gear box problem. shifting into first

[skylark]

I have a 95 jetta manual 5 speed trans 2.0 engine. Reverse is press down on the stick and move into first gear.
First let me say i know nothing about cars but this is what i see. Ok this is what is going on when i shift. The stick moves smoothly around and into the other gears. I am having a problem shifting into first. When i look into the gearbox on the stick there is a plastic arm sticking out to the left with a slight raised edge at the end. On the left wall of the gearbox is a track that apears broken at the top. By top I mean close to the first gear not on top. Moving the stick to the left to go into first the track is blocking the arm. By the look of it the arm goes under the track alteast for rev but maybe it goes over the track to get into first. The tracks edge is down and the arms edge is up. I'm gessing the stick is to high or to low.
The way i have been getting around it is I press slightly down on the stick and carefully shift in to first gear. This is working for me fine. My problem is when I go into reverse. I have been told that the problem is that im pushing against the wall between reverse and first gear over making it so I cant get it into rev.
The way I have handled this issue is getting the car is 5th gear. I have been told to put in 5th will pull the deviding wall between rev and first over so i can get to rev. I do a lot of interstate driving so i dont have a problem most of the time. On the times that it gets stubern pushing the car back a little some how fixes it so I can get in to rev. I don't know how though.

Is the stick to high or to low? Any idea on what needs fixing?
skylark

[watkins]

Pictures

[DarkPilot]

This sounds incredibly similar to what happens in my 03 golf, same 2.0 engine and 5 spd gearbox only for me, it's reverse that is tricky to get into.

When it happens to me, I'll generally just clutch in and let it roll back a little bit. But it only happens when I start with a cold car. If I've been driving for a while everything is fine, even if I've parked and let it sit for 20-30 minutes it's fine.

It only started as the temperatures dropped and is worst on really cold days so I figured this was just a quirk of VWs 5 spd gearbox and haven't thought about it too much.

[skylark]

here is some pics.
file:///media/KODAK/dcim/100kc613/100_1224.jpgfile:///media/KODAK/dcim/100kc613/100_1223.jpgfile:///media/KODAK/dcim/100kc613/100_1221.jpg

[skylark]

wait. i messed up.

[skylark]

heres the pics. hope it works

[skylark]

also the top of the track isnt broken. I looked more closely at it.

[theholycow]

I hate to argue with the guy who owns it and has looked at it in person, but that thing sure looks broken. In the third pic it's quite obvious -- you can see that the screw hole (on the left in that pic) is broken open and you can see where the plastic above has bent and whitened from fatigue...and the hanging part is mispositioned as a result.

[skylark]

I was talking about the top (right) of track being broken.It actually isn't. Its made that way. in the first and second pic it shows where the arm is when moving left to go to first gear. The part where the hanging part of the track is bent is second gear. If you notice in the pics the arms makes contact with the track in the middle(first pic). I have to push down slightly to get under the track(second pic).
I got this car from my brother and haven't driven it before then for several years. But I seem to remember havings to push down farther than I am now to get it into rev. Could something in or under the stick not be pushing the stick up high enough to get the arm over the track? In other cars does the arm go over the track for first gear and under the track for second?

[skylark]

sorry on the last part of sentance I ment over the track for first and under the track for reverse.

[skylark]

any ideas?

[Rope-Pusher]

Looks tummy like the arm should ride AGAINST the track while shifting into 1st or 2nd and under the track to shift into reverse. If you can't shift into 1st or 2nd without pushing down on the lever to get the arm to drop below the track something is worn or out of adjustment. Check for wear by putting the stick into 3rd gear and wiggling it side to side. Look down by the shifter while you wiggle and look for loose connections to the pivot ball, etc. Have someone look underhood while you do this also. Could have worn joints at the trans lever. Assuming things aren't too badly worn, it is possible that an adjustment can be made to push the trans lever further toward 1st, so that you don't have to cheat the reverse blocker to get to 1st.

[skylark]

Its been a while scene my last post. Here is a update:
I was told by my mechanic and the dealer the part I needed was a repair kit for the gear box. Its these plates and a ball that the shift stick sits on. also that something under the hood maybe loose.
I got the repair kit installed and it seems to be getting in to first. the last poster I right 1 and second is shifting against the track not on top of it and reverse is under. The mechanic did have some problems installing the kit, he couldn't get the stick out of the circle bar. ( know wrong name) The next problem is it is even more loose and we cant press down to get in to reverse. I was wanting to verify some info.
Is there something under the hood perhaps something that is making the stick loose that is not letting me press down to get into reverse?

[skylark]

Also after he installed the part the car is having problems starting. What could have happened?

[skylark]

update. I fixed the starting problem. I was also in the process of installing a radio and had the wires connected and hanging down. I noticed that when i tried to start the car there would be static in the speakers. I unplugged the wires and the car starts right up.