Re: Hard shifting in the AM

[Kneale Brownson <knotnook@traverse.com>]

Is the hard shifting when cold (especially into First Gear) while sitting
still or while moving, Jon?  All my Audi cars have been reluctant to shift
into first when cold in, say, the circumstance of approaching a stoplight
and wanting to prepare for taking off again (not downshifting for speed
control).  I've generally avoided trying to get into first until stopped
while the transmission is cold.

Kneale Brownson



At 05:29 PM 11/15/99 -0600, jon beck wrote:
>Hi Everyone,
>
>Here's a question for the experts.  Since it's starting to be cold here in 
>missouri in the mornings, the shifting is a bit hard in my '86 4000s with 
>181k miles, I've had this car since september, my first audi :).  The 
>stiffness is going into first and second gear, not too bad in the other 
>gears.  The problem seems to dissapear after about 2 minutes or so.  About 
>a month ago, I drained the gearbox, and filled it with Castrol Syntec 
>75w-90, reccomended from the Blau! people.  I could only get in about 1.8 
>bottles (quarts).  Soon after this, my gearbox went crazy, it wouldn't want 
>to shift into 1st or second gear after warming up, as well as grinding 
>going into reverse.  I took it in to get fixed, and $400 later, the problem 
>is solved.  They couldn't find anything wrong except for the guide sleeve 
>(plastic, was all chewed up) and replace my worn cross shaft (the thing the 
>clutch cable attaches to).  Now it shifts fine, but I have the symptoms of 
>hard shifting when it's cold out.  It's not as bad as the problem that was 
>fixed by the shop, but it's not the best.  I'm wondering if there is 
>anything i can do to make shifting easier, or how to make it easier on my 
>gearbox.  I try to shift into the next highest gear when the RPMs match, 
>(i.e. same as shifting without using the clutch at all) to make it easier 
>on the box, rather than jamming it in.  Any ideas?
>
>thanks
>
>jon
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>jonathan beck
>Email: jon@tranquility.net
>located at N 38º 57' 19.9", W 92º 19' 53.2" (WGS 84)
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