Never had a VAG car before. When I change gear as above using the"sideways pressure on gear lever" method (I've used for 40 years) on my Octavia 5 speed TD I get a noticeable whirring sound/feel in the lever.

If I simply push the lever forwards into neutral then forwards again it pops into 3 rd sweetly.

I therefore take it that the lorry driver gear change method of a slight pause in neutral before slotting it in is the correct method.

This is just not what I've been used to for decades . And of course it's slow.

It doesn't signify anything wrong with the box does it, please, you wise more experienced VAG users.

Hope I'm Right

My LCR with a 6 speed bix will crunch into 3rd if you try to go from 2nd to 3rd too quickly, and the Ibiza's (5 speed) I've driven do the same... so probably "normal"

The box on my Octy RS took quite a while to free up...now done 23K miles and its not too bad.

Yep, thats pretty much what I do... That "pause" though can be basically sod all, as if you simply apply upward pressure constantly, but no left/right steadying, the lever simply jumps into the 3rd/4th gate, and you continue pushing upward into 3rd. That pause can be so quick its hardly noticeable. After a while, once the gear action is well understood, (i.e well practised ) it can be done wholly with up,right,up force!

Most grateful to you people. Feel happier about it.

Sideways pressure on the lever seems to be essential in changing 1 st into 2 nd. I've lost count of the changes I made from 1 st into 4 th.

And it don't like it at all !!

HopeImRight

Most grateful to you people. Feel happier about it.

Sideways pressure on the lever seems to be essential in changing 1 st into 2 nd. I've lost count of the changes I made from 1 st into 4 th.

And it don't like it at all !!

HopeImRight

ah yeah, first to second is definitely a down and always pushing left change And to quote someone about the 1st to 4th, "they don't like it up 'em" Although I wouldn't be surprised if I took mine to the redline in 1st it would probably keep pulling from just below tickover in 4th.

When I learned to drive I was taught that when changing between 1st and 2nd keep your hand to the right of the lever and apply gentle pressure to the left. When going from 2nd to 3rd and 3rd to 4th keep your hand to the left of the lever and apply gentle pressure to the right.

This basic principle has worked for every car I have driven ranging from a Renault Dauphin which had a loose set of cogs through to the current Ocky 5 and 6 speed boxes. The only change has been that with the sprung bias to 3rd and 4th the gentle pressure to the right is now applied when engaging 5th and 6th.

It's all down to the size of the gate and the strength of the springing.

When we all had 4 speed gearboxes the gearbox was sprung to the 3-4 line but didn't have to be a string spring as applying pressure in that direction would only result in getting to that gate. With 5 and now 6 speed gearboxes there is movement either way from 3-4 gate and so the springing has to be quite strong. Therefore if you apply pressure then you will likely end up baulking the gate or in the 5-6 channel.

the best practice as taught by IAM/RoSPCA/Police etc is to apply a thumbs down hold with the palm of your hand on the Right of the gearstick for changes to 1st and 2nd and down from 5th or 6th. For all others it's thumbs up and palm on the left. Apply gentle pressure for changes into the 1-2 gate and the 5-6 gate but let the stick centre itself on changes to the 3-4 gate.

It's quite hard to get used to the thumbs up or down approach but a halfwayhouse is to apply the pressure as described.

I've no problems with my octy's gears. I can do slow changes to keep my RoSPA ovserver happy and then do my quarter second changes on the way home. 4th to 5th can be a bit of a mare to do really fast though.

Studbuckle's way is what I've always been tought. 3/4 is inline for most gearboxes.

My Fiesta (Y reg) was 1/2 inline and 3/4 push to the right though, strangely.

The 'proper' way of doing it works in any car I've ever driven, including those with a temperamentful gearbox.

It allows fast gear changes without grinding out the H (or double-H I suppose with a 6-speed). Less pressure in the wrong places will probably make the gearbox live a bit longer as well, although in reality it's pretty darn hard to blow it up unless you really, really trash it (or with a remap maybe but the clutch tends to cave in first)