Auto-Stick Trans Won't Engage
Nato Dean
Auto-stick owners and technicians,
One month ago I became the 2nd owner of a beautiful Orange
1974
Karmann Ghia Coupe with only 36,800 original miles. Although I have
had
a few beetles before they were manual transmission.
I am having this problem now- I have a hard time getting it to
go into gear. The problem was there when I first got it - but it would
go into reverse or 1st after maybe 2 tries - sometimes right away.
Lately it has been getting more difficult. As of today it will not go
into 1st at all and if I try to put it in reverse it will begin to
grind
the trans. The ATF fluid was a little low but I added some more.
I looked in my old DB @ Hot VWs collections in tech talk and
found a letter from a woman having the same trouble. The response was
that they thought it was a leak in the vacuum diaphragm. Does this
sound
like a correct diagnosis? Where is the vacuum diaphragm located and
how
do I check it? I like the auto-stick trans and plan on keeping it. The
transmission can't be shot after only 36,000 miles, albeit 22 years,
can
it? TIA,
Nathan
74 Karmann Ghia Coupe
81 Westfalia Vanagon
92 Jetta GL
(1965 21 Window Deluxe - project)
John Connolly
believe it or not, this tranny has a clutch!!! and, you
need to adjust it like you have to adjust a manual... it is
located in the same place as the stickshift model.. read your
manual, and count how many turns you go, so you can adjust back
to where you started if you mess up... there are other
possibilities to this problem, but this sounds like this might
be it...
John
--
Kim Howe
> Auto-stick owners and technicians,
> One month ago I became the 2nd owner of a beautiful Orange
> 1974
> Karmann Ghia Coupe with only 36,800 original miles. Although I have
> had
> a few beetles before they were manual transmission.
> I am having this problem now- I have a hard time getting it to
> go into gear. The problem was there when I first got it - but it would
> go into reverse or 1st after maybe 2 tries - sometimes right away.
> Lately it has been getting more difficult. As of today it will not go
> into 1st at all and if I try to put it in reverse it will begin to
> grind
First check the contact in your gearstick. If the contact isn't working
correctly the vacuum operated clutch won't be engaged. This contact
arrangement is supposed to be regularly cleaned and adjusted. With the
engine running in gear and the brakes on, you should be able to pull down
on the stick until the contact engages, then you should feel the engine
disengage.
If it's not the contact you probably have a vacuum leak. Try reving the
engine at about 2000 rpm for 10 seconds or so, then let the revs die back
to idle. Try to change gear. If it works well immediately after some
revs, but stops working a few seconds later you have a vacuum leak.
Hope this is some help.
--
Kim Howe
Logical Images May my words be tender and sweet
Albany Western Australia for tomorrow I may have to eat them
kh...@albany.jrc.net.au
Brian Bailey
Nato Dean wrote:
>
> Auto-stick owners and technicians,
> One month ago I became the 2nd owner of a beautiful Orange
> 1974
> Karmann Ghia Coupe with only 36,800 original miles. Although I have
> had
> a few beetles before they were manual transmission.
> I am having this problem now- I have a hard time getting it to
> go into gear. The problem was there when I first got it - but it would
> go into reverse or 1st after maybe 2 tries - sometimes right away.
> Lately it has been getting more difficult. As of today it will not go
> into 1st at all and if I try to put it in reverse it will begin to
> grind
> I looked in my old DB @ Hot VWs collections in tech talk and
> found a letter from a woman having the same trouble. The response was
> that they thought it was a leak in the vacuum diaphragm. Does this
> sound
> like a correct diagnosis? Where is the vacuum diaphragm located and
> how
> do I check it? I like the auto-stick trans and plan on keeping it. The
> transmission can't be shot after only 36,000 miles, albeit 22 years,
> can
> it? TIA,
> Nathan
> 74 Karmann Ghia Coupe
> 81 Westfalia Vanagon
> 92 Jetta GL
> (1965 21 Window Deluxe - project)
A hole in the servo diaphragm could keep it from working, but from my
experience if it's big enough to keep it from working it will also lower
engine vacuum enough to make it run very rough, if at all.
The first thing to check is whether the control valve is working. This is
located on the left side of the engine compartment up near the top of the fan
housing. It has two wires on the solenoid, and several large and one small
vacuum hoses connected to it.
With the ignition on (but engine not running) and gearshift in neutral
(the clutch remains actuated in neutral), remove one of the two wires on the
solenoid, and touch it on and off the terminal. You should hear the solenoid
click. If it does, run the engine a minute to restore vacuum (held in the
tank by a check valve), then stop it, have an assistant put the gearshift in
and out of gear (engine not running but ignition on) while you look at the
servo to see if the clutch arm moves. You should be able to see it high up
under the car in front of the left rear wheel from under the car (MAKE SURE
BRAKE IS ON AND TAKE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS SO CAR CANNOT ROLL). If the solenoid
is actuating but the arm doesn't move then disconnect the hose leading to the
servo from the control valve and apply vacuum (if you have good lungs then
sucking on it should move the servo, at least partially). Otherwise the
servo probably has a hole in the diaphragm. Make sure you have the hose to
the servo and not the one to the vacuum tank.
In the more likely case that the solenoid doesn't click, check to see if
you have voltage on the right terminal (oops, or is it the left one -- Oh
well, it's the one that has a wire going to an inline fuse on the fan
housing. You should have battery voltage with the ignition on, in neutral.
Assuming the fuse is OK and that you have +12 or so at the one terminal,
take a jumper wire and ground the other terminal. Yes, the OTHER one (or
you'll get a heck of a spark and need to buy another fuse).
If the solenoid clicks then, the problem is either in the wire to the
contact in the gear lever (which is spring-loaded and grounds when you start
to move the lever) or in the contact.
I fixed one once where rust had permanently grounded the contact, so the
clutch wouldn't release. You have the opposite problem, so I would suspect
either the wire to the contact has chafed where it enters the shift lever and
has broken off, or maybe someone even misadjusted the clearance so the
contacts don't contact. Another possibility is that the contacts are simply
dirty. They should be periodically cleaned with sandpaper (NOT emery
paper!).
Please let me know ehat you find out. Hope this helps -- Brian
Nato Dean
Auto Sticklers:
Thanks to all the help and advice I received from the
Vintagvw,
Aircldvw, and the Karmann-Ghia List members, the problem with my 1974
Karmann-Ghia Coupe auto-stick transmission has been fixed. And I did
it
all by myself - total cost $20.10. First to remind you what my problem
was in my original post:
> One month ago I became the 2nd owner of a beautiful Orange 1974
> Karmann Ghia Coupe with only 36,800 original miles. Although I have had
> a few beetles before they were manual transmission.
> I am having this problem now- I have a hard time getting it to
> go into gear. The problem was there when I first got it - but it would
> go into reverse or 1st after maybe 2 tries - sometimes right away.
> Lately it has been getting more difficult. As of today it will not go
> into 1st at all and if I try to put it in reverse it will begin to grind
> the trans. The ATF fluid was a little low but I added some more.
> I looked in my old DB @ Hot VWs collections in tech talk and
> found a letter from a woman having the same trouble. The response was
> that they thought it was a leak in the vacuum diaphragm. Does this sound
> like a correct diagnosis? Where is the vacuum diaphragm located and how
> do I check it? I like the auto-stick trans and plan on keeping it. The
> transmission can't be shot after only 36,000 miles, albeit 22 years, can
> it?
Yes, the problem turned out to be a hole (actually 3) in the servo
vacuum diaphragm- the rubber ring part. As recommended I did the tests
for the vacuum control valve, the contacts in the gear lever,
inspection
of all the vacuum hoses for leaks and finally the "suck test" on the
vacuum hose to the servo diaphragm. I could get a little vacuum when
sucking on the end of hose- but lost it right away, indicating a hole
in
the diaphragm. This is why the clutch was not engaging.
I was able to get a repair kit for $20 at a local Bug Shop in
Des Moines, IA - supplied by a company called H&H in California. The
kit
came with a new rubber diaphragm, and a new clamp for the unit
replacing
the sardine-can like seal around the old one - it literally needed to
be
peeled/rolled off with pliers.
It was a little difficult getting to the unit as it sits on
top
of the transmission on the left side. To remove you need an extension
socket set to get at the three nuts, and then a needle-nose pliers to
get the cotter pin off of the clutch arm (use much WD40). Then it was
a
matter of taking the unit apart, cleaning and replacing the diaphragm,
and putting it back together like I found it. Putting it back up there
was a bear and getting the cotter pin ($.10) on the clutch arm took a
little time. I replaced all the vacuum hoses with OEM cloth covered
rubber as a precaution also. I tested it and it worked perfectly. The
shifter goes into every gear easily and surely. In fact I didn't even
have that "CLUNK" sound and jerk that I used to get after shifting
into
a gear. Total Time 2 1/2 hours.
Thanks so much for all your help especially, Richard Troy.
Thanks to you, Miss Karmann is back on the road..
Nato Dean
I fixed the problem : See the post Auto-Stick Fixed- Summary
Thanks for all your help...
Nathan