When cold car is hard to put in gear.
 

I've began noticing that in the morning the car is hard to put into any gear. It's all better minutes later once it warms up. But sometimes it's really bad and literally won't go into gear for a few minutes. Any idea what's going on and how to fix it? Thanks alot!

Cold gear oil = harder shifts. Have you changed your gear oil lately?

ding ding
 

winner here!

I do a mix of MTL and MT-90 (redline) gear oil in my A4 and it works great. Will do it to the 4000 when I start prepping it for track duty as I have no idea what kinda fluid is in the tranny at the moment.

As Justin suggests..
 

I've found that Synthetic gear oil helps.

Not just help with cold shifting, but the overall shifting feel too.

Be aware that Audi specified GL4 oil for the transmission, not GL5.

GL5 is not nessesarily better, but more it's different, and can actually not help you out in the long run if not specified for your transmission.

Ive had great luck with the OEM fluid
 

When the clutch on my old motor was changed back in 2004 or so they put new OEM gear oil in. Ive had no trouble in the cold (down to 0 degrees). I assume this is because its fairly fresh and not 20 some years old.

Wow that's it?
 

I thought it was going to be some expensive problem. lol. No I've never changed my tranny oil. I've actually never changed tranny oil before on any car. Can you give me a quick rundown on what all I need to do. Thanks alot for the help!!!

GL4?
 

Is this the type of oil I assume. Can I just find this at any auto parts store? How much will I need? Thanks alot!!!

NAPA
 

Carries Quaker State GL-4. Quaker State have changed their website, would have posted a link with the specs but they have removed the technical stuff.

The quick rundown
 

Drain the old lube
Put in new lube

;)

p.s. I need to swap the gear lube as well.

i had the same problem.. some redline MT-90 solved that...
 

also, before you can do the fluid.. when its cold, shift into a higher gear to loosen it up so you don't grind the syncros to hell.. sometimes when the 4kq was dead cold i'd have to start in 5th and go through the entire gate down to 1st...

people start to get mad at you when you take forever at stoplights too hah