Hi everyone,

I have a Scala 1.0 TSI 6-speed manual transmission with ~170,000 km. The gearbox was working fine before.

Recently, I had the clutch and dual mass flywheel replaced, and at the same time the gearbox oil was changed to Ravenol MTF-3 (PAO-based).

However, there was an issue with the clutch installation, which caused clutch drag. I drove the car like that for about 1,500 km before replacing the clutch set again. After the second replacement, the clutch now works properly (no drag).

Shortly after (around 500 km later), I started noticing slightly notchy shifts (especially in certain gears / under load).

Now I’m trying to figure out the cause:

• Could the clutch drag have caused that significant wear/damage to the synchros?

• Or could it be the Ravenol MTF-3 oil (too “slippery” for this gearbox)?

I’m considering going back to the original VW oil (G052527), which appears to be mineral-based, while all alternatives are synthetic. The downside is the cost, for some reason this particular oil from VW is around 90 euros per litre.

Question:
Has anyone experienced notchy shifting after switching to a non-OEM oil (even if it meets VW spec), and did going back to OEM oil improve shift feel?

Any input or similar experiences would be appreciated.

Thanks!

I used to have a VW Golf 4. I put non-original oil in it, and the shifting became much worse. Then I changed it to the original VW oil, and it was good again.