Hello there fellow B5'ers

Ok i have been noticing that during the mornings when i get in my car to go to school ( after warming it up), i try to put the car in first and it was really hard to do it... And it happended again when i was at the light.. Does that mean anything??? my brother told me to check the transmission fluid, and i dont know where it is..

Another problems is when iw as coming home from the mall yesterday i was in 4th gear, i was coming out of the highway and i down shifted to 3rd and out of no where there was a sound, it sounded like i had an exhaust leak but then it went away.. it was coming, to my knowledge, only from my side of the car. ( drivers side), i dont know what it could be... might it also be related to the transmission fluid.. because it made the noise when i tried to rev match the engine when i downshifted..

 

Shifting when its cold is normal, you have to be at a dead stop to get into first, even if youve let the engine warm up for a while... you might notice it grinds a little in 2nd thats also OK, just dont rev up real high and shift. I dont know about the second, it could be low tranny oil i guess, or an exhaust leak like you thought, youll hafta give a better description of the sound.

 

Cold fluid/ cold synchros make it hard to shift it will go away after driving a couple miles. The noise though really have no idea w/ that description.

 

I had a rusty exhaust clamp pop off when i first bought my car, and it was LOUD when i'd downshift. But like the other guys said, a bit more info would be helpful. What motor is in your car? And can you try to describe the noise a little more?

As for the shifting, my 5 spd is the same way. When it gets really cold the fluid gets thick and the sychros get cranky, like somebody said ^, it'll go away after a few miles.

 

Thanks about the tranmission fluid... i thought it might be because of the weather, i am in NY and it is 20*f outside right now... i have the 1.8t engine for someone who asked up there..

And that noise hasnt come back, i dont know what i could have been, it was raining that night

 

Yeah i asked about the engine because you said the noise was only comin from the driver's side, which is where my exhaust clamp popped off. But I have the v6 and i'm unfamiliar with the exhaust layout on the 1.8. so i guess it was kind of a pointless question =/

 

Well its not making anymore noise, i need to take a look under the car when it stops being 10 degrees outside..

Does anyone know how i would be able to check my transmission fluid..

 

^ You can check on this forum via search, its gotta be on here, if i had my manual i would look it up for you.

But just as an addition (cause more people answer'in a question the same way is always better, lol) im in Hicksville, and DAM was if freakin cold this morning. Dont worrie about the shifting, cold weather makes everthing not want to move in a car. My tranny feels like its full of pudding some times...or maby thats just cause i was dreamin of pudding last night....idk, u get my point.

 

Where in Ny are you located? If you want I can help you change out your tranny fluid. I put 75w90 in mine and if mine isn't warmed for a while it will not go into second at all.