Mine is pretty terrible ('07 S-Line with 20k miles.) Especially moving from first through third and back are hard, rough and very un-$40k (and, yes, clutch is operating properly.) Shifting this transmission feels like some of the old Porsche 915 trannies- no matter how fast or slow you go through the gates, it takes effort and is no fun. Especially when the car is cold.

I have read all previous posts, so no need to repeat yourselves with advice given before. But the bottom line is this: I have a hard time believing that Audi could get any decent test reports for their cars from the motor press if such notchy business was the norm.

To compare: my '06 Jetta TDI shifter moves quite a bit smoother and with less effort from gear to gear.

Any feedback on how your B7 manuals shift, or what new tricks I could use to reduce resistance during gear changing are welcome! (I've read the bits about the right engine/ground speed shift points etc.)

Thanks,
PP

ever since. 1st is sometimes a little moody but 2-6 are all great in my car. If you've read all the posts then you have already read this, but try having the dealer adjust the linkage. It worked on my B5 when I had issues with it. But my B7 has been great; I love the feel.

It seems that you are talking about the shift lever. Mine is smooth. Audi shifters are typically very notchy, which is not a bad thing at all. But it's a far cry from a Honda shifter (the industry standard IMHO). Not nearly as bad as the rubbery shifters I have used in various Subaru cars.

I also had a Neuspeed short shifter in my previous car, and I loved it. Althouh it increased the notchy feeling and slightly increased the effort required to row the gears, the shorter, more direct feel made up for any shortcomings. I want to put one in my B7, but there are too many other things competing for my cash right now.

If you are talking about the smoothness of the car & transmission while driving and shifting through the gears, I also have a comment on that. I cannot drive my B7 as smoothly as I was able to drive my B5. And I attribute that to the DBW throttle. I cannot balance the clutch & gas as consistently as I was able to do in my nDBW B5. The clutch is fine, the shifter is fine. And sometimes I get the shifts perfectly smooth. But with DBW, the car is in control, and I just can't shift it that smoothly on a consistent basis.
I haven't driven too many other DBW cars for any length of time, so I really don't know how Audi's system compares with others. The manual tranny seems to mitigage the DBW delay somewhat, but at the expense of inconsistent shifts.
An automatic might be smoother, but the DBW delay is worse.

Good luck,
P.

which are completely different. The R8 is still pretty similar other than the gates on the shifter.

When it's around 30F or colder engaging 1st and 2nd is a real hassle until the engine has reached full operating temp for at least 15 minutes of driving.

Have had no shifting issues in above freezing conditions.

This was a common problem with my MK3 Jetta but eventually got used to it.

Mine is fine (my third Audi) and it's better than my previous Audi's. It's stock, and I suspect never been messed with.

Someone below mentioned you've had it to the dealer for adjustments. I suspect they've misadjusted it along the way, and if you're ever forced it into gear, I suspect you may have bent something making the problem worse.

Cold weather shifting...yeah, it's notchy and rough...same with almost every manual tranny I've owned...gotta give the fluid and tranny a chance to warm up and it's fine. Meanwhile, granny shift and give it time to move into the next gear, don't force it. Just apply a little pressure to the knob, and it will move when it's ready.

i feel the same way you do. sometimes it won't even let me into first gear without moving the shifter into a different gear first so i sometimes panic when the light turns green and i can't get it into first.

I'm sure some of the other snub mounts will do the same thing. Biggest improvement I have noticed with it so far is being able to shift more confidently up and down at lower speeds.<ul><li><a href="http://www.goapr.com/Audi/products/engine_mount.html">APR Snub</a></li></ul>

how much to install? can be done DIY?