not to long ago i was driving my tt like normal on the highway. after i got off the highway i noticed a squealing noise like a bearing going bad in second gear. the noise gets worse if i rest my hand on the shifter. shifting into second gear feels a little like sand paper rubbing together instead of a smooth shift. but this is not as noticeable as the squealing. now the squealing can be heard when shifting into 2nd and 4th.

so this is what i know. i have an audi tt with 158xxx miles, 2002 quattro, with the 5 speed. 1st, 3rd, 5th gears are all good and work perfectly. 2nd gear is the worst. if i rest my hand on the shifter or wiggle the shifter around, a squealing noise can be heard. the noise can not be heard when driving with my hand off the shifter. (would just like everyone to know i know not to rest my hand on the shifter when driving. i just did this for testing.) the noise is noticeable when changing gears from 1st to 2nd. and now 3rd to 4th is starting to make the noise too.

so im thinking this would be something related to the bearings on the gear track for 2nd and 4th? also could it be the shifter fork inside the tranny? im good at working on cars and would just like to know if anyone knows whats going on or if this is a common issue? if the replacement parts are not cheap or hard to get, i may consider a 6speed swap. im new to forums, this is actually my first issue i have ever posted about. thanks for any help you guys can give!