its not fully dissengaging and its dragging, if you use throttle, is it harder or easier?theclient wrote:yeah i always put it in reverse before i move (if im reversing obviously)
ive even had to turn the engine off and then engage reverse then start the car back up in desperate situations
mines a severe crunch not just a little grind
Cheers JWC, as always you have provided some highly useful information!
You know, when my clutch cable failed and I had a visit from a VW Assistance techie, he told me that the clutch cable is self-adjusting?! Odd. Anyway... I particularly like the analogy "like putting a spoon into a bucketful of marbles"
that's exactly what the damn thing is like. Although for me at least (apart from the trouble engaging reverse) it's been behaving really well, no crunching unless I try and rush things 
You know, when my clutch cable failed and I had a visit from a VW Assistance techie, he told me that the clutch cable is self-adjusting?! Odd. Anyway... I particularly like the analogy "like putting a spoon into a bucketful of marbles"
that's exactly what the damn thing is like. Although for me at least (apart from the trouble engaging reverse) it's been behaving really well, no crunching unless I try and rush things If you read the specs it says that LHD models are self adjusting, but RHD models are not. I'm not certain about this, but the Haynes agrees, and there is an adjuster. Its likely that they just were unable to route the cable exactly where they wanted for RHD. Seems a bit archaeic but there you go.
Bucket full of marbles exactly is what it feels like. Got the phrase of my dad, don't know where he got it. Reverse is a crash gear though and its always a pain.
In neutral the input shaft to the box is allowed to spin with the clutch fully engaged. It spins freely because no gear is selected. Basically, when you press the clutch in neutral, you have to wait for the shaft to stop spinning before reverse can be engaged, this is because it has no guides (sychromesh) to help line the teeth up like all other gears do, its also a straight cut gear, which is why it whines - but this also makes it a sod to engage. Basically allow that shaft to stop!
I feel what happens in a lot of these cars is that the clutch plates to not seperate enough so the the input shaft is dragged a bit, this means it never stops spinning and makes gear selection much harder. This is mostly confirmed by the fact that it can be engaged easily when the engine is stopped. This usually happens in cars because the clutch cable stretches as no cable is free from stretching. It is a shame, because if left unchecked it will destroy the box, and once the teeth are damaged to a point it cannot be fixed.
When cars had just been invented, all gears were like reverse and engaging any gear at all required witchcraft, no reverse and no clutch. Think we are going back that way! Flappy paddle crap that people are getting these days. Fine but try and reverse park a flappy paddle you just end up crashing.
Best to be aware of this and avoid trying to ram it in gear, usually it will just go in itself when ready.
Bucket full of marbles exactly is what it feels like. Got the phrase of my dad, don't know where he got it. Reverse is a crash gear though and its always a pain.
In neutral the input shaft to the box is allowed to spin with the clutch fully engaged. It spins freely because no gear is selected. Basically, when you press the clutch in neutral, you have to wait for the shaft to stop spinning before reverse can be engaged, this is because it has no guides (sychromesh) to help line the teeth up like all other gears do, its also a straight cut gear, which is why it whines - but this also makes it a sod to engage. Basically allow that shaft to stop!
I feel what happens in a lot of these cars is that the clutch plates to not seperate enough so the the input shaft is dragged a bit, this means it never stops spinning and makes gear selection much harder. This is mostly confirmed by the fact that it can be engaged easily when the engine is stopped. This usually happens in cars because the clutch cable stretches as no cable is free from stretching. It is a shame, because if left unchecked it will destroy the box, and once the teeth are damaged to a point it cannot be fixed.
When cars had just been invented, all gears were like reverse and engaging any gear at all required witchcraft, no reverse and no clutch. Think we are going back that way! Flappy paddle crap that people are getting these days. Fine but try and reverse park a flappy paddle you just end up crashing.
Best to be aware of this and avoid trying to ram it in gear, usually it will just go in itself when ready.