Gearbox selection problems

BrianK · 14-03-2006, 18:47

Hi,

I have a 3 year old 1.9 tdi - 130 with 32K miles on the clock and it has started to become difficult to engage 1st gear, usually happens when i stop in traffic in second gear then with my foot still on the clutch i try to enage 1st to move off and it just won't go i have to double clutch it. The garage are going to change the gearbox oil but has anybody else had this problem ?

Thanks
Brian

Baker21 · 15-03-2006, 14:07

IMO the gearbox is the worst thing on the Superb, it's sloppy and doesn't feel well screwed together at all.

I know what your saying but I have never experienced that, usually the car won't let you engage first gear unless it's come to a hault? Are you stationary when trying to engage 1st gear?

jonathan.tong · 15-03-2006, 17:07

we had our 05 Superb in for this problem a while ago and they diagnosed a *insert technical term here* gear linkage. They did something to it and it was better for a while. Sadly it's got to go back for the same problem now....

BrianK · 16-03-2006, 10:51

Hi ,

Thanks for the reply. Yes the car is stationary, usually happens after i stop in 2nd in traffic and then try to engage 1st. The car is still under warranty so i am hoping for an entire new gearbox but somehow i think this is unlikely. Has anybody managed to get a new gearbox out of skoda ?

Regards
Brian

Goochie · 16-03-2006, 10:55

I believe the gearbox oil is "sealed for life" so changing that seems like a waste of time/money.

Trevor Powis · 22-03-2006, 23:25

I have an 18 month old Superb 130TDi with 45,000 miles on the clock and have had this problem occasionally ever since new. Always when stationary, and double clutching always cures it. I mentioned this to a guy who was an ex-dealer and he told me that the gearbox is a VW gearbox and they are prone to this, something to do with the way the linkage operates. He claims that VW Golf used to be very prone to the same problem in certain variants but didn't know whether it is the same or similar gearbox. I don't find this is a big problem, but I guess it would be if it happened more often. VW traditionally never have been renowned for their gearboxes.....

Lummox · 22-03-2006, 23:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianK

The car is still under warranty so i am hoping for an entire new gearbox but somehow i think this is unlikely. Has anybody managed to get a new gearbox out of skoda ?

Unless there is a major failure very unlikely. Gearboxes are usually rebuilt under warranty.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goochie

I believe the gearbox oil is "sealed for life" so changing that seems like a waste of time/money.

Crap, refilling the gearbox with a lighter grade oil can sometimes help alot with syncros that wont engage smoothly.

Stuart_J · 23-03-2006, 09:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lummox

Unless there is a major failure very unlikely. Gearboxes are usually rebuilt under warranty.

Crap, refilling the gearbox with a lighter grade oil can sometimes help alot with syncros that wont engage smoothly.

Off topic slightly, with my Octy the gear changes are slow if you max the revs before changing, Ive been told its to do with the syncro catching up. would a ligter oil or an additive help ??

BrianK · 11-04-2006, 14:36

Thank for all the replies.

The car was back with the dealer on Monday and they identified the clutch as the cause. They say that the clutch is not fully releasing and so the gears are not lining up correctly when i try to engage they are going to replace the clutch under warranty they say it's a 5hr job ?? . I have it booked in for April 21 so i'll you you know how it goes.

Regards

Baker21 · 11-04-2006, 15:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianK

Thank for all the replies.

The car was back with the dealer on Monday and they identified the clutch as the cause. They say that the clutch is not fully releasing and so the gears are not lining up correctly when i try to engage they are going to replace the clutch under warranty they say it's a 5hr job ?? . I have it booked in for April 21 so i'll you you know how it goes.

Regards

OK, I am worried now?!?!?

Let us know if it cures the problem mate.

johnjohnhealy · 11-04-2006, 16:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lummox

refilling the gearbox with a lighter grade oil can sometimes help alot with syncros that wont engage smoothly.

Can you recomend a particular make & grade of oil to put in my gearbox? I have the ocassional 1st gear selection problem that seems to cure itself once the box is fully up to temperature, so i'd like to put a lighter grade oil in if poss?

jonathan.tong · 12-04-2006, 09:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianK

The car was back with the dealer on Monday and they identified the clutch as the cause.

Is it possible to find out what your dealer was looking out for so I can get mine to see if it's a similar problem?

BrianK · 12-04-2006, 17:57

Hi,

From what i gather the main reason the dealer thinks it is the clutch is that the car can change gears without any difficulty when the engine is off. When running the gear changes becomes a little harsh into 2nd and sometimes impossible into 1st. From the clock i can see they brought it for about a 5-mile spin when diagnosing the problem. If they want to change the clutch at a cost of about 500 Euro (~ £350) away with them it will be back again if it does not fix the problem. They seem pretty confident it is the clutch but it is a bit worrying a clutch going at 34K the car is second hand i have only put 10K on it myself.

Baker21 · 13-04-2006, 10:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianK

Hi,

From what i gather the main reason the dealer thinks it is the clutch is that the car can change gears without any difficulty when the engine is off. When running the gear changes becomes a little harsh into 2nd and sometimes impossible into 1st. From the clock i can see they brought it for about a 5-mile spin when diagnosing the problem. If they want to change the clutch at a cost of about 500 Euro (~ £350) away with them it will be back again if it does not fix the problem. They seem pretty confident it is the clutch but it is a bit worrying a clutch going at 34K the car is second hand i have only put 10K on it myself.

I would be very surprised if it was the clutch at such low mileage but you never know I guess?

IMO the gearbox is very loose by design compared to VW equivalents.

jonathan.tong · 13-04-2006, 11:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianK

When running the gear changes becomes a little harsh into 2nd and sometimes impossible into 1st.

Thanks for that, I'll try out ours at home tonight with the engine off. Your "whilst running" symptoms sound identical to our 05 Superb - that only has 8000miles on the clock though. We have no noticable problems with other gears.

Edited to add: well, our problem seems to be related to the car moving (rather than the engine running). ie if the car is moving, first and second gear are difficult to select, if the car is stationary, then they are easy to select.

bryan · 15-04-2006, 12:27

The day l collected my 05 - 130TDi Superb, I thought it felt "tight" going into 2nd. Explained this to the dealer on the phone the next day, and he said it was not unusual, and to give it a few 1000km's and see if it would loosen out, if not then they would replace the gear box oil with a lighter grade of oil. I now have 16,000km's on the car, and if anything it is getting worse, sometimes can only be felt, others it can be heard grating as 2nd is selected unless the gear change is made "very" slowly. Going to take the car back to the dealer soon to get him to check it out again, but, my thinking on the oil is, the heavy grade of oil that comes in the gear box is there for a reason, to protect the gears over a long life, and surely putting in a lighter oil is going to reduce the protection it can offer, am I wrong here?

Bryan

BrianK · 23-04-2006, 21:01

Hi,

The car was in on friday and the garage changed the clutch, this seems to have fixed the problem the car change seems a lot slicker into every gear. The real test will be the 50Min bumper to bumper morning commute in Dublin but so far so good i will update you during the week.

Thanks to everone who replied

Regards
Brian

14-03-2006, 18:47	#1
BrianK Briskodian Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 6 Members Car: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Gearbox selection problems Hi, I have a 3 year old 1.9 tdi - 130 with 32K miles on the clock and it has started to become difficult to engage 1st gear, usually happens when i stop in traffic in second gear then with my foot still on the clutch i try to enage 1st to move off and it just won't go i have to double clutch it. The garage are going to change the gearbox oil but has anybody else had this problem ? Thanks Brian

15-03-2006, 14:07	#2
Baker21 OEM+ SUPERB Join Date: May 2005 Location: Northants Posts: 3,144 Members Car: Skoda Superb PD TDI 130 Comfort Thanks: 2 Thanked 101 Times in 93 Posts	Re: Gearbox selection problems IMO the gearbox is the worst thing on the Superb, it's sloppy and doesn't feel well screwed together at all. I know what your saying but I have never experienced that, usually the car won't let you engage first gear unless it's come to a hault? Are you stationary when trying to engage 1st gear? __________________ Best regards, Baker21 - 'OEM+' SKODA SUPERB PD TDI 130 Need you motor 'Detailing'?? Then drop me a PM...

15-03-2006, 17:07	#3
jonathan.tong Briskodian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Cambridge Posts: 17 Members Car: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Gearbox selection problems we had our 05 Superb in for this problem a while ago and they diagnosed a insert technical term here gear linkage. They did something to it and it was better for a while. Sadly it's got to go back for the same problem now....

16-03-2006, 10:51	#4
BrianK Briskodian Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 6 Members Car: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Gearbox selection problems Hi , Thanks for the reply. Yes the car is stationary, usually happens after i stop in 2nd in traffic and then try to engage 1st. The car is still under warranty so i am hoping for an entire new gearbox but somehow i think this is unlikely. Has anybody managed to get a new gearbox out of skoda ? Regards Brian

16-03-2006, 10:55	#5
Goochie Briskodian Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Up a tree. Posts: 12,363 Members Car: Thanks: 7 Thanked 27 Times in 25 Posts	Re: Gearbox selection problems I believe the gearbox oil is "sealed for life" so changing that seems like a waste of time/money.

22-03-2006, 23:25	#6
Trevor Powis Briskodian Join Date: May 2005 Location: East Midlands Posts: 16 Members Car: Skoda Superb Comfort TDI 130 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Gearbox selection problems I have an 18 month old Superb 130TDi with 45,000 miles on the clock and have had this problem occasionally ever since new. Always when stationary, and double clutching always cures it. I mentioned this to a guy who was an ex-dealer and he told me that the gearbox is a VW gearbox and they are prone to this, something to do with the way the linkage operates. He claims that VW Golf used to be very prone to the same problem in certain variants but didn't know whether it is the same or similar gearbox. I don't find this is a big problem, but I guess it would be if it happened more often. VW traditionally never have been renowned for their gearboxes.....

11-04-2006, 14:36	#9
BrianK Briskodian Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 6 Members Car: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Gearbox selection problems Thank for all the replies. The car was back with the dealer on Monday and they identified the clutch as the cause. They say that the clutch is not fully releasing and so the gears are not lining up correctly when i try to engage they are going to replace the clutch under warranty they say it's a 5hr job ?? . I have it booked in for April 21 so i'll you you know how it goes. Regards

12-04-2006, 17:57	#13
BrianK Briskodian Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 6 Members Car: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Gearbox selection problems Hi, From what i gather the main reason the dealer thinks it is the clutch is that the car can change gears without any difficulty when the engine is off. When running the gear changes becomes a little harsh into 2nd and sometimes impossible into 1st. From the clock i can see they brought it for about a 5-mile spin when diagnosing the problem. If they want to change the clutch at a cost of about 500 Euro (~ £350) away with them it will be back again if it does not fix the problem. They seem pretty confident it is the clutch but it is a bit worrying a clutch going at 34K the car is second hand i have only put 10K on it myself. Last edited by BrianK; 12-04-2006 at 17:59.

15-04-2006, 12:27	#16
bryan Briskodian Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Cork City, Ireland Posts: 1,020 Members Car: Octavia L&K 1.8 FSI Thanks: 22 Thanked 14 Times in 12 Posts	Re: Gearbox selection problems The day l collected my 05 - 130TDi Superb, I thought it felt "tight" going into 2nd. Explained this to the dealer on the phone the next day, and he said it was not unusual, and to give it a few 1000km's and see if it would loosen out, if not then they would replace the gear box oil with a lighter grade of oil. I now have 16,000km's on the car, and if anything it is getting worse, sometimes can only be felt, others it can be heard grating as 2nd is selected unless the gear change is made "very" slowly. Going to take the car back to the dealer soon to get him to check it out again, but, my thinking on the oil is, the heavy grade of oil that comes in the gear box is there for a reason, to protect the gears over a long life, and surely putting in a lighter oil is going to reduce the protection it can offer, am I wrong here? Bryan Last edited by bryan; 15-04-2006 at 12:28.

23-04-2006, 21:01	#17
BrianK Briskodian Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 6 Members Car: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Gearbox selection problems Hi, The car was in on friday and the garage changed the clutch, this seems to have fixed the problem the car change seems a lot slicker into every gear. The real test will be the 50Min bumper to bumper morning commute in Dublin but so far so good i will update you during the week. Thanks to everone who replied Regards Brian

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