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Manual gearchange woes

Goodbuzzman1

New member
Location
Ireland
Car(s)
Audi s3
Hi all. I have a manual 2015 s3 but I can’t get any help from the Audi guys so I thought I’d ask here since they are the same running gear etc.

I’m really unhappy with my gearbox/clutch

the gear change from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd has me on the brink on selling it. It’s like the entire gear changing process needs to be smoothed out.
The clutch is very ‘on/off’ and during a gear change. It’s very hard for the car to not jerk awkwardly when releasing the clutch pedal.

When you engage the clutch, If you even leave it for half a second before you select your next gear you will get a horrible jerky gear change

When I bought the car I was convinced it was the flywheel not keeping the revs up when the clutch was engaged, many people thought the same, so I got a brand new genuine clutch and flywheel installed by Audi… … still the exact same.

It is possible to achieve a smoother gear change by feathering the clutch but surely I shouldn’t have to do this.

I’m not new to manual gear box’s either and this is my 3rd manual S3 in a row.

I really can’t believe that it is meant to be like this. I have read about a few other people with vaguely similar issues.

what I’ve tried so far.

I’ve removed a spring off the clutch pedal which supposedly helps but alas it didn’t.

I installed a clutch stop which eliminated a bit of pedal travel but that’s all

and as a last attempt I removed the little yellow plastic thing in the bleeder valve. Didn’t make any difference.

if there was a way to smoothen out this gearchange I’d be a happy man, a way to keep the revs slightly up when shifting, or a way to make the clutch release a bit slower.

Has anyone experienced similar??
 

golfdave

Autocross Champion
Location
Scotland (U.K.)
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf GT Estate
Clutch I have no idea as it sounds like you've done some of the mods..

gearchange...basically VAG swapped the all metal components for plastic..so there is loads of movement even when you lock the cables!....There are various things like metal bushes, swapping the plastic side to side plates for older VW ones, & also getting rid of the plastic main pin under the gearstick & fitting the Dieselgeek superpin..that involves removing the whole centre console!
 

scientificharmony

Ready to race!
Location
Belfast
Hi all. I have a manual 2015 s3 but I can’t get any help from the Audi guys so I thought I’d ask here since they are the same running gear etc.

I’m really unhappy with my gearbox/clutch

the gear change from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd has me on the brink on selling it. It’s like the entire gear changing process needs to be smoothed out.
The clutch is very ‘on/off’ and during a gear change. It’s very hard for the car to not jerk awkwardly when releasing the clutch pedal.

When you engage the clutch, If you even leave it for half a second before you select your next gear you will get a horrible jerky gear change

When I bought the car I was convinced it was the flywheel not keeping the revs up when the clutch was engaged, many people thought the same, so I got a brand new genuine clutch and flywheel installed by Audi… … still the exact same.

It is possible to achieve a smoother gear change by feathering the clutch but surely I shouldn’t have to do this.

I’m not new to manual gear box’s either and this is my 3rd manual S3 in a row.

I really can’t believe that it is meant to be like this. I have read about a few other people with vaguely similar issues.

what I’ve tried so far.

I’ve removed a spring off the clutch pedal which supposedly helps but alas it didn’t.

I installed a clutch stop which eliminated a bit of pedal travel but that’s all

and as a last attempt I removed the little yellow plastic thing in the bleeder valve. Didn’t make any difference.

if there was a way to smoothen out this gearchange I’d be a happy man, a way to keep the revs slightly up when shifting, or a way to make the clutch release a bit slower.

Has anyone experienced similar??
I have the exact same issue as you my man.
I bought a dog bone insert which got rid of wheel hop etc but I dunno what to do about the jerky gear shifts between 1 and 2
 

scientificharmony

Ready to race!
Location
Belfast
Ps…

I also done these


I’ve removed a spring off the clutch pedal which supposedly helps but alas it didn’t.

I installed a clutch stop which eliminated a bit of pedal travel but that’s all

and as a last attempt I removed the little yellow plastic thing in the bleeder valve. Didn’t make any difference.
 

Goodbuzzman1

New member
Location
Ireland
Car(s)
Audi s3
I have the exact same issue as you my man.
I bought a dog bone insert which got rid of wheel hop etc but I dunno what to do about the jerky gear shifts between 1 and 2
In a way I’m glad someone else’s has similar issues as I thought I was going mad!

i think the solution in my case anyway would be finding a way for the clutch to disengage a little slower
 

Gray_Panther

Drag Racing Champion
Location
NY
Car(s)
GTi
Do you think this might help?
No. You said you replaced the clutch already, so that also includes new transmission fluid.
can you be more specific about gear changes. Are you talking about low rev daily driving gear changes from 1-2 and 2-3? Or are you talking about WOT trying to spin the wheels when shifting between 1-2 and 2-3?

Also, I thought S3 in that year only came with DSG and not 6MT…
 

JerseyDrew77

Autocross Champion
Location
Virginia & NC
Car(s)
2016 TR GTI S 6MT
Do you think this might help?
It doesn't hurt to try and it just might help your issue. Try Red Line MTL

No. You said you replaced the clutch already, so that also includes new transmission fluid.
can you be more specific about gear changes. Are you talking about low rev daily driving gear changes from 1-2 and 2-3? Or are you talking about WOT trying to spin the wheels when shifting between 1-2 and 2-3?

Also, I thought S3 in that year only came with DSG and not 6MT…
That's not always true.
 

scientificharmony

Ready to race!
Location
Belfast
No. You said you replaced the clutch already, so that also includes new transmission fluid.
can you be more specific about gear changes. Are you talking about low rev daily driving gear changes from 1-2 and 2-3? Or are you talking about WOT trying to spin the wheels when shifting between 1-2 and 2-3?

Also, I thought S3 in that year only came with DSG and not 6MT…
I actually didn’t say I replaced my clutch, but in fact.. I did get a new clutch in December.

going from first to second jerks the car forward. This does not happen if I rev way up to 5000rpm. I shouldn’t need to rev so high to achieve a smooth gear change. I should be able to drive as normal at normal revs and change gear smoothly. My my 7.5 gtd changes gears as smooth as butter. A petrol car of this calibre should have better gear changes
 

Goodbuzzman1

New member
Location
Ireland
Car(s)
Audi s3
I kind of feel like the clutch is disengaging way too fast if you know what I mean…
Like if you pushed your clutch pedal to the floor, changed gear, then your foot accidentally slipped off the clutch pedal completely causing a big jerk…
That’s what my gear changes are like most of the time unless I feather the clutch a little
 

DevinMK7

Ready to race!
Location
WA
Car(s)
2017 Golf GTI Sport
I think 1st to 2nd has a jerky shift because you are not letting the revs drop enough. The gear ratios between 1st to 2nd are pretty wide, but get closer as you shift into higher gears, which you will notice because you are able to shift “quicker” (not hold in clutch as long to let revs drop) as you get up to 6th gear. Try holding the clutch in for a solid second, watch the revs drop, and let out the clutch as you normally do 1st to 2nd. No need to slip clutch, since what you are basically doing is waiting for revs to drop before engaging clutch.
 

Goodbuzzman1

New member
Location
Ireland
Car(s)
Audi s3
I think 1st to 2nd has a jerky shift because you are not letting the revs drop enough. The gear ratios between 1st to 2nd are pretty wide, but get closer as you shift into higher gears, which you will notice because you are able to shift “quicker” (not hold in clutch as long to let revs drop) as you get up to 6th gear. Try holding the clutch in for a solid second, watch the revs drop, and let out the clutch as you normally do 1st to 2nd. No need to slip clutch, since what you are basically doing is waiting for revs to drop before engaging clutch.
Yeah what your saying makes sense but in my case, the longer I leave the clutch in, the worse it is. That is when when problem is more noticeable.
You know when you are just taking it easy around town and you do a slow lazy casual gear change in to second, you have to really put way more effort than should be required in to releasing the clutch pedal to avoid getting jolted!
you have touched on something that I have though about as regards gear ratios etc. I have wondered myself that maybe 1st gear is really short or something compared to any other car I’ve had
 

DevinMK7

Ready to race!
Location
WA
Car(s)
2017 Golf GTI Sport
Yeah what your saying makes sense but in my case, the longer I leave the clutch in, the worse it is. That is when when problem is more noticeable.
You know when you are just taking it easy around town and you do a slow lazy casual gear change in to second, you have to really put way more effort than should be required in to releasing the clutch pedal to avoid getting jolted!
you have touched on something that I have though about as regards gear ratios etc. I have wondered myself that maybe 1st gear is really short or something compared to any other car I’ve had
If you’re shifting at or below 2K RPM and fairly slow, then I can see how it will cause the tach to dip further than what you need, and still cause a jerky shift. My piece of advice would be to watch the tach as the clutch engages, and see if it increases or decreases when the car jerks. This should tell you if the revs dropped too much or not enough.
 
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