A judder when changing up gear

[cpjb@btinternet.com]

We recently bought a brand new California, and we have just returned from holidaying in France. Two weeks down the Western side to St Tropez and back with the family. Great fun, and we all really enjoyed the Cali covering approx 2.8k miles.

I've noticed a slight judder when changing up gear (it's a manual), most noticeable when changing from 2nd to 3rd and 3rd to 4th. It's when I depress the clutch before changing up that I hear it.

When in gear it's superb, but not having driven a diesel or a van before, not sure if I should be worried. I'd be grateful if anyone else has experienced this?

 

[KernowLad]

That doesn't sound right. I find the clutch needs a bit of bedding in (got the odd smell up to about 3k miles) but no judder.

 

[smgcowfoldparts]

If you came to the meet on Saturday I could drive it for you and come out with you and give you my opinion? Shouldn't necessarily judder though imo

cheers

 

[YorkshireHeathen]

The first three hundred miles on my Cali have been silky smooth with gear changes. I'd get it looked at.

:?

 

[James]

That doesn't sound right. I find the clutch needs a bit of bedding in (got the odd smell up to about 3k miles) but no judder.

I'd agree with that - then, due to my driving I cooked my clutch and flywheel at 900 miles trying to turn round in a narrow road in Cornwall. But that was my fault... But I agree my clutch needed bedding in and now at 4k feels so much different, I still feel I need to give a firm push sometimes and early on, though not now, sometimes when Stop/Start came into effect, it wouldn't easily go back into first.

I've never had a judder though.

James

 

[choplee]

That doesn't sound right. I find the clutch needs a bit of bedding in (got the odd smell up to about 3k miles) but no judder.

I'd agree with that - then, due to my driving I cooked my clutch and flywheel at 900 miles trying to turn round in a narrow road in Cornwall. But that was my fault... But I agree my clutch needed bedding in and now at 4k feels so much different, I still feel I need to give a firm push sometimes and early on, though not now, sometimes when Stop/Start came into effect, it wouldn't easily go back into first.

I've never had a judder though.

James

Maybe you should have DSG then custard ,as it seems your not quite the manual guy u thought u was

 

[James]

That doesn't sound right. I find the clutch needs a bit of bedding in (got the odd smell up to about 3k miles) but no judder.

I'd agree with that - then, due to my driving I cooked my clutch and flywheel at 900 miles trying to turn round in a narrow road in Cornwall. But that was my fault... But I agree my clutch needed bedding in and now at 4k feels so much different, I still feel I need to give a firm push sometimes and early on, though not now, sometimes when Stop/Start came into effect, it wouldn't easily go back into first.

I've never had a judder though.

James

Maybe you should have DSG then custard ,as it seems your not quite the manual guy u thought u was

I'm not automatic for the people, but as a part camper I do occasionally experience some REM...

James

 

[JockMacMad]

Interesting my manual sometimes also seems reluctant to go into first and I need to release the clutch when in neutral and re-depress and it goes straight in.

 

[cpjb@btinternet.com]

Thanks very much for the quick responses.

Unfortunately, I can't make the meet but thanks for the kind offer of help.

Better safe than sorry - I'll take your advice and get it looked at.

 

[James]

Interesting my manual sometimes also seems reluctant to go into first and I need to release the clutch when in neutral and re-depress and it goes straight in.

Really - I thought it was around my Start/Stop - perhaps not then?

James

 

[JockMacMad]

Well I have no start/stop but seems like the same issue

 

[James]

Well I have no start/stop but seems like the same issue

Okay - that's interesting. Mine rarely happens now and if it does, it appears to happen more when the van has just started up.

James

 

[KernowLad]

Sounds slightly like something we had in our LR Defender. Some sort of clutch plate spring thingy needed a tweak. Extremely common in them!

 

[JockMacMad]

See how long it takes for someone to say it doesn't happen on the DSG lol.

Oh they already did ...

I need to think when it happens on mine as it not frequent but has happened a few times.

Less times than stalling though which I managed to do 12x more on the trip up to the last meet than I had managed in the previous 25 years of driving... And your not going to turn a corner if you do as I found in Scotland when it stalled at about 25mph.

 

[KernowLad]

See how long it takes for someone to say it doesn't happen on the DSG lol.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I'm waiting for "them" to crash this thread... :lol: :lol:

 

[simonizzy]

I dont have a judder, but there is a clunking sound most noticeable when changinging from 1 to 2 and 2 to 3 . Seems to be more noticeable when cold. Any ideas?

Simon

 

[James]

I was going to say - I've kind of hijacked this thread, so if the mods want to move the posts regarding this - then that's fine.

I have to say, I have lived with worse on cars, so it's not much of a prob for me and it hardly happens now. Of course if there is a simple fix or mod then that would be good.

James

 

[KernowLad]

See how long it takes for someone to say it doesn't happen on the DSG lol.

Oh they already did ...

I need to think when it happens on mine as it not frequent but has happened a few times.

Less times than stalling though which I managed to do 12x more on the trip up to the last meet than I had managed in the previous 25 years of driving... And your not going to turn a corner if you do as I found in Scotland when it stalled at about 25mph.

This also sounds odd. We did stall twice when getting used to the engine but not since then. The previous vehicle was a Defender with anti stall so we had to adapt a bit! Been fine since then.

 

[beardie]

I dont have a judder, but there is a clunking sound most noticeable when changinging from 1 to 2 and 2 to 3 . Seems to be more noticeable when cold. Any ideas?

Simon

I had a similar experience, the dealer looked at it and explained that it was a control flap related to the second turbo cutting in and out. I noticed it most during quick gear changes and the dealer technician said that as the revs rise and fall through a gear change you transition from one turbo to two turbo modes.

Could have been making it all up .........


Ian

 

[m4rky]

We recently bought a brand new California, and we have just returned from holidaying in France. Two weeks down the Western side to St Tropez and back with the family. Great fun, and we all really enjoyed the Cali covering approx 2.8k miles.

I've noticed a slight judder when changing up gear (it's a manual), most noticeable when changing from 2nd to 3rd and 3rd to 4th. It's when I depress the clutch before changing up that I hear it.

When in gear it's superb, but not having driven a diesel or a van before, not sure if I should be worried. I'd be grateful if anyone else has experienced this?

Thats interesting - So the judder occurs when the gearbox and engine have no load applied to them.

I would get this checked as I used to have about 35 T5 vans on the road and about 30% of them required the dual mass flywheel to be replaced as they juddered and vibrated. Having said that this occurred at quite a high milage but its still worth getting checked as the results of a failed flywheel are quite spectacular

 

[KernowLad]

I dont have a judder, but there is a clunking sound most noticeable when changinging from 1 to 2 and 2 to 3 . Seems to be more noticeable when cold. Any ideas?

Simon

I had a similar experience, the dealer looked at it and explained that it was a control flap related to the second turbo cutting in and out. I noticed it most during quick gear changes and the dealer technician said that as the revs rise and fall through a gear change you transition from one turbo to two turbo modes.

Could have been making it all up .........


Ian

He was. If the turbos made any noticeable clonk, they'd be very broken! I can't tell when our turbos kick in (apart from hearing a slight whistle) which is what manufacturers spend an awful lot of R&D money trying to get right!

Our engines are noisy but they shouldn't clonk!

 

[Ciggers]

I do not have issues with the gears 'yet' but have a number of other problems.

We bought the new cali out of the wrapping in Dec and so far:
-Have had to have section above windscreen re-sprayed due to paint bubbling
-Sink tap replaced as fell off after never once being used
-Flexi roof light snapped, now replaced
-Roof console stopped working, now replaced
-Roof raising unevenly - under investigation
-Water ingress on rear nearside – under investigation
-Cupboard under sink door handles both come off – under investigation

I am less than impressed to say the least.

Does anyone have the e-mail of Alex Smith, UK Director VW CV?

 

[KernowLad]

I do not have issues with the gears 'yet' but have a number of other problems.

We bought the new cali out of the wrapping in Dec and so far:
-Have had to have section above windscreen re-sprayed due to paint bubbling
-Sink tap replaced as fell off after never once being used
-Flexi roof light snapped, now replaced
-Roof console stopped working, now replaced
-Roof raising unevenly - under investigation
-Water ingress on rear nearside – under investigation
-Cupboard under sink door handles both come off – under investigation

I am less than impressed to say the least.

Does anyone have the e-mail of Alex Smith, UK Director VW CV?

Uh oh, sounds like our Defender - a lemon/Friday car.

Do pursue it - it's worth doing. We've had a replacement steering column and both water tank gauges so far...

Pretty sure Ian Plummer replaced Alex Smith early this year.

EDIT - he replaced him as Retail Director and moved to head of Commercial Vehicles - oops!

 

[Paul S]

Personally I'd also agree with getting it checked out. We had a brand new MX5 some years ago that had difficulty engaging first gear and suffered clutch judder when setting off then when going from 1st to 2nd. The dealer eventually - after much fobbing off along the lines of "they all do that when they're new sir, it'll bed in" - replaced the clutch and flywheel at 1500 miles and it was cured immediately. I spoke to the technician when I picked it up and he confirmed the clutch plate was contaminated with oil hence the judder and they replaced the flywheel just to be on the safe side.