Difficulty getting into 1st gear

[MTN]

I have owned an 06 S4 and after about 50K miles, I experienced an issue that from time to time putting the car in first required a bit more force than normal. The problem occured in cold weather with my B7 S4. I have since sold that car and purchased a B7 RS4 about five years ago. My 08 RS4 now exhibit the same behavior with 54K on the ODO. However, the weather has gotten a bit warmer in NorCal but the problem still persists. The rest of the gears engage smoothly without issues and my clutch seems to be working fine. Both my S4 and my RS4 are completely stock. Also, I have tried RedLine fluid without success. Any feedback would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

[JimmyBones]

You changed the transmission fluid so that is good. Hopefully you used the Redline GL4 75w-90 fluid. I have seen people put in GL5 75w-90 (that is for rear diff) or ATF before so I just like to double check.

If you pull straight up on the shifter knob, do you feel it pull up at all? Like is there any play allowing the shifter to move up? If so then the plastic shifter parts could have play which is throwing the shifter out of alignment.

How does your clutch pedal feel? Is it nice and smooth all the way down and all the way back up? Do you feel any hard/stiff spots? Does it get stiff when you get to the floor? Does it stick and not come back up all the way at times while driving? (That is more common with RS4s)

Can you get into first gear or reverse easier with the engine off or does it not matter if the engine is running? Usually if you can get into first or reverse easier with the engine off then the clutch is getting worn down or the SAC/self-adjusting clutch mechanism is ratcheted down too far.

Do you hear any grinding when you put the transmission into first gear?

[SquiddyB6S4]

Tuned in for Jimmy's response. Also, I find myself wondering if worn engine and/or trans mounts may contribute to this - shifter alignment goes hand in hand with the mounts, does it not? Tons of torque competing with tons of traction certainly take their toll on the somewhat squishy factory mounts.