Clutch not allowing gear selection 2.0 TFSI

[Jack Kelly]

Hi guys,

I have a new problem with my car - the clutch won't allow me to select gears.

I drove to McDonald's this morning and a couple of gear changes had a slightly odd shudder when engaging, but nothing awful and the car drove fine otherwise in the 20 minute round trip.

Got home, shut the car off and tried to go out again later. Engine all fine, just can't put it into gear when engine on.

Symptoms:

• Clutch pedal works and feels totally normal
• Car WILL go into gear when engine is off without issue
• When starting the car in gear, starting the car will move the car, so it's like the clutch isn't doing what the pedal says. I can start the car with the clutch up or down to get the same result.
• Car will shift into gears once moving and the revs match up (i.e. bypassing the clutch)
• Clutch will not allow me to select gears as it usually would

While this could be a great way to learn how to perfectly synchronise my gears, I need to fix this!

Could this be a problem with the master cylinder, or slave cylinder? Or is this likely to be a whole clutch job?

Thanks
Jack

 

[Charlie Farley]

Afternoon Jack,
Not seen you on the forum for a while.

Clutch issues are always a pain in the backside but it is possible to narrow down the problem to a degree.

Ok, if you can still select gears then that is a good start if you can select a gear and then when you start up the car move forward, that's also good, well not good but point things in a more specific area.
If you cant change gear normally when the car running etc then things are heading in a specific direction.

It could be one of a few things but they will all relate to the clutch release or lack of it.
Quite simply when you depress the pedal your clutch is not disengaging, possibly due to a lack of fluid pressure or damage to the release mechanism.
lack of fluid pressure from one or both hyd cylinders would be very possible and you won't need a big leak to cause a sufficient drop in hydraulic pressure , which inturn will result in lack of clutch function.

check for leaks.
If that all seems ok, then it will most likely be an issue with the clutch release itself with something broken or damaged.

Sorry I cant be of much more help, but that should be a starting point.

 

[Jack Kelly]

Thanks Rob, I appreciate the reply.

I tend to only come on when I have problems it seems! I am in a months long project to trim the centre console of the car, so will be posting that when complete in hopefully a few more months.

The clutch doesn't seem to want to engage at all when the engine is on, no gears work with the clutch up or down.

What you are saying sounds very logical, I will see if anyone else has other ideas and if not, will looks at the cylinders first. Will update this thread as I get new info.

 

[Charlie Farley]

If the clutch operating lever which is inside the bell housing is not moving to facilitate clutch engagement or dis-engagement for whatever reason you won't get into any gears with the engine running even if the pedal feels like it is doing something, but it isn't.
It may not be moving due to lack of hydraulic pressure for whatever reason, or the fingers on the clutch pressure plate assembly maybe damaged resulting in a similar effect.

There are not that many things that link the clutch foot pedal to the actual clutch pressure plate.
You push the foot pedal, that forces hyd oil via hyd cylinders and hose to the clutch operating lever, which in turn puts pressure via the clutch release bearing on the clutch pressure plate.
Without any force being correctly exerted on the clutch pressure plate via operating lever nothing is going to happen properly.

 

[Charlie Farley]

Thanks Rob, I appreciate the reply.

I tend to only come on when I have problems it seems! I am in a months long project to trim the centre console of the car, so will be posting that when complete in hopefully a few more months.

The clutch doesn't seem to want to engage at all when the engine is on, no gears work with the clutch up or down.

What you are saying sounds very logical, I will see if anyone else has other ideas and if not, will looks at the cylinders first. Will update this thread as I get new info.

with the engine turned off , can you engage every gear fully inc reverse with the pedal depressed?

 

[Charlie Farley]

Other than what i have mentioned above which would suggest clutch release mechanism issues , there is a chance it could be a sticking clutch disc but you would be less likely get any gears at all .
keep in mind that the clutch pedal is spring assisted to equalize pedal operating effort over the full travel of the pedal.

check the slave cylinder first as they can be the first part to leak .