Rough shifts out of reverse - Golf TSI S (1.8T)

[ferdy]

I've a 2016 Golf 1.8T with an automatic transmission (not DSG) and I've just noticed that the shifts out of reverse are pretty rough, they're noisy and the car shudders a bit. This behavior is limited to shifting out of reverse both into neutral and drive. The shifts in drive are smooth, no issues there. I'd appreciate some help in troubleshooting. I've roughly 51k miles on the odo and some searching online said VW doesn't recommend a transmission fluid swap until 80k for non-DSG cars. The car also hasn't been throwing any errors on the screen, should I still get the OBD port scanned at AutoZone? I had a shifter microswitch replaced as part of a recall a couple of years ago. Any pointers/help are appreciated.

 

[DogParty]

Mine acts up crazy but doesn't throw codes, so yours may not have any. Despite mine being a pile of junk, I have 0 issues with R->N. Definitely do a trans service (fluid, filter, pan gasket) if you care about keeping the car for a while longer. I had a shop do mine for $250 but its diy-able (and I may go that route next time now that I have a VCDS). I had mine done at 40k mi... They said my fluid was getting dirty but not too bad and no metal debris. I think the 2015s with the same trans were 50k mi intervals anyways, I bet they just extended it for lower lifetime maintenance costs or something.

Check engine and trans mounts. My R->D clunk went 80% away when I put in new mounts. Check subframe bolts, dogbone mount and pucks, and tightness of everything underneath.

Make sure you have your foot PLANTED on the brake when you shift. No more quick R->D at 2mph.

Do a transmission adaptations reset... few methods listed in this article: https://www.youcanic.com/guide/volkswagen-transmission-problems

What kind of noise? A clunk? A whine? Does it hesitate briefly or go right in? Any noise from the transmission sitting in neutral?

 

[ferdy]

Mine acts up crazy but doesn't throw codes, so yours may not have any. Despite mine being a pile of junk, I have 0 issues with R->N. Definitely do a trans service (fluid, filter, pan gasket) if you care about keeping the car for a while longer. I had a shop do mine for $250 but its diy-able (and I may go that route next time now that I have a VCDS). I had mine done at 40k mi... They said my fluid was getting dirty but not too bad and no metal debris. I think the 2015s with the same trans were 50k mi intervals anyways, I bet they just extended it for lower lifetime maintenance costs or something.

Check engine and trans mounts. My R->D clunk went 80% away when I put in new mounts. Check subframe bolts, dogbone mount and pucks, and tightness of everything underneath.

Make sure you have your foot PLANTED on the brake when you shift. No more quick R->D at 2mph.

Do a transmission adaptations reset... few methods listed in this article: https://www.youcanic.com/guide/volkswagen-transmission-problems

What kind of noise? A clunk? A whine? Does it hesitate briefly or go right in? Any noise from the transmission sitting in neutral?

Thanks for the detailed answer. It makes a clunk when going out of reverse. I've noticed it only clunks when idling over 800rpm. There's no noise from the transmission while sitting in neutral. I always come to a full stop before changing from R -> D. I'll try resetting the personalizations.

 

[StorableComa]

Are you sure it's the tranny and not something suspension wise shifting when you change gears? Have an 09G on my GSW and while I don't get any noise when shifting from D to reverse, I do get a little increased NVH for a brief moment while it's shifting.. Not quite manual car about to stall, but I'd say maybe a cold start with the AC running rough where it's noticeable. I imagine a rotted sway bar bushing or other would cause some clanking when shifting from D to R.

Edit: Can't hurt to have the tranny service done early. Had mine done due to rough shifts that turned out to be a bulletin issue with the transmission temp sensor reading high, wasn't covered under warranty but it did help.

 

[ferdy]

Are you sure it's the tranny and not something suspension wise shifting when you change gears? Have an 09G on my GSW and while I don't get any noise when shifting from D to reverse, I do get a little increased NVH for a brief moment while it's shifting.. Not quite manual car about to stall, but I'd say maybe a cold start with the AC running rough where it's noticeable. I imagine a rotted sway bar bushing or other would cause some clanking when shifting from D to R.

Edit: Can't hurt to have the tranny service done early. Had mine done due to rough shifts that turned out to be a bulletin issue with the transmission temp sensor reading high, wasn't covered under warranty but it did help.

I have no noise shifting into R only when shifting out of R. And yeah, the noise reduces a good bit after the engine has warmed up. Might as well get the transmission serviced.

 

[ferdy]

Mine acts up crazy but doesn't throw codes, so yours may not have any. Despite mine being a pile of junk, I have 0 issues with R->N. Definitely do a trans service (fluid, filter, pan gasket) if you care about keeping the car for a while longer. I had a shop do mine for $250 but its diy-able (and I may go that route next time now that I have a VCDS). I had mine done at 40k mi... They said my fluid was getting dirty but not too bad and no metal debris. I think the 2015s with the same trans were 50k mi intervals anyways, I bet they just extended it for lower lifetime maintenance costs or something.

Check engine and trans mounts. My R->D clunk went 80% away when I put in new mounts. Check subframe bolts, dogbone mount and pucks, and tightness of everything underneath.

Make sure you have your foot PLANTED on the brake when you shift. No more quick R->D at 2mph.

Do a transmission adaptations reset... few methods listed in this article: https://www.youcanic.com/guide/volkswagen-transmission-problems

What kind of noise? A clunk? A whine? Does it hesitate briefly or go right in? Any noise from the transmission sitting in neutral?

You had a shop service your transmission for $250? ECS tuning shows that the cost of parts alone is $340.

 

[odessa.filez]

how long have you owned it and how long with the problem?

mine had clunkiness from D to R and back, from the factory. Dealership said it was normal. 60k later I replaced my motor and trans mounts. Originals were misaligned. After replacement, it was much improved, better than new.

 

[ferdy]

how long have you owned it and how long with the problem?

mine had clunkiness from D to R and back, from the factory. Dealership said it was normal. 60k later I replaced my motor and trans mounts. Originals were misaligned. After replacement, it was much improved, better than new.

I've owned it for 3 years. I only noticed it last Sunday when it clunked real hard.

 

[jimlloyd40]

How high the idle is will have an effect when shifting from drive to reverse especially when the engine is cold and the RPM 's are higher. If you just started your car when the engine is cold hesitate briefly before shifting with your foot firmly on the brake pedal.

 

[RobertJG25]

This might sound stupid but are you coming to a full stop, waiting at least a full second, then changing out of Reverse? I find if I do that and pause for a second in N, the shift from R to D is almost imperceptible. I have the 8 speed though, but if I go straight from R to D or vise-versa with no delay there is a clunk