Right I've done a quick search, but I can't really see anyone having had a problem quite as sudden as this.

Last night I drove my 02 plate 60k mile vRS and it was fine. This morning when I went to drive it I couldn't get it to go into first. I jsut put it down to a possibly very cold gearbox as it was real cold this morning, figured it would be okay once the car was moving. I set off in 2nd and noticed that the change through all gears has gotten a little clunky. Even ones everything was up to temperature ther was no improvement. It is possible to get the car into first, but you really have to force it a little more thanI'd like, it doesn't crunch or anything, just doesn't want to go in.Reverse is also proving tricky, just have to crunch it in and then wrestle it back into neutral!

I've had a look and can't see anything caught in the engine bay around the gearbox selecty type area. I have found that it is only like this when the car is runnning. If you turn it off and select gears they slot in easily, just like they did last night!

I've read a lot of people saying they have problems over time and it's sorted with an oil change, but the car was absolutely fine last night when I got home and now it's fdone this overnight.

Once in any given gear it feels fine, no funny noises or vibrations, no cluch slip, can't hear any funny noises when clutch engages and disenganges or anything.

The car has a Skoda approved used car warranty, but the nearest Skoda garage is miles away so I'd rather see if I can determine how suvere the problem is before getting onto them.

Any ideas!?

Thanks in advance...

Well, rather unsuprisingly the car hasn't really improved with use today.

I think I might pop this up on UKMKIVS as I'm guessing the gearbox might be the same as some Golfs?

Im no mechanic, but it could be the clutch not disengaging properly, or being worn.. My escort used to stick in 4th gear every now and again, when I changed the clutch it never happened again. Pulling away up hill from traffic lights in 4th is always a laugh!

Check nothings trapped in the linkages in the engine bay. You never know !!!!

Hmm, I've had a look as best I can in the engine bay and can't see anything trapped. The thing that threw me was when you turn the engine off, everything feels like normal again.

I hope it's not the clutch as that won't be covered under the warranty, or be cheap I'd imagine! How long would a clutch be expected to last on a standard vRS? I know it all depends on how it's been driven etc...

But again, surely the would be a time when it just starts to get a bit harder to get 1st/reverse? This was absolutley fine the night before, I even reversed it into the parking space and it felt normal. Then it gets left overnight and I wake up to find it doing this!

£300 ish for a new clutch fitted I seem to recall when I had to have that done on mine....

Clutch has got my vote too. There is no adjustment then i take it?

I don't know? I'll have a read through the Haynes manual later. I think I'll drive it to work and then call Skoda Assist, they should be able to give a better diagnosis and if it is something trivial, fix it!

I guess I'd better hunt around and research clutch options...

£300 fitted, was that OEM? I though the standard ones were expensive because of some ghey flywheel on these cars?

Probably clutch, which really is self-adjusting, being a hydraulic actuator unit.

Actually, that gives me an idea, check the "brake fluid" level, since the clutch and brakes use the same reservoir, but the clutch takeoff is higher (for safety reasons).

Or very outside chance of a lunched first gear servo.

Well, just to update, the Skoda Assit man came out this morning (same guy who turned up to do my coil pack last week!) and he was a little stumped, but suggested the most logical fault he could think of would be a knackered synchro on 1st. He recovered the car to Garlands in Aldershot for me who took a look at it and have also come to the conclusion that the 1st gear synchro is the most likely suspect. This is good, as it should be covered under warranty (fingers crossed) but they can't confirm this until thaey have stripped the gearbox down. The car is having it's box out and stripped on Thursday, so hopefully all will be well next week and I won't be any poorer.

Just for info, it makes sense for it to be the synchro on first really, as the other gear that is causing problems is reverse... which uses the same gear! Also, because you can select both these gears fine with the engine off it obviously indicates some sort of reluctance for the gears to mesh together properly. Anyway, hopefully it will be sorted for me F.O.C. but I'm not holding my breath...

Thanks for all your help and ideas, guys!

It was the clutch!

I've just had a call from Skoda and the car's fixed and ready to roll. The guy said it was one of the plates in the clutch had alomst come way or something, so I'm not sure if they may have replaced part of the clutch or what, but he said he's got it covered under the warranty for me, result!

I'm going to be reunited with it tomorrow afternoon.

I'd like to hope they replaced the entire clutch assembly; silly not to given parts cost against labour when you're in there anyway.

I'm not too bothered what they've done, as long as it safe and my car feels like it's used to. It's free, beggars can't be choosers!

Well, I picked my car up earlier to be informed that they have fitted a whole new clutch! I was debating whether or not to try and get an aftermarket clutch fitted while they had the gearbox out, because I figured the clutch wouldn't be covered under the warranty, but they've gone ahead and replaced it anyway. I'm not too fussed, if I had to pay out for a new clutch then I wouldn't have gone for a standard one, but I haven't been charged anything, which I found odd as I thought the clutch was a consumable, I guess maybe because it had broken rather than worn out?

Anyway, all fixed. Now I just keep stalling and crunching the gears because the clutch bites way further down the pedal travel!

Your description says it's a breakage rather than "fair wear and tear".

I had the same issue a month ago. The car had to be towed off as it locked in gear. Clutch and Flywheel had to be replaced.

After that it was running near perfect until the car started idle down and cutting out.

I'm taking it back in tomorrow for them to work on it on Friday. Replacing the slave cylinder and anti-roll bar bushings under warranty.

Just had a call from Skoda. Car now has a new slave cylinder..... no improvement. They are now going to fit another new clutch as they suspect the one they fitted last week may be faulty. Ho hum...