I have a 96 Vw Jetta. I'm having problems with 4th gear. It shifts a little hard from 1st to 2nd, fine into 3rd, and will go into 4th. As soon as pressure is applied to the gas pedal to speed up, it slips out of 4th gear, (kinda like it won't downshift to 3rd). If you let off the gas pedal it will catch 4th again, but again if you apply any pressure to the pedal it will slip right back out. It used to be an intermittent problem but lately it does it all the time. Changed the wire harness, solenoid, TCM, and the plastic plugs in the valve body. When I recently replaced the TCM it seemed fine, but we had to drop the pan and fix a leak in the pan and ever since then the 4th gear issue has been an everyday occurance. We've tried scanning for codes, but haven't come up with anything on the tranny. It is NOT in limp mode. I'm on the verge of just taking a baseball bat to the car. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
When you say it drops out of 4th, are you saying it downshifts into 3rd too easily or that it neutralizes (as can seen on the tach, the engine will just rev but no noticeable movement) and then engages back into 4th when you let up? If during this time, you stomp on the gas, will it downshift like normal or does it still neutralize? Do you have a VAG-COM?
Brad
No it will not downshift into third. If the RPM drop down to like 1000-1500 then smash the gas... it will downshift. It revs (as if in neutral) with no movement. No I don't have a VAG-COM.
Without having any diagnostic tools to investigate this further, it sounds like the throttle position sensor (TPS) is either out of adjustment or has a dead spot. You can have it reset if you have a VCDS or know someone who does. Otherwise, a dealer can reset this but they will charge you, however, since you are already in there, pay the little extra and have them diagnose it, just don't commit to any repairs. Good luck!
Brad
I have fixed slipping in 4th a couple times with vavle body repairs. There's no diagnostic technique to determine if this is the case or not though.
Auto trans fluid change or flush will not make a trans fail. Stop spreading the wives tale/urban myth.
ASE Master Certified Technician with L1 Advanced Diagnostic Rating Recently passed ASE certification for Light Diesel repair.
www.KansasCityTdi.com
I did call the local dealership to have a TCM reset, but even just that was gonna cost me $90.Originally Posted by bjohns86
The reason I even tried the valve body plugs, was because I read that it was a fix for the problem. I figured for parts under $10, why not can't hurt. But... as you can see, it didn't work. There were some other red colored plugs in the valve body also, does anyone know what they call them?
Plugs are not your issue. The plugs only need replaced when they break out of the valve body and fall into the pan. I havn't seen this for years.
Auto trans fluid change or flush will not make a trans fail. Stop spreading the wives tale/urban myth.
ASE Master Certified Technician with L1 Advanced Diagnostic Rating Recently passed ASE certification for Light Diesel repair.
www.KansasCityTdi.com
I agree with CoolAirVW, plugs are not relevant here and your problem is likely VB, but I mentioned throttle position sensor because the the VB is being commanded to shift at some capacity, unless 4th is so fragile that any added torque is causing it to slip to the point of feeling like a neutralization, which I doubt. Does the fluid smell burnt? I don't want you reset the TCM, but rather have the downshift and throttle valve settings reset, which is done through VAG-COM. CoolAirVW, may be able to add more to this concern, though without any diagnostic tools it is tough.
Brad
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