98 tsi awd-clutch/transmission problems, stuck in gear, no pedal pressure

[blk98tsi]

Yesterday my shift lever got stuck in position for 3rd gear, but the car behaved as if in neutral. I cannot move it out of 3rd gear with the car running or not.
Prior to this, I was leaking clutch fluid and had to top off now and then.
Today I looked at everything, and the clutch pedal had fluid on it, it looks like the cylinder the rod goes into finally gave way and leaked inside. Is this the slave or the master?
Now would this cause the car to be stuck in a gear, and act like it was in neutral (like the clutch pedal was pressed) or are there bigger issues here?

thanks in advance

 

[WOTDSM]

Sounds like two different issues. Master cylinder needs replacing and check your shifter cables just to rule them out...

 

[blk98tsi]

Sounds like two different issues. Master cylinder needs replacing and check your shifter cables just to rule them out...

From what I can tell so far, I think the shifter cables are ok, the ends are on the shift/transmission side ok and when I try to move the shifter, the transmission ends both seem to jiggle a bit, but not enough to move it out of gear. I didn't take the console out yet to look at that end, but I would think if it was cable problem, the shifter would jiggle around, and not be stuck in one position, no?

 

[laserspeeddemon]

look under the dash above the gas pedal you should see the rod that goes into the CMC, touch it. Its should be 100% dry, if it's wet your CMC is dead. Its is common practice to replace both CMC and CSC at the same time, because the wear is usually uniform unless one was defective. Next, check the CSC, if that is leaking, again replace both CMC and CSC. Go from there, we can't determine the cause of the "neutral gear" until we resolve the other related factors.

God forbid, it is crankwalk. But thats what it is looking like it might be.

 

[v2ner]

Sounds like a busted input shaft, shift fork. I would also take "laserspeeddemon"'s advice also.

Acting like it's in N but it's actually in gear = input shaft
Not coming out of gear = fork most likely

 

[Dave_Hash]

I had something like this happen to me, but I did not have any of the fluid problems that you have. I found out that I blew the crappy throw out bearing that came with my ACT2600. Just another thing to keep in mind.

 

[laserspeeddemon]

How did the busted throw-out bearing, make it feel like it was in Neutral, if anything it should make it hard to get INTO gear.

**edit** I realized you were talking about the engagment problem, not the neutral problem.

 

[blk98tsi]

Ok, I replaced the clutch master cylinder today. Clutch action seems good. Shifter action is still bad.
The shifter is really hard to move to the point where I broke the plastic sleeve on the cable at the shifter. In neutral it acts like it is in neutral, but in gear, 1st or reverse, it will move, but in big bangs, no real noise though, you just feel it going duh-duh-duh forward, not smooth at all, same with reverse. Shifter gets stuck in gear, and it takes a bit to move it out, and it will be stiff till I put it in gear, then get stuck again.
What next?

 

[turbomoe]

check your shifter linkage... its a prime to have those on point in thease trannys! your best bet to to unhook all the cables from the shifter linkage.. and c if you can move the the shifter linkage manualy. from on top of the trany go up and down and left in right... if i moves smoothlty then its somthing wrong with your cables. but if its still giving you a hard time, its somthing in the tranny!

 

[laserspeeddemon]

I would agree on checking the shifter linkage before investing money on a tranny rebuild.

Have someone move the shifter through the gears and watch under the hood for any play in the lines.