transmission

I just spend almost 5,000 for a new engine on my 99 jetta. Know 5 days later it stops. the engine runs but when i press on the gas it doesn't go which leads me to believe it is a tranmission problem could it be something else? could a transmission just die without any sign what so ever?

You probably want to post this problem to the water cooled VW group. The address is: rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled I hope that this helps.

Isn't that normal performance for a Jetta?

/couldn't resist

Isn't that normal performance for a Jetta?

I would be looking at the clutch setup or axles first , the setup is different then the aircooled vw , but I have had and worked on many water cooled VW's and have never seen a tranny just go.

Hope this helps

well sorry i don't really have any family so i had to do this on my own. I did as much research as i could but i guess i should have gone with something more practicle. i am 21 i final had moeny to buy a car and now it breaks. i think i am going to have to quite school. i just got in to the honors suny school also. So yea i rpobably should have gottton a used engine and sold it.

You don't mention having a clutch, so this must be an an automatic Jetta, right? (don't see too many of those)

It could be the linkage or cable (depending which is used on an auto Jetta) - basically what connects the stick to the transmission. Automatics tend to give you a little warning when they die in that they start slipping or get stuck in one gear - my bet is a broken linkage/cable as that can cause immediate failure. If so, that's not an expensive problem to get fixed or fix yourself.

As already stated, check the rec.auto.makers.watercooled group. We're the old school bug/buses group. Or better yet: find an old bug and join the darkside :)

Remco

yes, it is an automatic.

Ask the same question in the watercooled group but be sure to mention it is an automatic (from your post here I couldn't tell and guessed it).

You didn't mention if you heard the transmission's normal 'clunk' when you set it in gear. Also, if you have an on dash indicator of "D-2-1-N-R" is that showing correctly? It doesn't work in any gears, including 1 and 2? Does the stick feel looser, somehow? Is the automatic fluid level normal? If you put the car in "N", can you get out of the car and push it around a little or does it still behave like it is in park?

I am not familiar with automatic Jettas, but usually the automatic stick controls the transmission by means of a cable. It could be as simple that this cable is broken or has popped out of where it is held in by the stick. If you have a repair manual, see if there's a section on the stick and go from there, if you feel up to looking into it yourself.

Post to the watercooled group, stating the answers to the above questions as that will help the guys there get you an answer quickly.

Sorry we can't help you further here. Remco

no one in the watercooling group is responding is there any one else i could ask? and if my manuel doesn't have a repair section what could i do?

yes i could push it in N and no it didn't make a clunk. please do u have an futher suggestion. I don't want to get ripped off anymore. i atleast I want to be able to sell it.

If you can push it in "N", it is usually an indication that it is not the control cable. (that would have been an inexpensive fix, unfortunately)

A automatic not moving can mean many things, none of which easily troubleshot over the internet. I hate to tell you this and please don't take this the wrong way, but if you don't have a repair manual, you most likely are not a person familiar around car repair. Automatic transmissions especially are not for the faint of heart, even if you do occasionally tool around. Perhaps bring it to a reliable mechanic have him diagnose the problem

- you may need to pay for an hour labor, but at least you'll know for sure what is wrong. Your mechanic _may_ be able to advise you if it was due to the recent engine work or not.

Sorry we could not be of more help. Good luck with it. Remco

thanks i am going to need it.

one more question when the tranmission goes do you usually hear a clunk or any kinda noise what are the symtoms? this will be my last question thanks for all u r help and no i am really don;t know anything about cars. If i did i wouldn't have these problems.

Since it's an automatic..

You may be able to check the drive plate (that would be the flywheel on a manual car) to some extent, through an access door of some kind. There ususlly is a cover plate somewhere between the engine and the transmission, where they meet, through which you are able to undo the droiveplate bolts (like clutch pressure plate bolts in a manual car). This often needs to be done so you can pull the engine. So this leads me to think, that you could maybe be able to check the bolts, and with a flashlight and some luck, the hub of the driveplate. If the hub got stripped or broke off at the center, the engine would run but no power is transmitted to the transmission. You may hear a faint grinding noise when the engine is running.

Just thought it might be possible that whoever assembled the engine (the driveplate) may not have torqued down the bolts properly and MAYBE they got loose and fell out. LOOOONG shot, I know :D

Other than that, I don't know automatic transmissions or torque converters (that's where the clutch and flywheel would be, in a manual car) to be of any more help.

Sorry.

Posting this because it would apply to aircooled automatics (type 2 buses) as well, maybe someone can benefit from the various advice that get posted.

Jan

I did hear that if you dont have enough transmission fluid then you dont get any drive ? But you checked that didnt you !

Here is how it works

Yup, that's what I was thinking too. Maybe they didn't use vibratite on the flexplate's bolts. (ask me how I know :) Not sure if a torque converter needs to come out when you pull and engine on a jetta. They may have left that alone.

I am getting a feeling that OP does not have the mechanical skill (no offence intended) to find and look inside the flywheel's inspection hole or can even find it. One would still need to turn the crank by hand to find all the bolts.

A mechanic would be able to tell. I'd use an independant shop and have him explain exactly what the problem is. Ask him if it could be due to a recently installed new engine. If so, go back to the original shop and negotiate to get them to fix it (be nice at first)

Remco