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Jetta Transmission Problems and Questions

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Comments

  • kevbuttkevbutt Member Posts: 2
    After a couple of expensive trips to my local VW dealer, which included replacing the speed sensor (my Jetta would stick in 3rd gear....which is an emergency operation mode), I was still having problems. I found a local repair shop which specialized in VW's and they determined I had a faulty wiring harness between the transmission and computer sensor which determines when the transmisison changes gears. They repaired the wiring harness, for less than $250, which included labor to find the problem, and I haven't had a problem since......that was over 6 months ago. The dealer was saying my next option was to repair or replace the transmission, which could cost me $2000 and up.
  • 600kgolfgt600kgolfgt Member Posts: 690
    The good news (besides having your tranny fixed) is now you have a private VW repair shop you can rely on - which will save you $$$$ over the dealer in the long run.... :shades:
  • usedtodrivevwusedtodrivevw Member Posts: 4
    Hi all, my wife and i have had our 01 Jetta GLS from off the dealer's lot. It's got 117k km on it, and we're just about to sell it b/c of our two little ones and the short seat pitch between front and rear - she bought a mini-van instead. Anyway, a guy had it out for a test drive and the car has started grinding when down shifting from 2nd into 1st (at relatively low speeds and RPMs - I was able to duplicate the issue). Seems that double-clutching makes the grinding go away. I've heard it could be a clutch problem or it could be a tranny/synchro problem. Does anyone have an idea of which way this could be going? Obviously it's much easier for me to replace a clutch than have a synchro problem fixed...
  • jrizjriz Member Posts: 10
    I owned a 2000 Jetta GLS VR6. After a few years/miles, I noticed that it idled very rough. Even the tach would lightly blip upward. When I shifted into neutral, it would stop. No dealer could ever figure out what was wrong. This weekend, I drove a 2003 Jetta GLX with the upgraded 200-hp VR6 and it did the exact same thing. Just as mine did, shifting into neutral stopped it.

    Has anyone else experienced this issue, and if so, were you able to fix/address it?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Seems to me if it were a clutch issue you would feel this grinding in other gears as well while downshifting. But just in case, you could check your fluid level in the clutch master cylinder (or do you have a cable clutch in that car?) If a cable clutch, you can adjust that to factory specs.

    If none of that works, you might try flushing the transaxle and putting in a good synthetic fluid like REDLINE...kinda expensive but not expensive like synchros are expensive that's for sure.

    Synchros do wear out over time--it's not that unusual but 117K seems a bit premature for this sort of thing.
  • 9ersfan19ersfan1 Member Posts: 2
    My clutch went after 20,000 miles and I was told I did clutch and shift correctly. Started driving a standard 35 years ago and have never had a problem before including a 2000 Jetta. I must not have paid attention at clutch school because it went again at 44,000 miles. Anyone else experience this problem???
  • lemonjetta1lemonjetta1 Member Posts: 3
    I think I might be having a similiar problem. 01 jetta gl. 105k miles. for the past year it has been having problems going from 2nd to 3rd gears...problems meaning it kinda jerks but then kicks in. i took it to the shop about 7 months ago w the same problem except it had a awful noise to it...they said it was a timing belt/spark plug issue. the car worked perfectly for about 3 months then the 2nd-3rd started happening again but no noise this time. i finally went to have it looked into at the local autobody shop (i will never go to the dealership...long story) he said that there was some type of lein (sp?) code and he didnt have the computer to check it. proceeded to transmission place. they said i need it to be rebuilt and looking at 1700-3000. could this faulty wiring thing be me too? help :( I HAVE NO MONEY!! (well not enough for a tranny)
  • akkjettaakkjetta Member Posts: 6
    Hi,
    I have a 2002 Jetta, automatic transmissin with ~67,000 miles on it. Just this Saturday I noticed the gears were slipping (making a jering sound) when thecar shifed from 1st to 2nd gear.
    I took the car to the shop that my family has gone to for some years. They told me it could be either that the transmission fluid needed to be flushed or that there was a problem with the transmission. They were about to close so the owner asked me to bring the car Monday morning to flush the transmission fluid. Well on Sunday the jerking/kick back noise got a lot worse, and
    the check engine light went on too. This morning the repairman told me the error he got was P1778 indicating the transmission is no good anymore.

    So it looks like I need a new transmission.
    My warranty information said the Powertrain warranty is good for 5 yrs/60,000 miles. Has anyone else had similar experiences/problems? Any luck in getting VW to cover the cost of changing the transmission. Or does anyone know of a good place to get the transmission replaced that isn't too expensive in the Washington DC area?. I hear transmissions can cost ~$4000-5000

    By the way I looked up error code P1778 and supposedly it means "Solenoid EV7 Electrical Malfunction" - what does this mean? Does it actually mean the transmission is bad?

    Thanks
  • itzvenkiitzvenki Member Posts: 1
    Hi Guys,

    I owned a 2002 jetta 1.8 T AUTO recently which had 23000 miles on it. It was running good the first one week and then it suddenly has some problem shifting
    gears. When its shifting from 1-2-3 gears it drags a bit and we can know that its changing gears and the rpm runs to above 2 when shifting gears. I dont know what the problem is. If you guys know anything about this just let me know before i go to do some repairs.
  • joyride71joyride71 Member Posts: 2
    Yes - I have a 2003 1.8T manual, and at 35K, the clutch has started to slip. This didn't happen until my husband and I switched cars - he seems to let up the clutch too fast, in my opinion. The VW dealership wants $2000 to replace the clutch. We're going to look into other estimates, but now I wish that we had traded in the Jetta instead of our 2001 Camry (which was no fun to drive) when we bought our last car (2008 Highlander). I still have a few months until the warranty is up - any chance of it being covered and not "wear and tear"?
  • 9ersfan19ersfan1 Member Posts: 2
    Joyride they do not want to admit any flaw in the clutch. I went to another VW dealer and he told me he will not resell any Jetta that was driven by a kid (or I suppose an aggressive husband). Also $2000 is way too high, I paid $1235.00 after repeated complaints. Their original quote double-charged me for parts, be careful the clutch kit contains the flywheel and all the parts. good luck
  • blackjetta1blackjetta1 Member Posts: 1
    I also have a manuel transmission 2003 jetta, when i changed my battery it worked great for about a weak, then i go and have my oil changed, now my transmission is slipping, reving at high rpms, abs light and brake light on dash is beeping and stuck on, I am a single parent and really afraid of costs :( Do you know where the transmission dipstick is located??? Please anyone if you could help let me know :cry::cry::cry:
  • lemonjetta1lemonjetta1 Member Posts: 3
    Newer Jettas don't have a dipstick...you have to go to a transmission shop or the dealer and get them to run it on the computer
  • lemonjetta1lemonjetta1 Member Posts: 3
    Let me know if you get anymore info on your problem....I might be having the same issue. I still cant find a decent VW Mechanic anywhere around here to diagnose my problem...everyone I take it to just wants me to put a new tranny in...OF COURSE THEY DO!! $$$$
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    I don't know about the lights and all, but the slipping may mean you need a new clutch.

    The comment above about no dipsticks on newer jettas is true of automatics. Manual transmissions, however, have never had dipsticks...it is nothing new or unusual.
  • razor111razor111 Member Posts: 8
    I've owned my jetta for exactly 3 years now. Its a 5-speed manual. I pretty much learned how to drive standard on this car.

    My question is: is it better to downshift by shifting into neutral first and revving the engine a little bit to bring the rpms up then shift into the next lower gear, or should I just shift right into the next lower gear and let the clutch out? I heard that its better to bring the rpms up a bit, but does Volkswagen recommend this?
    Thanks for your help
    (a newbie, first message posted)
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Welcome - glad to have you here! :)
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I think for most normal driving you don't have to shift into neutral, but you should blip the throttle as you depress the clutch IF you are in the upper range of the tachometer just before downshifting. Shifting into neutral should not be necessary for the modern synchro transmission--it's more of a race car thing.

    By blipping the throttle, you avoid the nasty thing called 'compression braking', which could, if the car is unbalanced, cause a spin.
  • naz2naz2 Member Posts: 1
    I had a very scary thing happen with my 2002 Jetta a few days ago. Driving on the freeway and all of a sudden I feel something like I hit something in the road. Then I had control of the car for about another minute. Got it off the freeway somehow without hitting anyone. Wheels wouldn't even move forward and leaking transmission fluid everywhere, they had to drag it up the tow truck ramp. Mechanic told me the differential internally exploded. He said he had the same thing happen to a Volkswagen he used to have. I could have easily been killed or killed someone else because this happened. I was fortunate no one was around me when it blew. Car only had 75,000 miles on it. I'm the original owner and I took very good care of it. Very scary how this happened with no warning. I considered buying another Volkswagen for my next car, but now never again. :mad:
  • razor111razor111 Member Posts: 8
    Good thing you are okay! I cant believe that happened. I've never heard of that happening, but I think it would be possible if the differential had no gear oil inside it to lubricate the internal parts, but with volkswagens I am pretty sure you dont need the gear oil because most of their cars are front wheel drive which would mean the differential and transmission work as one unit which is called the transaxle. I'm pretty sure the transmission fluid lubricates the entire unit. For whatever reason it happened, luckily you are alright.
  • karma6karma6 Member Posts: 1
    i have a 2003 jetta gl. manuel transmission. when driving the vehicle it does not matter if in the middle of changing gears driving or going from a start to a go position, the vehicle will lunge and will make a loud clunk noise. i have also had the vehicle completely stall at red lights. the vehicle has 158k miles i am the original owner. i changed the spark plugs thinkine maybe that was the problem but the vehicle still does it. somedays it will start others it will not. i have been told that it is possibly the clutch, the oxygen sensor, or the cat converter....has anyone experienced any of the symptoms?
  • jartzhjartzh Member Posts: 1
    2003 Jetta has a serious jerk when it shift to 2nd. Sometimes. maybe more ofen when its cold. When it had 20,000 we took it back to dealer and they didnt something (dont know what) and it didnt occur for a while then it started once a month and now its down to once a week. its out of warranty now so VW wants me to pay to have them look at it. This has to be a known/common problem that they should have fixed the first time. anybody else got this?
  • rkk6862rkk6862 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2000 jetta that has recently developed an apparent transmission problem. While driving on the interstate at 65 MPH, the car suddenly started to drag , the rpm's increased significantly, it seemed like it down shifted into 3rd. This is an automatic tranny. The engine light came on as well. After 209 miles, the light went off, and the tranny went back to normal. About 3 days later, the engine light came back on and the tranny started dragging again. I plan to run to Autozone to have them run a diagnostic on the light. Any thoughts on what the problem may be?

    Thanks
  • 600kgolfgt600kgolfgt Member Posts: 690
    Unfortunately, automatic transmissions are an Achilles' heel with VWs - dating back to the 1970s. They have been notorious differential-eaters. The manual transmissions have been very robust.

    As far as your Jetta is concerned, the 2.0L automatic transmissions were made in Mexico, and are a mixed bag when it comes to reliability (at best). I have a 2003 Wolfsburg 1.8T with the 5-speed tiptronic transmission which was made in Japan by Aisin (the same supplier for Toyota, Honda, etc.) - which has been rock solid approaching 110,000 miles.

    The Japanese and German-sourced automatics are less likely to give you headaches than the Mexico-sourced ones. Unfortunately, these are only available on the Jetta/Golf 1.8T (Aisin), and the Passat (German transmission).

    Golf/Jetta 2.0 cars manufactured between 1993 and early 2005 came with the Mexican Transmissions.
  • jetta10jetta10 Member Posts: 1
    hey,i have a 05 jetta and in the past couple of months it has started having a serious jerk when it shifts from 1st to 2nd?and seems to do it mostly when its cold. the shifting problem seems to be ok after driving it for about an hour maybe.it seems to be getting worse and worse.my warranty is ending at 75,ooo miles and right now im at about 61,ooo.i have called the nearest v.w and i live 2 hours away from them.after driving up there for 2 hours it will be shifting fine so they will obviously need to keep it overnight.but they refuse to give me a loaner car from the dealership to get my back home,untill they find out whats wrong with it...............................its a no win situation.it sucks because vw cars for the most part are really good but you have to go thru hell with thier customer service. Your expeirence was close to mine so i thought i would let ya know.i'm currently trying to get it to vw to look at it.im sure what they tell me will be useless though.
  • joyride71joyride71 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the tip on the clutch kit. I didn't even bother trying to negotiate with the dealer - if they are going to charge for parts that you don't need and may not even receive, then they don't deserve my business. I fortunately found an independent mechanic who somehow got around getting an entire kit and even seemed to enjoy doing the job - it cost $1000 - half the price of the dealer! Hopefully, this clutch will last another five years.
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    Maybe you can rent a car from them and they will reimburse you, if they find a warranty issue? Worst case is you are out $20-25.

    We had a similar problem in our '05 new Jetta with the 6 speed automatic and they had to replace a part in the transmission called "valve body", IIRC.
  • superfrog66superfrog66 Member Posts: 1
    Recently, I started having problems w/ shifting in 1st gear and reverse gear. The gears works great once engaged. The problem w/ 1st is when I go from neutral to 1st, it kinds of hooks a little bit. I go down to 2nd and back to first, no hooking. When I go down to 2nd, it seems to align it for the 1st. For the reverse gear, when I depress my lever, and engage it, it actually moves forward, engaging 1st gear instead. I have to put it back to neutral and then work it into reverse. I took it to my garage and they said that my linkages were actually seized. They cleaned them up and lubrify them again. It engages smoothly, but the problem w/ my reverse gear is still there. As far as the hooking of the 1st, it is quite less, but still does it a little bit. Hopefully, someone has an opinion of what it might be. I am going to go back to my garage and tell them that it is still happenning. They only charged me 1 hour, 65$. As you know, with trans. problem. price is usually rather high. The clutch was changed at 92K and presently have 145K. :cry:
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Could be clutch wear or clutch disk hanging up a bit. Do you have cable clutch or hydraulic clutch on that car, I forget.
  • mls0413mls0413 Member Posts: 1
    Hi,

    I have a 2005.5 New Jetta 2.5 Automatic and I had the same problem, it started at about 9,500 miles and was only a hard shift from 1 to 2 gear and got worse where it was hard shifting from 1 to 2 and 2 to 3 so at about 14,000 I started having the dealer look at it at first they said it was the control box and that needed to be replaced, took it in and they did that, and the problem was still there.

    So I took it back and they told me that there wasn't a problem but that they would call the VW Rep. I think the VW Rep suggested that this dealer call VW Engineering. They did that and they called and told me that the car needed a New Valve Body (guess this is a box that has little balls in it that when you shift gears the balls inside the valves move). Once they replaced the Valve Body Box the problem went away and I now have 33,800 on my car and the problem has not resurfaced...

    My boyfriend has the same exact car just a different color and his never once hard shifted so we knew that it wasn't right. You just have to be persistent with these dealers until you get satisfaction!!!!!

    I suggest you take the car back to your dealer and suggest to them that the Valve Body may need to be replaced or that they need to call VW Engineering or your local VW Representative.

    Hope this helps and Good Luck!!

    mls0413
  • bvdj84bvdj84 Member Posts: 1,724
    Okay, My mother leases an 04 Jetta, and I just now found out that the car runs at about 3 RPM's when at 60mph. I noticed it when I rarely ride in her car. She was like " Ya, I thought it ran a little high, and has been doing this for quite a long time". I am like, I am sure it is supposed to be around 2k RPM's for 60mph, that is what my 06 Accord runs at. Now here is the catch, since my mother is pretty slow about saying anything about her car, she has about 50,000 miles on her lease, which is over, but her lease will be up this spring. So I am sure there is not chance it'll be covered at cost of VW. Even though this is not something because of wear and tear, since she said it has been going like this for a long time. Is this normal for the 04 jetta with a 4cyl, Manual? Let me know. I am not sure she will trade for a new one, she might keep this car, if it does need to be fixed, what do you think it is, and what it might cost?? She probably needed to speak up awhile back when it was under warranty... Oh well... Other than that, her car has been flawless.
  • exvwownerexvwowner Member Posts: 2
    this is only a wild guess based on my own experience, but it's probably the transmission, most likely the clutch. They'll say it's "wear and tear" and they won't cover it. It will cost about $1500. She should dump the car as soon as she can. I traded mine in at a year old and 24K miles. Good luck.
  • bvdj84bvdj84 Member Posts: 1,724
    Aww, its sad, because that is my moms baby, we got that for her for mothers day and her anniversary. But, I think she is thinking of getting new car, thats the joy of leasing.
    I'll miss my leased accord, but that is the fun part, you get a new car often. You know, you make memories your own car, you get attached, oh well.
  • pdm1pdm1 Member Posts: 1
    I had problem with radio not working and after pulling fuses,disconnecting battery,etc. got radio working but now car will not shift into high gear.Any suggestions please. this is a 2002 jetta 2.0 4speed auto transmission. thanks
  • 2003jettawagon2003jettawagon Member Posts: 1
    I own an 03 Jetta Wagon, 4 cyl. I brought it in to the dealership twice before it's warranty was up for a hard kickdown between 2nd and 3rd gears. The first time the dealership said that they couldn't duplicate the problem. The second time, I specifically told them to examine the transmission. This time they said that the car was running to manufacturer's design. The car continued to have the problem. Then, one year later (after the warranty had expired), it kicked down hard into 3rd gear and died. I had to buy a new engine, because, as a result of the kickdown, a clip on the cam shaft broke and dropped all the pistons. I paid $6000 for a new engine, and within 2 weeks of getting my car back, it's done the same thing 4 times. I'm hesitant to bring it back to the dealership before I have more information. If anyone knows what I can do to either fix the car or get VW to take some ownership in this problem, I would LOVE to hear what you have to say.
  • rtype1206rtype1206 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2004 VW Jetta GLS 2.0L/5speed tranny. Just recently I started noticing a thumping noise coming from left front side of the car. Then I started to feel it underneath my gas pedal. The noise only present itself when I accelerate hard that's when the thumping begins. When I do let off the accelerator the noise stop. One person told me it's my wheel bearing and another said it's my clutch?

    Thanks for any input you may have!
  • blavioletteblaviolette Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2002 vw jetta. I stopped at a stop sign and it wouldn't go. What do you think is the problem
  • blavioletteblaviolette Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2002 vw jetta. It's an automatic. I stop at the stop sign and it wouldn't go forward or backward. Any ideas?
  • diesel16diesel16 Member Posts: 2
    My '04 Jetta Wagon TDI, Auto (Tiptronic): No warning, at 60,186 miles (powertrain warranty to 60,000 mi.!!) on my way to the dealer for the 60,000 maintenance, hard, slamming upshifts 1-2, 3-4 and even harder downshifts from 3-2, 2-1, often needing to let off the accelerator to bring delayed upshift. This reminded me of the old days when the clutches would go in a GM automatic. This condition stayed consistent, cold or operating temp., and dealer did witness it. This brought to mind that we can't check trans fluid, as there's no dipstick tube! After a day at the dealer, they stated it needs a new trans. I'm now waiting to hear back from VW as to whether they will fix it under warranty. Before this, I just told an associate the other day that, at just under 60,000 miles, the car's been trouble free (except for a bad steering rack at 40,000 mi) and the perfect "vehicle" to show diesel's passenger car merits!! I need to shut up. My wife told me that. Anyway, as I worry about the warranty, I just wanted to share this. I'm now arming myself with my maintenance / service records to show VW that I've done their recommended maintenance and recalls.
  • vwlovervwlover Member Posts: 2
    I own a 2004 Jetta. I purchased it brand new. I have had no problems with the car EXCEPT periodic "clunking" (for lack of a better term) from 1st-2nd. It has gotten worse over the four years and now does it when its cold or warm and not only from 1-2, but 2-3. It has been to the dealer multiple times & each time they say they can't duplicate the problem and send me on my way. My warranty is out in 2000 miles. Does anyone have a suggesion of what I action I can take?
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    I'm sure you probably know that you have a 5 year 60,000 power train warranty, but I mention it just in case you are only referring to the full 4 yr 50K mi warranty running out.

    You could have them ride with you, hope you are lucky enough to have the problem occur and point out what you are talking about when it happens. Also make sure that you have documentation from the dealer indicating what has happened, so if it finally gets worse you can try to make a case that the problem was there before warranty ran out.

    I'm not a big fan of extended warranties, but if you are really worried about a possible expensive transmission repair you could look into the cost of one just for the power train.
  • vwlovervwlover Member Posts: 2
    I have tried having them ride with me, but to no avail. I have kept a journal of it happening & have all of the receipts from the trips to the dealer.

    I guess I do not have full understanding of the warranty. My car has 48000 miles. Do I actually have coverage for the transmission under 5yr/60,000? I mentioned my concern about the warranty to the dealer and he told me 4yr/50K.

    Does anyone else have this problem with 04 Jettas?

    Thanks!
  • diesel16diesel16 Member Posts: 2
    vwlover, to answer your question about warranty: VW is partially covering my transmission replacement under the 5yr/60000 mi powertrain warranty (I was at 60,186, so they're giving me a hard time -- that's another story. According to them, warranty would have fully covered replacement before 60000 mi. I've heard from others they are difficult with warranty claims (you saw my post, #92, here?). I've talked to other owners who repeatedly went back to dealer till they witnessed the problem and finally got warranty to cover repair. Hope this helps.
  • curtisrose420curtisrose420 Member Posts: 3
    I was driving my 94 automatic 2.0 jetta and it just goes into neutral when im going 35 then ten miles after that my gears on my dash all lit up everyone p r d 1 2 3 so I park the car so i thought I put my stick into park and turned the car off when i put my key in my dash lit up in drive then all of them again I try to start the car and nothing happens please tell me something to do!!
  • fordfan_17fordfan_17 Member Posts: 175
    first lets get your vehicle scanned by a competent garage. volkswagon has some problems with thier MLPS (manual lever position sensor) on the 096-01M transaxles if you can get me some codes to work with i may be able to help you
  • louisseelouissee Member Posts: 2
    I have the exact same issue--thumping sound, especially when turning left. Car is going to be checked out thoroughly next week so hope it won't be a costly fix.

    2002 Jetta GLS 1.8T
    60,500 miles :(
  • louisseelouissee Member Posts: 2
    Has anyone experienced electrical issues such as the A/C and power steering quitting at the exact same time, in addition to no acceleration? Sometimes, the car shuts off shortly after starting or the car shudders quite a bit and then is jumpy on acceleration. This car is putting me in the poorhouse! :mad:

    2002 Jetta GLS 1.8T
    60,450 mi
  • collegeboy9134collegeboy9134 Member Posts: 1
    i been reading about these mesages about the transmissions cuz i have a 2002 1.8t jetta and it did the same thing. It would only act up when the engine was cold and after driving it for a bit it will shift normally. Whats up with that yo. And the probleme kept getting worse so i had to rebuild the darn thing and it costed 3000 dollars ugh and the dealer wanted to charge more than double that. Idk but im thinking if everyone has the same problem then is it us, because i know we love hearing that turbo or is it just that VW made ONE bad part
  • 07jettagal07jettagal Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2007 jetta that has an unusual vibration in the gear shifter only in 4th gear. It's not an engine lug vibration, it's actually only at higher RPM's (right before you shift to 5th). The shifter vibrates terribly and makes a noise - if you hold onto the shifter, it's not as bad. The vibration only starts after I've put about 20 miles on (35 miles to work each way). I brought it to my dealer and they basically brushed me off - they actually said "maybe you're not putting it all the way in 4th gear." Any ideas?
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