Difficult to Shift & Occasional Missed Gear. How Can I Improve This?

[SLU_S5]

It's always taken a bit of pressure to change gears and on occasion (usually on a 2-3 shift), I will attempt to up shift to 3rd but it won't engage unless I force it into place.

Sometimes I don't apply enough force and it stays in neutral. Im used to making the quick shift and then getting back on the gas - so out of habit, I'll make the shift but it misses 3rd (sometimes I hear a quick grinding noise), and stays in neutral. Then I get back on the gas quickly but then realize that I miss it, and shift into 3rd using a little more muscle. This usually only happens when I'm accelerating very quickly (think on-ramps).

It doesn't happen all the time (a few times per week) but it is annoying when it does happen. The shifting feel of my car is definitely not as smooth and buttery as some of my friends cars. But the overall feel still feels a bit sloppier and more difficult to engage compared to how it felt when I bought the car at 30k miles.

I have a RocEuro/stratmosphere short throw shifter. I definitely don't like missing gears. Would a different product make the difference here?

Anyone run into a similar situation?

[Zonsolo]

I have a similar situation when at the strip. I'm very used to just bumping the shifter up with the base of my palm without any left/right force from 2nd to 3rd and it "centering" itself on the way up so that it goes right into 3rd. However on this car (or this stock shifter), the centering force isn't strong enough and sometimes I bang right up against a space directly in-between 1 and 3, almost like a gated shifter hitting the divider. I've had to learn to go slower to give it time to center itself on the way up. Whenever I use my whole hand and attempt to guide it toward 3rd, I can get a nudge of resistance almost like a small amount of kickback, but I can continue on into 3rd.

[SLU_S5]

I have a similar situation when at the strip. I'm very used to just bumping the shifter up with the base of my palm without any left/right force from 2nd to 3rd and it "centering" itself on the way up so that it goes right into 3rd. However on this car (or this stock shifter), the centering force isn't strong enough and sometimes I bang right up against a space directly in-between 1 and 3, almost like a gated shifter hitting the divider. I've had to learn to go slower to give it time to center itself on the way up. Whenever I use my whole hand and attempt to guide it toward 3rd, I can get a nudge of resistance almost like a small amount of kickback, but I can continue on into 3rd.

This sounds exactly like the problem that I have. Shifts are inconsistent (some feel perfect and others feel slow and notchy). I want to shift fast and confidently at the strip and track.

Anyone know if I would get much better results by upgrading the shifter and linkage? Any reccommended brands?

... Or does this sound like a problem related to the clutch?

[TTRStud]

No issues here, and I consider myself a quick shifter. Also, rev-matching comes easy when downshifting, no problems.

[ParadigmTony]

If anything your SS will make this more deliberate. I won't say easier because its not the right word. But will substantially decrease the distance of travel, which will by design resolve your problems. Don't take this the wrong way but its largely practice. Im not saying you're a bad driver either. However manual isn't as simple as clutch in clutch out, at least when talking about performance. Double clutching, rev matching, speed matching, heel toe, blah blah theres a lot of things to work on Sure your clutch could be going, or your syncros in the gearbox, but given the power, miles, and year of the car, its unlikely, especially because you aren't notably beating on it. Every transmission has a method.

[SLU_S5]

So I guess the question is this: would I notice an improvement by swapping out the Strat/roc-euro short shifter in favor of a True Short Shifter - JHM and Eurocode come to mind.

I had the discussion with Frame and he said there could be a whole host of things going on - possibly including wear inside the stock shifter or linkage itself which can contribute to sloppy shifts.

Yeah, it could very well be due to my technique - my foot may be leaving the clutch too quickly before my hand engages the gear when I'm trying to shift too fast.

I will say that the frequency of sloppy shifts have increased over time though.

[Sgibb16]

So I guess the question is this: would I notice an improvement by swapping out the Strat/roc-euro short shifter in favor of a True Short Shifter - JHM and Eurocode come to mind.

I had the discussion with Frame and he said there could be a whole host of things going on - possibly including wear inside the stock shifter or linkage itself which can contribute to sloppy shifts.

Yeah, it could very well be due to my technique - my foot may be leaving the clutch too quickly before my hand engages the gear when I'm trying to shift too fast.

I will say that the frequency of sloppy shifts have increased over time though.

I would go for an upgraded shifter, the stock one is mostly plastic components. I've had no issues missing gears with my JHM.

[ParadigmTony]

So I guess the question is this: would I notice an improvement by swapping out the Strat/roc-euro short shifter in favor of a True Short Shifter - JHM and Eurocode come to mind.

I had the discussion with Frame and he said there could be a whole host of things going on - possibly including wear inside the stock shifter or linkage itself which can contribute to sloppy shifts.

Yeah, it could very well be due to my technique - my foot may be leaving the clutch too quickly before my hand engages the gear when I'm trying to shift too fast.

I will say that the frequency of sloppy shifts have increased over time though.

Perhaps your linkages are deteriorating but honestly that seems very unlikely. The Strat SS is not any different than the others. By and large they are the same component, proprietorially speaking. I dont expect you'd see any change. Stuffing third is pretty common in almost any car. It happens a lot. Its mostly due to the shortness of second, the velocity in which the shift is required, excitement, etc. Ive seen people pin a linkage and get it stuck there only to be towed home. Chasing the shift, instead of forcing the shift is one of the harder things to get right especially as the tach is flying.

[SLU_S5]

The Strat SS is not any different than the others.

But it is though. Strat is basically a revised version of the piece that connects the rest of the stock shifter to the linkages. It does the exact same job as the competition and I've enjoyed it, but I'm worried that there may be some wear in the OEM shifter, linkages, or clutch that is causing the problem.

Others Short Shifters (Eurocode & JHM) replace the entire assembly - bearing, rod, everything... John had mentioned that the plastic pieces in the stock assembly can wear over time and can cause slop - he even admitted that I should consider switching to the Eurocode Meisterwork shifter or a similar product that doesn't use plastic bearings if the stock one needs replacement.

I don't think my driving skill/behavior is what makes it difficult to change gears. When it comes to missing a gear? maybe.. but I have a feeling that the big culprit is something mechanical... the pressure required to make a gear change is inconsistent. Sometimes it is very easy, other times I have to forcefully jam it into place - and it doesn't matter if I'm trying to get into 1st, 6th, or reverse.

[Atmmac]

This sounds like a blown synchro. Have you missed some shifts and grinded hard? You can try the jhm shifter and see if it helps. Make sure your clutch master cylinder is full as well.

[SLU_S5]

This sounds like a blown synchro. Have you missed some shifts and grinded hard? You can try the jhm shifter and see if it helps. Make sure your clutch master cylinder is full as well.

The only one that I have had miss is 3rd. Doesn't grind very often and I only hear it for a fraction of a second whenever it does happen. It's a pretty faint noise and soft vibration in the shifter.

[FaceSmA5h]

Are you missing 3rd in normal everyday driving or when you're driving fast? Is your left foot positioned to step on the clutch all the way?

How about do a test when the car is parked and turned off. Go through each gears and test it that way to see if you really have a problem before doing any repair or mods.

[i1overice]

I have the Roc/Strat short shifter. My shifts are pretty clean and crisp.

The only rough-ness I encounter is 1st gear on a cold start.

It maybe that your install may need to be adjusted. Making sure it is aligned properly etc.

[Atmmac]

It's not if you grind it very often its if you grinded badly once before this all started and damaged the synchro. One thing to try is to put the clutch in and when you are about to hit third shift to first then back to second then up to third all at the same time with the clutch in. This should line up the synchros and you should drop into third with no effort whatsoever. If this works then it could be the synchro needing work.


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[SLU_S5]

It's not if you grind it very often its if you grinded badly once before this all started and damaged the synchro. One thing to try is to put the clutch in and when you are about to hit third shift to first then back to second then up to third all at the same time with the clutch in. This should line up the synchros and you should drop into third with no effort whatsoever. If this works then it could be the synchro needing work.


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Would a problem with the syncro be so inconsistent?

Weather has been cool and I haven't been driving a ton lately - Over the past couple of days, my shifts have been perfectly smooth and effortless. It seems like the problem comes out only when the car is hot.

[jmaddr]

I'll second the re-align comment by i1overice. Misalignment can make all the difference in how much "space" you have to have to engage any individual gear. It is also directly responsible for engaging first. I have a JHM and had some of the same issues you are describing. Taking it all back apart and adjusting was just the thing it needed. Not sure how much of the same adjustment applies to your kit. When you take the console apart, it is easy to look at the plastic linkage pieces of the stock shifter for wear.


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[Project Quattro]

Do you have drivetrain inserts? 034 and Eurocode make milled aluminum inserts which seat inside the trans mount, upper rear diff mount, and lower rear diff mount. Slightly different use case because I'm in an A4, but there was a noticeable improvement in shift quality and smoothness. The rear diff ones also take away some of the drivetrain sloppiness. For the price and an hour or so of install time it's definitely worth a shot to see if it helps your situation.


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[SLU_S5]

Do you have drivetrain inserts? 034 and Eurocode make milled aluminum inserts which seat inside the trans mount, upper rear diff mount, and lower rear diff mount. Slightly different use case because I'm in an A4, but there was a noticeable improvement in shift quality and smoothness. The rear diff ones also take away some of the drivetrain sloppiness. For the price and an hour or so of install time it's definitely worth a shot to see if it helps your situation.


Sent from the Pedal Responce boardroom

I do. I believe that I have the whole suite of inserts - 034 transmission insert & ECS front and rear diff mount inserts.

[AudiS4SD]

It's not if you grind it very often its if you grinded badly once before this all started and damaged the synchro. One thing to try is to put the clutch in and when you are about to hit third shift to first then back to second then up to third all at the same time with the clutch in. This should line up the synchros and you should drop into third with no effort whatsoever. If this works then it could be the synchro needing work.

So if the 1-2-3 procedure makes going into 3rd smoothly (versus straight from 2 to 3), then you're saying the synchro is damaged?

I seem to get the same thing when going to 3rd...sometimes smooth (usually when shifting under light throttle), while other times I require to put some effort to shift when accelerating a bit harder. Not sure in this case if it's normal since you actually are accelerating harder or if it's the aforementioned synchro issue.


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[SLU_S5]

So I drove quite a bit today and from what I can tell, the problem gets worse with an increase in temperature.

Early this morning, I drove about 100 miles (temp was in the mid 60s) and I had zero problems at all. When I drove back home, the temperature increases to the low 80s and the problem started. I had to force the stick to engage in all gears. No grinding or anything like that. It just took a LOT of pressure to engage each gear.

[Drew0u812]

Sound like worn synchros. Changing the fluid might help.