I have a 99 A4 1.8T Quattro - 5 speed manual - with about 165,000 kms on it. This winter I've noticed that the transmission seems to kick in and out of gear, and can be quite violent at times - almost like it's missing a sprocket or something - then catches a gear and engages.

Things are exacerbated when it's cold and snowy on the ground (i.e. low traction). When things are dry, it happens way less often.

It's hard to describe, but it feels like the car goes out of gear and then abruptly engages and lunges forward in gear a bit. Is this a differential issue? Quattro issue? Transmission issue.

(Or maybe this is the proverbial "unintended acceleration" of years past ).

Any help, thoughts or input would be greatly appreciated.

.... 3rd post of the day ... i promise that's the last

 

Have you changed the clutch yet? Sounds like clutch slippage to me. Does the car rev up without actually moving much?

 

No, it's not like clutch slippage (which I have experienced in other cars) - the clutch is fully engaged (or is it disengaged, I always forget) - and is more violent and abrupt than clutch slippage, which (to me anyways) usually involves the engine revving with less corresponding power going to the drivetrain.

Thanks for your input, but I don't think it's a clutch thing.

 

could be a transmission solenoid sticking. There could be a few different things wrong the best thing would be to scan the transmission and drive the car with a scanner hooked up and watch how the transmission shifts and see if it's a lazy or stuck solenoid.

-Mike

 

Are there solenoids with manual transmissions? What does the solenoid do?

 

sorry didn't read the manual part! the best thing I can recommend is to have it looked at.

-Mike