[Noobbeetle]

Three weeks ago at a Jeep dealership 90 miles from home, I test drove a 2011 Jeep Rubicon. My wife and I tried to leave to sleep on our decision, but the Bug would not cooperate. Here's some background. 3 months ago the clutch was replaced. The work was done out of town due to the clutch failing on the interstate while traveling. The shop is 250mi from us. Following the work, the Bug made a sound like a rotor being turned if the clutch was released in nuetral. I assumed this was just due to a flywheel rubbing the new clutch pad or something and it would go away over time. It didn't. That may be a factoid. So just before the tranny failed, 5th gear became problematic. A double clutch would solve the shifting issue, if there was one that particular shift. But the final fail happened as we tried to leave. I started the car, and put it in reverse no problem. But when I let out on the clutch it felt as if the E-brake was engaged. The car bogged down, then the tension was finally released in spurts, the car hopping backwards between release and catch of the tension. The gear selector was then extremely difficult to move, but once in N, it was easy to move through all gears. So I moved it forward back into the space and it duplicated the action going forward. Also, the selector was bound into first until I used a lot of force to move it. Then it moved freely. Yesterday I towed the car home behind my new Rubicon. I have lifted the front end in its new temproary home, my garage. I think I now have a project. I have a 15y old daughter in Driver's Ed atm. She has helped me change plugs, oil, air intake, cat-back exhaust and brakes. This will be a big step up for both of us if we change the tranny. I am open to hints, suggestions, opinions, and crticisms over the next few weeks. Please help guide me into the abyss.

 

[Noobbeetle]

Another factoid

To add to my description, about 5 months ago I lost all gears but 3 & 4. I got it to the dealer, who told me I needed a new linkage. So I got one. In getting the bug there I burned up my clutch starting in 3rd gear for a whole day. So consider that I have a relatively new linkage, and a very new clutch, and a noise like a turning rotor, and all the rest. And I have an undrivable 99 TDi with 160k miles. Shoot it or fix it? I could part it out, or pour more money into it. New tires, hubcaps, seats, linkage, power window & power lock switches, Pioneer speakers, floor mats and headliner. :barfkiss:

 

[Noobbeetle]

What type of tranny do I need?

Can anyone tell me exactly what type or model of manual transmission I should be looking for with VIN 3vwcf21cxxm445379?

 

[Smileybug]

What year is the car?

 

[Noobbeetle]

What year is the car?

1999 manual 1.9 tdi

 

[Smileybug]

Its an O2J transmission. Not sure of the specific transmission code you'll need, but you'd want something out of a TDI. The gearing is different in a gasser transmission (the 2.0L cars also had the O2J). I imagine any Mk4 TDI 5-speed would work but I'm not certain.

Have you looked into having the one you have rebuilt?

 

[Noobbeetle]

Its an O2J transmission. Not sure of the specific transmission code you'll need, but you'd want something out of a TDI. The gearing is different in a gasser transmission (the 2.0L cars also had the O2J). I imagine any Mk4 TDI 5-speed would work but I'm not certain.

Have you looked into having the one you have rebuilt?

Thanks for your assistance. I hven't looked into much. My experience in the 6mos with this vehicle is everything breaks, and everything is expensive. But, the engine is a beast. So, to that end, and with nothing to lose, I am trying to choose a path. I saw 2 99 TDi trannies on Ebay and there are two model numbers. I don't know what is wrong, what the cost of a rebuild would be, what tools I will need, etc. I saw that Bentley manuals run abotu $100. Ouch. I guess that will be first.

 

[Noobbeetle]

My first impression

I just lifted the car 20 inches onto blocks. I am not ready to do anything yet. My $90 Bentley manual will not be here until next week. But looking under it I saw things I didn't like. i am not a mechanic, just mechanically inclined. I am going into this with no knowledge. Here is what I saw right away. On the driver's side, I saw a rip in what i think is the CV boot. It is not the end on the tire side, it's on the transmission side. One one of the valleys in the acordian rubber piece is torn open. I can see that fluid has sprayed down the underside of the driver's side. Granted, this is a 160k mi, 1999 vehicle. But the dirt and oily fluid were obvious. Also, there is a VW emblem on the underside of the tranny. Oil is sitting on the head of a bolt holding that emblem on. It looks ready to drip, just hanging there. I may add photos tomorrow. Time for drinking and UFC now.

 

[Smileybug]

That bolt should be your drain plug I believe. Might not be tightened all the way, or you have a leak from somewhere else that is just dripping down to that point.

 

[kcfoxie]

I have a high mile 98 TDI. I've had two transmission issues, and you being a 99 may have the early transmission and linkage like I do...

The counterweight that sits atop the shift linkage on the transmission may be catching on the coolant hose of your car. I had to remove mine, as that whole mechanism physically broke off around 253k miles... the side-to-side linkage select, that limited me to 3 and 4th gears only as you described, had been replaced earlier (about 240k miles or so).

I know my clutch was replaced before I got the car at 230k but I don't know how soon or if that has anything to do with the linkage acting up with mine. However, if you remove the airbox and look at the shift linkage, you'll see the counter weight. a 13mm holds it on.

it may need to be adjusted (loosened, put the car into affected gear, and tighten retaining 13mm nut down after the lever-like weight has cleared whatever it is that it is hitting against).

IF IT IS hitting the coolant line off the drivers side of the engine block, inspect the line for leaks (pinch, pull it)... replace it if it leaks when you touch it in any way. Just a stitch in time maneuver there....

 

[Noobbeetle]

I will check that couter-weight when I get my manual in. It may have an issue, but I don't think it is THE issue. THE issue is the transmission twisting into some unnatural position somewhere that locks the whole thing up when trying to move. I have it with the front wheels off the ground, so I will be able to experiment. I thhink I can also reach the entire engine compartment at the height it is.

 

[Noobbeetle]

DVD ROM manual arrived today. Incompatible with Win7....of course. So, no laptop.....daughter's desktop runs XP luckily.

 

[DZLBUG]

DVD ROM manual arrived today. Incompatible with Win7....of course. So, no laptop.....daughter's desktop runs XP luckily.

Should have gotten the paper version.

Sent from my DROID2

 

[Noobbeetle]

No New Tranny or Rebuild Needed

Here is all it took to get the Bug running again. I copied this from another post under the Transmission Fluid thread.

should be 17mm

get redline 75w90 gear oil

I used a trick I learned on a Hayabusa forum to remove the transmission fill plug. DON'T GO BUY AN EXPENSIVE HEX KEY TO DO THIS. Go get yourself a 10mm bolt about 3cm or 1.5" long. The head of it perfectly fits the tranny fill plug. Then use vice grips or a small pipe wrench to turn it. Voila!

I could not get my hands on Redline last night, so I got two quarts of a purple syrup called Royal Purple at only $20/qt. I drove to work today. What an incredible pain to get fluid into the tranny. I put a tue I had on the tip of the bottle cap, with the other in the hole, held the bottle up and punched holes in the bottom of the bottle. It took 30 mins per bottle for that stuff to flow. I will find a larger tube next time.

I will order Redline and probably drain the fluid when it arrives in case any metal is in there. Apparently it has been dry since a shop out of town replaced my clutch. The whirring sound it made in nuetral when I got it back is gone. I cleaned all the old oil and dirt off the underside of the car to see if I can find a leak now.