Difficulty Engaging 1st When Cold

[billythefish]

When the car's cold (first thing in the morning or at night) it's quite difficult to engage first sometimes, second is slightly better. As soon as it's warm it's fine. Does anyone else suffer from this and is it a known fault?

[beauphoto]

Mine does exactly the same, sometimes after a long run too. Interested to know if its a known fault.

[W8PMC]

Not something my car suffers with, so perhaps an early problem with the clutch.

[davers4]

I have the same problem when cold, and once the car is warm it goes away.

[theaxe]

1st is always a little 'notchy' for me, gets better once things have warmed up... I guess it's a case of TADTS...

[RussianM3_dude]

A little notchy for me too. I think it's normal though.

[sonny]

Yes same here, and even when selecting gears in traffic, from 1st - 2nd, it does also seem to Kangaroo a bit too, I tried driving with traction control off, as i read some where that this can help, but still no good! My car is a March 2006 model

[rs4v8]

Mines the same, only into first though. Thought it was just me coming back to a manual box from SMG. Sounds daft, but I find it a bit better if you don't try and force it into 1st. just lean on it rather than applying heaps of muscle.

[reevesroadster]

Mine has also been the same. Got it back from Audi today - who advised "nothing wrong, sir" and implied I couldnt drive. Ive since double declutched for first gear, and this seems easier. im also holding out the revs longer before changing up (still with ESP off - flashing on dash) and it seems smoother.

Just off out to remove them vacuum hoses again.............

[Pig]

Glad its not just me then, my problem is second gear though. Has anyone spoken to there dealer about it?

[theaxe]

I had difficultly doing quick but smooth 1st to 2nd changes when I first got the car but now it's fine so I guess it's just a matter of practice.

[W8PMC]

I had difficultly doing quick but smooth 1st to 2nd changes when I first got the car but now it's fine so I guess it's just a matter of practice.

I still get caught out sometimes when playing hard. Must just be the gearbox sometimes does not like being agrivated too much

[sonny]

At what service does the gear box oil get changed, could it be the oil?

[audijohn]

I have NO such problems; Is it because I let the Car totally warm through before pushing on?. Or just me being older than most of you and treating my car with more "Mechanical Sympathy"?, not sure really but I took it out today and gave it a bit of a hammering (160MPH private track of course) and it changed up and down and had not even a hick-up, totally fantastic afternoon.

[alex_123_fra]

None of the above are problems. All manual gearboxes are a little stiffer when cold especially in 1st and 2nd and as John says require some more sympathy during the warm-up period until the gearbox oil gets to operating temperatures. Once a little warmed up, things are fine and shifts can be made appropriately quicker.

I notice this particularly when the car has been in my garage, where it is considerably warmer than outside...gearbox feels smooth from the start. When I start it after car has been parked outside at 0 Celcius, it is a little stiffer until warm.