BiffS4

My S4 has about 800 miles on it; since new, it has been extremely difficult to get it into 1st gear, especially when the car is cold (worse when temp is <40 outside). Sometimes it is a problem, other times it is as smooth as butta. All the other gears, including REVERSE, seem to work fine. Any comments, thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated... do you think this will get better, is it just related to cold weather, or will it be a problem?

thanks,
Eric

jkocher191

its stiff getting into first if you are even rolling...try stopping completely or just go from 2nd

s_merayo

IT IS A CLUTCH PROBLEM. THE SAME HAPPENED TO ME. I HAD PROBLEMS IN GETTIGN INTO 1ST GEAR. GOOD LUCK!

AvramD

and you put it in first once, then take it out of 1st and put it back in, how hard is it the 2nd time?

It should be very easy the 2nd time, b/c the synchros are already aligned. Sometimes it might take until the 3rd time, but then it should go in & out like butter until you touch another gear (and thus tweak the input shaft, putting the 1st synchros out of alignment again). Note: If you can't get it into first at all, then put it in another gear and go back to first. This will nudge the synchro teeth for all gears in case the ones for first happened to be "perfectly misaligned."

If that all works out as I've said, then start the engine, and try the test again. Keep the clutch floored for the whole test, don't let it up.

Again, after the 1st or 2nd push into 1st, it should be butter again. If it's not, that means your input shaft is still rotating, which means your clutch isn't fully disengaged.

If it is never like butter even with the engine off, and after several tries, then it's probably not a clutch problem, is something more internal.

DrGP

Check out the posting 12/31/03. " Its not a clutch problem". Some of us are experiencing the same sporadic problem. Seems to go away when car warms up. Also keeping pressure toward the left side of the shifter gate helps . Also try hesitating a moment in neutral in the 1/2 shift. My problem dissapears when the car warms up. Its 20-50 degrees outside this season so far

pastabatman

Hi Avram,
I just dropped mine off for 5k service, and this was one of a list of things to be looked at. I do think it is an issue with the synchros, as when I put it into 1st, go back to neutral, and then back to 1st, it is, as you say, 'like butter' on the 2nd time. Otherwise, is it usually 'notchy', and requires an annoying amount of force (and time) to go into 1st. It is worst when cold, but it still often an issue even after warm-up. Not an issue with other gears.

So, is that the way it's supposed to be? Is everybody just double-clutching or something in order to live with this?

Thanks,
Dave

AvramD

There are two rings of teeth (per gear), one fixed to the input shaft, one fixed to the gear. If you are stopped and disengaged, then the input shaft isn't spinning. The teeth may simply happen to be pefectly opposed (can't get it into gear at all), or nearly perfectly opposed (very hard to get into gear). If the input shaft just happens to spin down that way, then oh well, that's just how it works.

If you're having a hard time getting it in gear, just put it in neutral, and engage the clutch for a split second. That will spin the input shaft. As long as their spinning at different rates (including if one is stopped and the other is not), then when you shift, even if you happen to get it "exactly wrong," it will cease to be wrong in a fraction of a second, spin difference means the alignment of the teeth is changing continuously.

AvramD

Or if I'm at a light for a while, then I put it in neutral, and let up the clutch. Thus when the light's about to change and I step on the clutch, it's spinning and the shift is easy.

Even when I've just started the car it pretty much doesn't happen, b/c I always start in neutral and let the clutch up. I never park my car in gear, and I usually have a little of sorting out to do, moving bags, seatbelt, etc. before I take off. I start the car before I get sorted out so the engine can start warming up. Thus, when I finally do put it in first, it's right after being in neutral with the clutch up, so it's spinning.

pastabatman

... coming to a brief stop (like a stop sign). I may be in 2nd or higher gear and coast some distance in neutral, and then depress clutch pedal and shift from neutral into 1st as I'm about to brake to a complete or near stop, in order to ready myself for acceleration. I find it very distracting when I have resistance in the stick to 1st during this maneuver. So, maybe I do have a problem?

Thanks,
Dave

BiffS4

In reference to AvramD, the shift will be easier on the second and third attempt, suggesting a synchro problem. But, the problem cannot be reproduced under any circumstances once the car is warm. What is causing this?