Gti Transmission woes

[Beans]

Howdy kids,

Ive got me a '96 Ibiza GTi that has decided it wants to give me a hard time. It is very difficult to select first gear and not much easier to find second. The other 3 are fine.
The problem seems to worsen as the car gets hotter.
There is a bit of slop in the shifter also. Dunno if this is the cause of the problem. It would be nice if it were as i imagine that would be a cheaper fix than the syncro i'm thinking it is...
Any thoughts?
Beans

[TDI Dude]

Check the gear linkages that run from stick to gearbox.. The ones on my '98 Cordoba have worn and broke at the gearbox end resulting in a very similar feel to what you're describing. I found that the nylon bushes have perished causing a sloppier feel to changing and difficulty in changing into 1st & 2nd. Another thing to look at is pop your head under the dash and check the clutch/brake pedal mount.. mine broke and before it did also found it hard to select first... Btw welcome to forum and good luck :)

[Golf Houso]

My mk3 GL was the same, the mechanic replaced the whole linkage and the shifter shaft, now its slick and very proficient in it's operation. You might as well go the whole hog and get a diesel geek shifter for another 100 or so on top of all the origical parts.

Good luck!!!

[Jmac]

Yeah the heat from the exhaust kills the bushes after time mate.