Guys, I had an odd vibration in 3rd and 4th (Just under acceleration, a slight drivetrain vibration, felt almost like attempting to move in 5th gear at a low speed (You know the feeling...)


I shrugged it off and drove home (All highway, 75+ 5th gear, smooth).

Stopped to get gas, leaving the parking lot I noticed the vibration again in 3rd and 4th, I downshifted into 2nd - heard a "loose parts" noise.

I assumed my clutch let go, the car free-revved , however my hope of it being the clutch was shattered when I noticed I still had 5th.


I did a 5th gear start up a hill just to get it home out of pure anger (Took like a year of life off the clutch I'm sure).


I can freely shift thru 1-4 without clutching, 5th is fully functional.


Did I lose a main shaft?


2001 Avant Quattro 1.8T Manual AWM Engine code

 

You lost me, that's for sure....
























I'm an idiot

 

Well, short and sweet:

Car vibrated in 3rd and 4th, loud noise. 1 2 3 4 gears no longer work, 5th and R work fine.

Also just tested, when engaged in 1-4, loud "whirring" sound, following that machine shop heated metal smell.

 

Clutch could be going out. um, synchro could be going out. I don't have much experience working on the audi transmission, but kinda sounds like it could be one of those 2

 

It isn't the clutch, reverse and 5th work fine (smooth engagement, no problems at all.) If I actually torture the clutch and do a 5th gear start I can drive it around normally.

(As I did, to get home)



I don't think it's the syncros, as I'm not "grinding" 1-4, it will go into all 4 gears just will not move, and you can tell it's actually engaged because you hear the movement/wine in the transmission, just no car movement.

I feel like something definitely broke inside the trans, I just don't know what.

 

Send a link to this thread to mike_2ptzero and ask him to comment. He's found ways to blow up transmissions probably every way it's possible to do so (due to his hp output), and seems to be the recognized drivetrain guru on the site. He can probably tell you what happened.

 

lol, Thanks for making me smile Devil, I need it :|


I'll go ahead and PM the destroyer of transmissions

 

If you are able to get the shifter into the 1st/2nd/3rd/4th position, release the clutch with the shifter staying in those spots but just end up hearing rattle noise or the sound of a gear wheel spinning then you pretty much killed all of those gears.

Since you say you are able to get the car moving with reverse and 5th gear then the clutch is working and so is the torsen. Now if the problem was actually getting into those 4 gears the problem could be that one of the 2 slider linkage bolts might have broke causing the slider not to stay in the spot it should be when trying to change gears.


Just sounds like its time for another transmission. Just odd that you broke all 4 at one time and still have reverse/5th gear which means the input shaft is still in 1 piece.

 

Yeah mike, I found it odd I lost 1-4 at the same time also. But 5th and R definitely engage perfectly normal, testing in the yard reverse is smooth and the clutch feels like it grabs at the normal location, no noises etc.


But, like I said I can definitely engage 1 thru 4, and the tone of the transmission changes and starts to wine (and smell horribly, like heated metal).


Just doesn't move. It's so odd because the trans was working perfectly, I'm actually a really smooth shifter I didn't abuse the trans at all. I've driven a manual all of my life, for it to just give out in such a catastrophic way is a mystery to me.

Mike, do you know if I could put a 6 speed trans direct fit replacement ?

Otherwise, where I can find an affordable 5 speed.

 

You can put in a 6 speed but you have to also change out a long list of other parts to make it work. They dont have the same final drive.

You can find 5 speeds on www.car-parts.com