FREE REPAIR MANUALS & LABOR GUIDES 1982-2013 Vehicles
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Shift Mechanism






Shift Mechanism

Special tools, testers and auxiliary items required

Torque Wrench 5-50 Nm (V.A.G 1331)

Grease (G 000 450 02)

Removing

Perform the following work:

- Turn off the ignition and disconnect the battery Ground (GND) cable.

- Remove the boot with the shifter knob and noise insulation. Refer to => [ Shift Knob, Boot and Noise Insulation ] Shift Knob, Boot and Noise Insulation.

- Remove the center console and the center console mounting bracket.

- Remove the interior monitoring sensor (G273) (if equipped) from the rear nuts.

- Remove the shift housing and center console mounting bracket bolts - arrows -.






- Remove the engine cover/air filter if it is located above the shift mechanism.

- Remove the shift cable lock washer - 3 - from the transmission selector lever - 1 -.

- Remove the shift cable from the pins - arrow -.






Metal Relay Lever

- Remove the shift cable circlip - 4 - from the relay lever - 2 -.

- Remove the shift cable (shift cable) from the pins - arrows -.

Plastic Relay Lever

Disconnecting the Cable Retainer from the Selector Cable





To avoid damage to the selector cable, the cable retainer must be disconnected from the shift lever before removal.

- Pull the securing mechanism all the way forward in direction of - arrow 1 - and then unlock to the left in direction of - arrow 2 -.

- Push the relay lever forward (direction of - arrow 3 -).

- Remove the relay lever together with the cable retainer. Refer to => [ From 03.07 - Plastic Relay Lever ] Plastic Relay Lever.

Continuation for All Shift Mechanisms

The cable mounting bracket is secured either with 2 bolts and a shoulder nut - arrows -,






or with 3 bolts - arrows -.






- Remove the noise insulation.

- Remove the tunnel bridge.

- Disengage the rear muffler from the retaining strap and remove it.

- Remove the front exhaust pipe.

- Remove the driveshaft.

- Remove the floor panel trim.

- Swivel the shift housing down and remove it with the shift cables.

Installing

Install in reverse order of removal. Pay attention to the following:

- Align the gearshift housing so that it is parallel to the body.

The distance on both sides to the body must be equal.

Install the shift housing - item 16 - => [ (Item 16) Nut ] .

- Route the cables - 1 - from the shift mechanism - 2 - to the transmission as follows:






The cables must run parallel to each other and must not cross each other.

The cables must be routed inside the depression in the heat shield - 3 -.

The heat shield from above is shown in the magnified view.

A clip - A - holds the cables and heat shield to each other in place.






These holes have different diameters.

Allocation of cable retainers, refer to => [ Cable Retainer Allocation ] Shift and Selector Cables Overview.

- Apply a small amount of grease (G 000 450 02) on the transmission shift lever pins - arrows - - 1 - and on the relay lever pins - 2 -.






- Replace the lock washer - 3 - and the lock washer - 4 - on the metal relay lever each time they are removed.

- Secure the shift cable with the lock washer - 3 - and selector cable with lock washer - 4 -.

Cable Retainer with Plastic Relay Lever

- Install the relay lever and cable retainer together. Refer to => [ From 03.07 - Plastic Relay Lever ] Plastic Relay Lever.

- Install the selector cable in the cable retainer.

Continuation for All Shift Mechanisms

- Mount the interior monitoring sensor (if equipped) on the nuts.

- Install the bracket and the center console.

- Install the boot with the shifter knob and noise insulation. Refer to => [ Shift Knob, Boot and Noise Insulation ] Shift Knob, Boot and Noise Insulation.

- Install the floor panel trim.

- Install the driveshaft.

- Assemble the exhaust system free of tension and attach it to the tunnel bridges.

- Adjust the gearshift mechanism. Refer to => [ Shift Mechanism, Adjusting ] Adjustments.

- Install the engine cover/air filter if it was removed earlier.

- Complete the steps after connecting the battery.

Tightening Specifications