Passat 3B: Shifter Knob Wobbles During Gear Changes

... The gearbox is imprecise, has a poor biting point, and feels cheap. My old Passat is no comparison; it shifted smoothly, was precise, and had a nice feel. Is there anything that can be done about this (e.g., different shift cables)? It's the 6-speed gearbox (GKB grade unknown) on an ATJ engine.

I also have a problem where the second and third gears make a grinding noise when the transmission is cold, and even when it's warm, the third gear still feels a bit stiff to engage. However, I'm sure this will be resolved by using a different type of transmission oil.

Best regards, WarLord.

WarLord wrote:

... The gearbox is imprecise, has a poor biting point, and feels cheap. My old Passat is no comparison; it shifted smoothly, was precise, and had beautiful damping. . .

Hi,

Have you tried adjusting or replacing the shift linkage or cable(s)?

The position of the gear lever felt too far back to me overall, and I wanted to correct it by adjusting the cable.
Of course, I initially selected the wrong gear for left-right shifting... in short: after just two adjustment attempts, some gears simply wouldn't engage at all, and the rest were extremely jerky - even though the FSM gearbox usually shifts perfectly well.

I managed to do it again.
Of course, it will take a bit longer without a gauge, but I think it might be worth trying for you as well.

The gears are engaging well (including R, 1, 2, 5, and 6), but the shifting itself doesn't feel good. I also need to replace the shift knob; the one from the 3B isn't great (it's thick at the top, tapering down for about 2 cm, then suddenly becomes thinner).

Best regards, WarLord.