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First gear jerks!

14K views 34 replies 8 participants last post by  dnyed 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi I have a 2002 automatic transmission beetle and would like to ask if I need to worry about this. I notice that after placing it to "D" no matter how soft I push the accelerator, I feel a jerky movement. "sometimes" it wont but mostly if coming from stopping, it will jerk..is this a sign of trouble?

And I also notice that if I put it on reverse, without stepping the gas, the car moves with is normal for an automatic trans..but if putting on Drive mode..i expect that the car move also without stepping on the gas but It wont..
 
#3 ·
hi

Hi,
Same as mine, if it is warm up already it goes away. So did you change your CPU? hows your beetle doing right now? I already had a oil change but it still there. I just don't want that this little problem will get bigger. Even in the morning my breaks squeks on reverse and my mechanic told me its normal..
 
#4 ·
Hi,
Same as mine, if it is warm up already it goes away. So did you change your CPU? hows your beetle doing right now? I already had a oil change but it still there. I just don't want that this little problem will get bigger. Even in the morning my breaks squeks on reverse and my mechanic told me its normal..
Could be a valve body issue. The Automatic Beetle's valve bodies are prone to failure. Insufficient line pressure can lead to ultimate transmission failure.
 
#10 ·
The jerky problem usually kicks in the morning. It takes 2-3 second--pick up jerk then run. Nothing to do with rpm. So do I need to call my mechanic on this and change the body valve? is it expensive?
Have you checked your transmission fluid? Is it full? Not sure if you have a transmission dip stick to check your fluid but if there is check it with the engine running.
Valve Body replacement will cost about $1700. VW did extend the warranty on the automatic transmission. You may want to check into that. Either way before spending any money on unnessary repairs I would have it checked out by a reputable VW shop. I would stay away from transmission shops since they are like vulchers and will tell you that you need a rebuilt transmission or worse a new one.
 
#8 ·
How many miles on the car? I'd probably start with a fluid and filter change since it seems to only do it when cold.
 
#9 ·
hi

My bug is on its 97k mileage. before buying this, the auto store told me that they will change oil and cam belt as soon as I buy it so they did. it also happned during day time specially after work when the car park for a long time. Hope..hope..hope that this is not a sign of trouble because I really love this car and hope to keep it for a long time :(

What other thing do we need to do minimiz this jerky movement? any suggestion?
 
#12 ·
My bug is on its 97k mileage. before buying this, the auto store told me that they will change oil and cam belt as soon as I buy it so they did. it also happned during day time specially after work when the car park for a long time. Hope..hope..hope that this is not a sign of trouble because I really love this car and hope to keep it for a long time :(

What other thing do we need to do minimiz this jerky movement? any suggestion?
They more then likely changed the engine oil but not the transmission fluid since it is suppose to be a lifetime fill which is a joke. That fluid gets contaminated and then all that crud runs through your transmission and eventually cloggs something up or worse. You could start with a transmission fluid change/flush. Some say stay away from a flush since it will just push more of the crud through the valve body and transmission however if done professionally it can also remove all that build up. If the valve body is damaged then the fluid change or flush won't help but it can't hurt either. I would have a professional shop test your line pressure. It will tell if the valve body is defective or not.
 
#11 ·
No dipstick to check fluid level. I would wonder what fluid they put in. Do you have an invoice or anything to tell you that? I'd be willing to bet they didn't put the right stuff in...
 
#13 ·
I bet they didn't put anything in. They changed the engine oil and perhaps changed the accessory belt. If they changed the timing belt, water pump, pulley and tensioners they should give her a receipt showing that this service has been performed or she may be sitting on a timebomb waiting to go off and then the transmission will be the least of her worries. That car could end up costing more than a new one.
 
#14 ·
Your car is over due for transmission fluid and filter change. That could very well take care of the problem. No oil has unlimited miles. VW did not have transmissiom fluid changes in their service maintence. They said the transmissions are sealed and the fluid was good for the life of the car which is BS. If changing the filter and fluid doesn't do it, then I would take it to a reputable transmission shop and have them look at it. VW techs do not know a whole lot about the transmissions. They know to replace the valvebody or replace the transmission, they do not work on them. Your car is not, from the way it sounds, is not exibiting the valvebody problems I and other people had which was hard and violent shifts between 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears.
 
#15 · (Edited)
hi

Sorry for my ignorance. I tot engine change oil/filter is the same as transmission fluid and filter change. Are they not? I don't have a transmission fluid dip stick. Is there anyway I could check it on my own if transmission fluid needs to be replace or is full or not?

I don't have any receipt regarding my engine oil change/filter. I trust this guys since I bought my first car with them with no problem.

Hi guys! just got back from a shop close to my house and they told me that they will try to flush it and transmission fluid change and from there
they will see how it goes. They are hoping that it won't be as bad as the others they fix because the delay of my car is just on "drive" mode and the
"reverse" is still good. And they said no "dip stick" on this model. So let's cross our finger's for this :(
 
#16 ·
Sorry for my ignorance. I tot engine change oil/filter is the same as transmission fluid and filter change. Are they not? I don't have a transmission fluid dip stick. Is there anyway I could check it on my own if transmission fluid needs to be replace or is full or not?

I don't have any receipt regarding my engine oil change/filter. I trust this guys since I bought my first car with them with no problem.
Oil and filter change usually refers to the engine oil and filter not the transmission. Engine oil and transmission fluid are completely different things. Your dealer wouldn't have changed the transmission fluid since it isn't on the regular maintanence schedule. VW thinks that the automatic transmission fluid will last the life of your car. They are probably right. It will last until your car dies :D
Unfortunately there is no possible way to check the transmission fluid yourself unless you want to jack up the car and drop the transmission pan. Not a difficult job but a messy one and one better left to the pros. Changing the fluid may or may not help depending on what is actually wrong with your car. Now this dealer that you bought the car from is it actually a VW dealer? If not I would take it to a shop that is experienced with VW's. Our cars are novelty items and require more maintanence than other cars. It involves more than just an engine oil and filter change. One of the more important maintanence items is the Timing Belt Service. If this hasn't been done on your car you can be in a lot of trouble when that timing belt breaks and your pistons and valves make some fireworks. Check with the dealer you bought the car from if they show that they have replaced the timing belt, water pump (very important), tensioner and pulley. These are all part of the very important Timing Belt service which should be performed every 75k miles or sooner.
When you have your transmission looked at asked them if the timing belt service has been performed. If not I would get that done as soon as you can afford it.

I sincerely hope that you will get your car up and running.
Good Luck to you!
 
#17 · (Edited)
hi

The dealer that I bought from is not a VW showroom but sell different cars as well. I will try to ask more question to the auto-shop across my house about anything else that you told me. This shop is not really a VW shop specialist but they are famous on fixing German Cars & Car restoration. Its the only biggest and reliable shop I've know here in our town.

Last one question, is "timing belt" & "Cam Belt" desame? cause they just change it last week which is part of every 100k mntainance. They also change/fix my left side power window motor and left side fog light bulb since it is part of the 2 year warranty from the car dealer. I am really careful and keep my eyes open for any abnormal thing I could hear or notice cause I really love this car :)

This forum really help me a lot cause when I talk to the mechanic earlier, it seems I know everything what they are talking and knowing what I want them to do and check..thank you guys for your help. I'll keep you guys posted on this!

At this point, do I also need to change my spark plugs? spark plug wires?
 
#18 ·
The dealer that I bought from is not a VW showroom but sell different cars as well. I will try to ask more question to the auto-shop across my house about anything else that you told me. This shop is not really a VW shop specialist but they are famous on fixing German Cars & Car restoration. Its the only biggest and reliable shop I've know here in our town.

Last one question, is "timing belt" & "Cam Belt" desame? cause they just change it last week which is part of every 100k mntainance. They also change/fix my left side power window motor and left side fog light bulb since it is part of the 2 year warranty from the car dealer. I am really careful and keep my eyes open for any abnormal thing I could hear or notice cause I really love this car :)

This forum really help me a lot cause when I talk to the mechanic earlier, it seems I know everything what they are talking and knowing what I want them to do and check..thank you guys for your help. I'll keep you guys posted on this!

At this point, do I also need to change my spark plugs? spark plug wires?
It is possible that the Cam Belt and the Timing Belt are the same thing. Perhaps they use that term in NZ ;) It is best to check with them just to make sure. If they did change the Timing Belt or what they call the Cam Belt they should have also changed the water pump, the accessory belt, the tensioner, the pulley and the thermostat. All this is replaced during the timing belt service.

It's not a bad idea to change the spark plugs if they haven't been changed recently. I assume you have the 2.0l engine? Then I believe they still use Spark Plug wires which should be checked as well. The 1.8 Turbo engine doesn't have Spark Plug wires but a Coil on Plug system.

Good Luck with your Beetle and I hope everything works out for you.
 
#19 ·
hi

hi guys! I just talk to my mechanic who did the "cam belt / timing belt" and said that he also change the rest of the stuff except the water pump which we already scheduled to be replace after Christmas. He also said that he did not change the thermostat yet since the computer did not get any error from it.

Next week Tuesday is the schedule for transmission fluid change/filter and flushing. He charge me $75 for the flushing and $13 dollars per liter for the fluid which is not bad at all compared to the other shop across my house :)

Maybe we will try to do both water pump belt change and spark plug change on the same day. Yup! I got 2.0 engine. Wish me luck guys and hoping that everything goes well :)
 
#20 ·
Not sure why you put off the water pump...you have to take the timing belt off to get to it. Its all usually done at the same time because of that. More labor intensive to just do the pump.

Also, I wouldn't flush the trans fluid, just drain, change the filter, and refill. Flushing can move junk around and cause more problems then its worth.
 
#21 ·
hi

Hi guys! so flushing is not really advisable? ok if thats the case then this tuesday I will let them drain it and change filter and fluid just to be sure. it's better if I could also talk to the mechanic in person so that I could hear his technical reason for the flushing and then we go from there.

About the water pump..yup! they did not change it because it is not part of the warranty and not included in the general 100k mntainance here in NZ I think :)
 
#22 ·
Hi guys! so flushing is not really advisable? ok if thats the case then this tuesday I will let them drain it and change filter and fluid just to be sure. it's better if I could also talk to the mechanic in person so that I could hear his technical reason for the flushing and then we go from there.

About the water pump..yup! they did not change it because it is not part of the warranty and not included in the general 100k mntainance here in NZ I think :)
Doesn't make any sense for the water pump not being part of the regular timing belt maintenance because all of the beetle's had those crappy water pumps with "plastic" impellars from the factory. And if they did the timing belt service then they were right there and replacing it would have been a lot easier then taking it all apart again to get to the water pump at some later time. Sounds to me that they were intentionally lazy or negligent.

As far as flushing vs. draining the transmission a lot of people will tell you different things. It takes a special machine to properly flush the transmission. Where the old transmission fluid is pushed out into a bladder and replaced with new fluid. If done right it will replace up to 98% of the old fluid. Some say that the pressure of the machine will shoot the gunk and varnish that built up through the transmission and it may damage the seals and clutches. If that happens there may already been some damage prior to flushing the transmission and perhaps the flush aggravated the issue.
That said if you just take off the pan and let the transmission drain you will probably only be able to get about 60-65% of the old fluid out since the old fluid pooling in the Torque Converter and the Valve body will remain and can't be removed unless you flush your transmission. So you are mixing old fluid with new fluid.

Well, either way I wish you well. I just hope this car will not nickle and dime you to death.
 
#23 ·
hi

Hi! You also got a point thr. At this stage the last say or decision would be from the mechanic :) I still on doubt if they did not change the water pump since it was a long the way when changing the timing belt as you guys said. It will be confirmed next week when I meet him. Maybe the secretary whom I speak to after I talk to the mechanic don't have an idea what was change etc. As long as they will treat my bug accordingly then there would be no problem :)
 
#24 ·
I have no clue on the procedure for the NB, but I know on my husband's Honda Accord, the fluid change procedure for his transmission calls for you to drain and fill 3 times. After each fill, run the car through all of the gears to get the fluid moving around, then drain. Doing this 3 times gets a better chance of getting all of the bad stuff out (and you do see the fluid getting cleaner each time. We do this ourselves). But with needing to use VAG-COM for checking the level properly, not sure if its that easy with the NB. There is a dipstick on the Honda trans and all very, very easy to do.
 
#26 ·
at last trans fluid change already done yesterday and so far it only jerks twice today..cause befor wen i place the gear to drive..wont move..now, it moves without stepping the gas..is this a got sign of recovery?
I hate to say this but there is no magic fix for an Automatic Transmission once it is acting up. Your Valve Body is what is causing the jerking and perhaps the new fluid did clear one or more blockages but that is only temporary. Once the valve body goes the transmission isn't far behind. I do wish you good luck and hope you can enjoy driving it for a few months longer.
 
#27 ·
Sometimes fluid changing does fix problems. But if its still showing the same symptoms, you have other issues.
 
#28 ·
hi guys

so if it was'nt fix by a transmission fluid change so there must be a bigger problem? i don't mind if the transmission goes anytime this year because I have a 2 year mechanical warranty. But beyond that, I maybe in trouble financially :)

They already fix/change my power window, leak engine oil and power steering with no cost on my side.
 
#29 ·
so if it was'nt fix by a transmission fluid change so there must be a bigger problem? i don't mind if the transmission goes anytime this year because I have a 2 year mechanical warranty. But beyond that, I maybe in trouble financially :)

They already fix/change my power window, leak engine oil and power steering with no cost on my side.
In that case keep complaining that the transmission jerks.
It's a well documented case that the Valve body in the early model Beetle's is weak and breaks down. This will reduce line pressure to the transmission itself and eventually burn out the clutches. So in other words once the Valve body fails completely the transmission will be toast as well. Dealership charges about 1500-2000 for a new valve body. A rebuilt transmission will be a lot higher in price.

I would keep complaining until the fix the valve body or better yet replace the transmission. Because it isn't if it will fail but when.
 
#30 ·
Hey..

Yup I would and keep my eye on my bug for ther maybe more unexplained problems coming. But today I am lucky that no jerking happened. I'll keep you guys posted in a months time on this. I also found out that my secondary air pump is noisy when active like a jet plane and when I put my hand close to it I feel air coming out were the pump and the tube is connected. My secondary pump is dfrent from others I saw here in org. It has no revits. Can I fix this on my own or need to bring it to the shop again?

thanks again guys!
 
#31 ·
Yup I would and keep my eye on my bug for ther maybe more unexplained problems coming. But today I am lucky that no jerking happened. I'll keep you guys posted in a months time on this. I also found out that my secondary air pump is noisy when active like a jet plane and when I put my hand close to it I feel air coming out were the pump and the tube is connected. My secondary pump is dfrent from others I saw here in org. It has no revits. Can I fix this on my own or need to bring it to the shop again?

thanks again guys!
If it is under warranty then I would take it to the shop. Why worry about fixing it if it is covered?
 
#32 · (Edited)
indytom..

If I can fix it like what i read on the org. which is cheap and easy I would rather than taking a day off just to drive my car to the shop, rent a replacement car and taking a day off again to get the car..whew!! even though it never cost me money to fix it but the hassle sometimes is not worth it and gets us frustrated..

Indytom just opened my engine cover and found out that the tube lines were the air leeks is not totally place properly in the SAP and loose. When I push it in, it click and locked. Now it wont make a jet engine sound no more!! yepey..thanks org!!
 
#34 ·
I had the delay into D and R. Sometimes even a low speed stall and harsh gear engagement. Went to the dealership, spent $300 to have it serviced, and the problem is gone! Funny thing is, there was no oil leak on the trans, no computer error codes, 57,000 mile car, and the service department had nothing to say. I dont have the proper tools or the time to do the job, so the $150+ in labor, was well worth it!;)
 
#35 ·
I'm not a First Gear Jerk. I love ALL gears! :D
 
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