I have a 2000 Audi 4 CYLINDER 1.8 LITER TURBO that has an issue going into 1st gear on occasion.
My daughther is the primarly driver. We bought the car used in very good condition but she wore the
clutch out learning to drive a manual transmission. By that, I mean - she had a short learning curve
but all seemed fine with the clutch until one day she drove into town from 3 hours away to find
when we started it up the next day, the clutch was shot. We then hauled it in to have the clutch
replaced and they replaced the flywheel as well - they did not open the transmission and did not
change the transmission oil. Anyway up until that time, the problem of going into 1st gear only was
a rare thing and she just mentioned it to me from time to time because it was not really a big deal
except that one time I drove it and it would not go into 1st at all. Frustrated, I parked it and later the same day,
it went into first every time. After the clutch was replaced, we noticed that it will not go into 1st more often.
My daughter just takes off in 2nd and it will most likely go into 1st many more times until it won't again.
When I drive it, I can get it to go into 1st (when it won't) by putting it into 3rd, try to take off and then press
the clutch pedal to then slip it into 1st. This only works about 90% of the time. The strange thing that when it
does go into 1st gear, it slips in just fine like there is not an issue all. Sorry that this post is so long. I just
could not find anything in previous post that would resolve my issue short of replacing/rebuilding the
transmision and I thought a bit of history may help. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

Will it go into first and then not engage.... feeling all loosey goosey? Might be that a shift fork could be broken or damaged or that the little dog ear tabs *for a lack of better words* that move up to push the nipples that push the rods into gear might be misaligned after use. Best bet is checked the alignment of where the shifters go into the tranny, it will be on the driver side, under the air fliter box. I would suggest taking it to a shop or have someone you know look at it, it shouldnt take more than 30 minutes to check and test if thats it.

 

On the gear box is a little tab to lock the gearbox into neutral the selectors are adjustable spring loaded adjustments on the cables. First of all you need to pull back the spring loaded lock and then twist it so that it dosen't spring back and lock into place again do this to both of them then puch the tab (L shaped bar) in on the gearbox, this will lock it into neutral (the gear lever has to of been in neutral before you do this). Now pull cables to thier limits and release the spring loaded lock on the cables. This will have adjusted gear slectors. Some times it takes a couple of atemps