Switch problems 3A Passat, 1Z

Hello everyone!
I'm relatively new here and would like to extend a warm welcome to everyone!
But to the point: I recently acquired a 3A-Passat, 1Z, with 230,000 KM.
on the back - runs perfectly from a mechanical standpoint, but I sometimes come to a halt at the traffic lights and annoy my "rear passengers" because I can't shift into first gear. Then you need to shift back into neutral or, alternatively, shift into second gear, which usually requires a bit more effort...
But there are also phases in which he switches off completely!?
Does anyone have an idea if it might just be a matter of perspective? Or is it actually coming more towards me, because this whole thing is already annoying, and I want to stop it.

Greetings
Jürgen

It seems like you also have a cable as a switch (like me), I would take a look in the engine compartment and see if everything looks okay. 'Have someone disconnect the power and observe the linkages to see if anything has shifted or bent.'

Also, manchmal auch den Schaltknauf herunternehmen und hineinschauen, ob er zu stark abgenutzt ist. Mein Auto hat jetzt 217.000 km gelaufen und der 1. Gang ist zwar etwas schwergängiger, aber das war eigentlich schon immer, seit ich das Auto habe. Not so that it would be a disturbance.

Hello Christian,
I thought the 35i models all had cable-operated gear changes -- is it really possible that mine, the 3A, with a production date of 08/1995, also has a gear stick ? I haven't really looked at it closely yet -- if it has a gear stick, there might be a chance of regaining some precision by replacing one or more components. -- I had this experience with the Golf I / II.

Greetings
Jürgen

Hello Jürgen,

Welcome to the CLUB! Seems like there's a problem with the car (35i 1Z from my 1994, 203000km mileage).
I always stop at the traffic light in first gear with the clutch depressed, because I sometimes can't get back into first gear...
However, I have noticed: If it rolls a few cm forward/backward, then it goes in (only works on the hill ).
So, therefore, it probably isn't the cable, according to my opinion! ?

Best regards,
Dave.

If this problem occurs so frequently, perhaps there is someone who can
solved -- without having to replace the entire gearbox.

Or would that be the simplest, most cost-effective solution?

Everything points to wear and tear inside the gearbox.

does it have something to do with worn-out timing belts -- unfortunately, I don't know much about transmissions -- but I would really like to understand it!

Best regards, Jürgen

Aloha,
I had the same problem once with a 'non-vauweh' (I think this is a German slang term, I'm not sure what it means), and now you can guess which brand it was. *GGG
It wasn't the cable (definitely the cable), it was the gearbox. It was relatively easy to handle: ease off the clutch (with a lot of finesse), push the gear towards first, and *poof*, it's in there, and without scratching or making noise (if you ease off the clutch too much, you'll hear it, but it still goes in*GGG)...
After 2 or 3 times, you get a feel for it... that's how it was for me, at least.
Otherwise, sometimes it also helps to shift gears... A gear simply isn't in the optimal position, and then it just doesn't work.
is not a solution, but merely a compromise...

greetings
eltipo

On my Polo 6N, which sometimes didn't shift gears properly, "empty" clutch engagement often helped. After that, the gear would shift smoothly.

Best regards,

Jan

Hello everyone!

Thank you all for your "responses," a combination of all the tips will surely help me to better handle the problem.
I'm just an old stickler – maybe I should be a little more tolerant – when it comes to 230,000, those little switches are essentially "included"...

Best regards,

Jürgen

Hello!

I have a Golf III Variant, 1Z, now with 205,000 KM, manufactured in 1995, and I have been experiencing the same problem since the first time it was registered.
I have observed that the first car does not proceed through the intersection if it attempts to turn right without stopping at a red light when there is no gear engaged. If you've been driving in a gear until the very end, it's no problem to shift into first gear afterward.
Maybe it will help you.
If you have found a solution, you can certainly let me know.
Although I have been living with this for 7 1/2 years, I would still be grateful for a solution.

Best regards, D.

Hello D.,

"The "problem" you are describing is not a problem at all!!!" Various gearboxes are designed in such a way that it is impossible to engage the first gear when the car is moving (I believe this is called "locked synchronization").
A little trick from the time when I used to drive a French car: when the clutch is depressed, briefly shift into second gear and then back into first. Here, the synchronization from the second gear's synchron rings is taken over, and from there, synchronization with the first gear is possible.


-- It's not a bug, it's a feature!! --

Hello Bertil!

Thanks for the tip. But I am aware that if the vehicle is still moving, the first one won't go through.
The first gear doesn't engage properly if you haven't previously shifted into neutral and stopped at a red light.
Then I will first switch to the second and then to the first, as you have described.

Best regards, D.

Hello eltipo,

I tried "Your Version" today -- and it worked perfectly right away -- you never really learn, do you...?

Best regards, Jürgen

eltipo wrote:

aloha, I had the same problem once with a "non-vauweh" (I think this is a German slang term, I'm not sure what it means), and now you can guess which brand it was. *GGG It wasn't the cable (definitely the cable), it was the gearbox. It was relatively easy to handle: ease off the clutch (with a lot of finesse), push the gear towards first, and *poof*, it's in there, and without scratching or making noise (if you ease off the clutch too much, you'll hear it, but it still goes in*GGG)... After 2 or 3 times, you get a feel for it... that's how it was for me, at least. Otherwise, sometimes it also helps to shift gears... A gear simply isn't in the optimal position, and then it just doesn't work. is not a solution, but merely a compromise... greetings eltipo

****I'm glad****


greetings
eltipo