Is it just me or is it too easy to get reverse instead of first? Nearly reversed into a car at the traffic lights thinking I'd put it in first but it had slipped in to reverse. Not the first time either!
Anyone else with a manual selecting reverse instead of first!?
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oufc1976
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In short...no. It's a definite push down for me to engage reverse.
I don't mean this how it sounds, but are you quite heavy handed when changing gear?
I don't mean this how it sounds, but are you quite heavy handed when changing gear?
Nope... you have to push the gear stick down to get reverse, not something I tend to do when selecting first!
I've done it a few times but I guess I'm a little too heavy handed! Lucky the parking sensors come on to let you know you've got the wrong gear!
No parking sensors unfortunately. Didn't think I was being especially heavy handed as it certainly hasn't required any significant amount of pushing down pressure to get it into reverse.
squiretolley
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I've done it in my wife's a1 (my a3 is an s-tronic). I think in my case it's because I tend to put my hand on top of the gear lever, so there's often a small amount of downward pressure. I should grip the lever from the sides, I guess, to reduce the chance.
I've done this a few times with mine & know I didn't push down on the shifter.
Is there any adjustment in the cables?
Is there any adjustment in the cables?
Done it a handful of times during 30k driving in the 8V. Never did it once in over 100k in the 8P...
Both 6speed boxes if it makes a difference (do they still even do a 5 speed anymore?)
Both 6speed boxes if it makes a difference (do they still even do a 5 speed anymore?)
10 years of driving a 8P S3 and never did it but in just 10 days of having my 8V S3 its happened at least 5 times & I know 100% that I didn't push down on the lever as that takes a reasonable effort.........
Yes.
Often get 3rd instead of 1st, and just occasionally, reverse too. It's not the slickest or most precise of shifts. It's pretty good most of the time, but just occasionally it baulks a little when going for first.
It's as good as much of its competition of course, but woolier than a mammoth compared to my old MX5, a car famed of course for generating more frothing motoring journalist gear change cliches than any other car, ever... ...In the world...
"Well oiled, rifle bolt, surgical, snick-snick, precision engineered, pleasure to change cogs", etc. et-******-cetera.
When Toyota face lifted the mk3 MR2 in 2004, it got a six speed box and a really annoying beeper that sounded when you selected reverse. I hated it, but now I'm reminded just how dire cable shifters can be, I'm almost tempted to get one for the Audi.
Often get 3rd instead of 1st, and just occasionally, reverse too. It's not the slickest or most precise of shifts. It's pretty good most of the time, but just occasionally it baulks a little when going for first.
It's as good as much of its competition of course, but woolier than a mammoth compared to my old MX5, a car famed of course for generating more frothing motoring journalist gear change cliches than any other car, ever... ...In the world...
"Well oiled, rifle bolt, surgical, snick-snick, precision engineered, pleasure to change cogs", etc. et-******-cetera.
When Toyota face lifted the mk3 MR2 in 2004, it got a six speed box and a really annoying beeper that sounded when you selected reverse. I hated it, but now I'm reminded just how dire cable shifters can be, I'm almost tempted to get one for the Audi.
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Happened to me nearly everyday for s week when I got mine..did come from a dsg...now I look at gear box when in first to double check. Normally when 1st it likes up with the groove in middle of gear level surround .. Little TW Tip there lol
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Happens to me occasionally, usually when hurrying like doing a 3 point turn before traffic comes along. Come out of reverse and it goes straight back rather than first. Once or twice at traffic lights I've found it has gone into reverse instead of first.
Happens to me occasionally, usually when I am in a rush doing a three point turn or reversing round a corner.
It is of course a design fault as I am such a good and experienced driver that I can never possibly make a human error
It is of course a design fault as I am such a good and experienced driver that I can never possibly make a human error
Just tried it when I was out before, I can't imagine hitting reverse before 1st!!! The only thing I can think is that you must be closer to the wheel than me and also have the seat higher! thus you're more above the gear stick pushing downwards! I'm 6ft1 so have the seat right back and low down, so I'm behind and level with the stick when changing gear!!!
Shortyian
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Yes! I have managed it once at the traffic lights, went to pull away and went backwards a little, thankfully got quick reactions to save any blushes! No idea what the bloke behind me must have thought.....
...... I don't know about anyone else but i think the gear stick changes are quite close or compact / tight together , i sometimes miss when gunning it from 2nd to 3rd and tend to hit the 'middle' between 1st and 3rd.... anyone else have this or is it just me being weird?
Firstname_lastname
in ur base killin ur doodz
So pleased (maybe not the right word...) this happens to you all too, I have done this loads in both my 8V S3 and GTD, normally you have to push down to get reverse, until you dont, which is usually when you are first in the queue at a set of traffic lights, or at a drive though, which is when I first noticed it.
Does this sound about right;
"Hmmm 1st isnt going in... i must of gotten halfway between 3rd and 1st, i'll try again... still not got it.... i'll push a little harder to the left
F**K ME I GOT REVERSE!!!!
lights have gone green s**t...Quickly try again....
ARRRRGGGHHHH I GOT REVERSE AGAIN, now everyone behind me thinks I cant drive..."
***Pulls away in second***
Does this sound about right;
"Hmmm 1st isnt going in... i must of gotten halfway between 3rd and 1st, i'll try again... still not got it.... i'll push a little harder to the left
F**K ME I GOT REVERSE!!!!
lights have gone green s**t...Quickly try again....
ARRRRGGGHHHH I GOT REVERSE AGAIN, now everyone behind me thinks I cant drive..."
***Pulls away in second***
I think there's an explanation for this... mmmm, slight issue:
I hope you all have one at the back of your cars! lol
Peace!
I hope you all have one at the back of your cars! lol
Peace!
Firstname_lastname
in ur base killin ur doodz
So It happened to me when I was out for lunch today, but this time i was in a car park, so i didn't look like a pratt... (well not for selecting the wrong gear anyway)
So what i found was that first didn't want to go in, so i released the clutch and depressed it again, this time it went straight in.
Maybe the syncro's get a bit confused sometimes?
Firstname_lastname
in ur base killin ur doodz
I think there's an explanation for this... mmmm, slight issue:
View attachment 102341
I hope you all have one at the back of your cars! lol
Peace!
Cant say i disagree, my driving has certainly gotten more "interesting" as get older, and I more than likely couldn't pass a driving test anymore.
But seriously that gearbox is a proper troll, it normally only happens at the most inappropriate times.
I think there's an explanation for this... mmmm, slight issue:
View attachment 102341
I hope you all have one at the back of your cars! lol
Peace!
We need another thread for S-Tronic owners... "Anyone else put their S-Tronic into Park (thinking its 1st) and wonder why it doesn't move"...
No. Enough of these threads! lol
"Anyone else put their S-Tronic into Park (thinking its 1st) and wonder why it doesn't move"...
The gearbox should be designed so that the action to push down to select the reverse gear doesn't allow for mistakes like that!
It's a bit surprising to say the least...
Agree with @GSB. The manual gearbox on the MX5 I had from in 97-2000 was clinical! Lovely.
0B1001001
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When taking it out of reverse, if you try and go for first quickly, you'll get reverse again - this is definitely a problem with the gearbox design and does catch me out now and again but that's the only scenario I've had an issue with. So doing a rapid 3 point turn, it's almost guaranteed to happen. As everyone's gear changing speed is different, maybe some folk aren't affected by this!
But it needs to pop back "up" when you take it out of reverse... surely this would be noticeable and you can hear it as well...?
I keep trying to put our five speed fiesta, which I am finding is far more fun to drive than the a3 is, into 6th gear, which is reverse. Seeing as I have only accidently put my A3 into reverse once it palls in comparison to the number of times I have tried it on the fiesta..
It's symptomatic of a modern cable shift I'm afraid. Modern car owners don't like transmission buzz in their hands, so there's rubber bushings in the shifter set, rubber bushings in the cable brackets, and plastic bushings in the bellcranks that connect cable to actuator rods.
42draft do these for the mk7 golf, which 'should' fit... They take all the slack and give out of the system, leaving only the natural stretch of the Bowden cables as insulator between your hand and the gearbox selector forks, almost like a proper manual box.
42draft do these for the mk7 golf, which 'should' fit... They take all the slack and give out of the system, leaving only the natural stretch of the Bowden cables as insulator between your hand and the gearbox selector forks, almost like a proper manual box.
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All I can say is some of you either don't know your own strength or have no mechanical sympathy & wrestle the lever around the gate like it's a crowbar. My lever has to be pushed down almost an inch to overcome the spring detent to select reverse so you're well aware you're doing it. As my driving instructor said to me 25 odd years ago you should hold the gearknob like it's a raw egg & you're trying not to crack the shell when you move it.
Having had a Mini Cooper in the past with a metal gearknob you don't grab that too tightly (more than once) on a summers day when it's bl**dy hot!. :-D
Having had a Mini Cooper in the past with a metal gearknob you don't grab that too tightly (more than once) on a summers day when it's bl**dy hot!. :-D
I disagree. Having driven hundreds of different vehicle types over many years, I think I know the good from the merely ordinary. The fact is that the shift lacks accuracy, and under certain circumstances the gears simply refuse to mesh. It's not dangerous or undrivable, in fact it's not really even that annoying, but let's not delude ourselves, it is definitely not one of the worlds greats. The Germans have it sewn up when it comes to interior build, detailing, and exterior styling, areas that Japanese makers simply cannot match. But, no-one builds better manual boxes than the Japanese firms, who could teach the Germans a considerable amount about feel, weighting, tactility and accuracy.
Shortyian
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HAHA YES ! ! !
Smile and pretend everything is normal whilst i pull away awkwardly in 2nd gear
Firstname_lastname
in ur base killin ur doodz
I worked for a boss about 30 years ago who had a series of company cars, each of which developed a problem with engaging reverse gear. When he gave me a lift one day I saw why. He rammed the stick into reverse as though he was shovelling coal. Naturally, as he was my boss, I didn't say anything, but ever since I've practised a light touch on the gear shift. I'm not somebody who drives a lot of different cars, but modern gearboxes are silky smooth compared to cars I drove in the 60s and 70s. I never engaged reverse instead of 1st in either my 8P or 8V A3.
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Lacks accuracy?.... From the neutral position, straight forwards is always 3rd, across left & up the double H gate is always 1st etc etc & the spring loading always returns it to that central start point. Yes I'd agree some fwd gear selectors can feel like stirring a bowl of porridge & not knowing for certain what gear you'll select (WTF were Vauxhall thinking with plastic linkages on the Corsa for instance (cheapskates) & later modified to metal surprise surprise!) but that's certainly not the case with my A3.
Gears refusing to mesh?... Now we're going to have to include clutch control & seating position also, as if you don't depress the full extent of the clutch pedal travel it will baulk the synchro. Of the many manual Audi's (various ages/mileages) I've driven over the years that last centimetre of travel to the footwell carpet can make the difference between engaging or baulking a gear.
TBH the getting flustered at the lights or doing a 3 point turn & mashing it into reverse in your haste to select 1st & not look a total twit is something I would suspect we're all capable of, but in 'normal' day to day selection I don't believe that as the OP says 'is it too easy to get reverse instead of first' without being heavy handed.
