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Sun Aug 10, 2008 2:00 pm

I've been reading on here about people having shifting problems with there T3s and I'm having the same problem myself... I'm just hoping i didn't mess up my transmission. Anyways, what happens right now is i fire up the square and it will let me put it into park (pull up and and push forward toward the dash), reverse, neutral, 2, and 1 (i'm questioning 3 at the moment)... But i back the car out of the driveway and shift it into 3 it just sits there as if it were in neutral, but then you shift it down to 2 or 1 it drives but won't upshift or downshift on it's own at all.

It's an automatic transmission and and the kickdown cable/wire isn't connected due to not knowing where it plugs in... (FYI: It's carbed)

If anyone could help me in figuring out what the problem may be it'd be appreciated...

Sun Aug 10, 2008 4:23 pm

First adjust the shift cable. It is possible that while looking to be in 3 (or D) it is still in N.

Otherwise, my troubleshooting table says if 3 is the problem only, then you have a "defective one-way clutch in annulus gear", and the fix is to "replace the annulus gear and one-way clutch." This requires a teardown and rebuild.

Sun Aug 10, 2008 4:36 pm

Check the fluid First

Sun Aug 10, 2008 5:43 pm

Yes the transmission fluid is full and i'll check the shifter cable now to see if thats the problem.

Sun Aug 10, 2008 5:51 pm

Put the shifter in Park, crawl underneath, and when you loosen the adjuster, and push it all the way to the rear. It will be against a spring, and take some effort to hold it there while you tighten the adjuster back down.

Sun Aug 10, 2008 6:43 pm

I believe it's adjusted right now... will test it out tomarrow due to i have no brake lights or turn signals that work... High and low beams work, as well as the dash lights but other then that nothing.

Sun Aug 10, 2008 10:10 pm

Where would the kickdown switch connect to on a carbbed engine?

Sun Aug 10, 2008 10:45 pm

It's fitted to the center pivot.

Mon Aug 11, 2008 11:57 am

so the throttle linkage (that the 2 carbs connect to to engage them) pushes the switch? still just alittle confused

Mon Aug 11, 2008 2:49 pm

The USA bound AT cars were all fuel injected originally. You might still have the fuel injection linkage with the kickdown switch, but if it's not hooked up it's not that important now. It won't help your shifting anyway ONLY the kickdown. You might need a good Auto Trans Shop to get it fixed right?

Mon Aug 11, 2008 5:38 pm

when mine wouldn't shift out of first, i had problems of a loose governer shaft (under coffee can thing with a clip on the side of the trans) on the differential. I had to source another differential unit bolt it up to the trans, replaced fluids and what not and was good to go.

It was caused by towing it flat on the ground while in nuetral without disconnecting the CV axles.

Hope it isn't that for you cause it was a pain to source and a kind of a pain to change.

Mon Aug 11, 2008 8:30 pm

how do you change it and where is it located on the transmission... this is my first actual car and i'm still learning.

Mon Aug 11, 2008 9:10 pm

View is towards the front of the car with the relay rods disconnected.

The switch itself is common with the EFI motors, but the linkage is unique.

Mon Aug 11, 2008 9:20 pm

and the governer shaft that lowindO was talking about?

Mon Aug 11, 2008 9:42 pm

You're welcome.

What lowindO posted is that he replaced either the whole differential assembly, or maybe the governor assembly, not just the shaft. The governor is removed after unhooking the bail over the cap.

You'll need more than a Samba post to tell you how to take your tranny apart!

Thu Aug 14, 2008 4:29 pm

KTPhil wrote: You're welcome.

What lowindO posted is that he replaced either the whole differential assembly, or maybe the governor assembly, not just the shaft. The governor is removed after unhooking the bail over the cap.

You'll need more than a Samba post to tell you how to take your tranny apart!

yep, your not gonna just run down to the autozone for that one.

Thu Oct 30, 2008 8:37 am

Okay, I've sense gotten another "Working" Automatic Transmission for my squareback and swapped out the old tranny with it... (the problem i was having with the old one is that the governor was literally stuck in the tranny case.) Anyways everything is great right now except for the fact that it will shift into every gear but for 3rd while in drive (3). I read in the Bentley type 3 book that it could be the governor, or some clutch plate in the tranny... how hard would it be to check if the clutch plate is bad?

I'm also thinking it could be a vacuum leak but that is pretty impossible to think because it's all there but then again i could be wrong.

Also where could someone pick up one of those throttle setups for a carbbed engine like the picture above?

Thu Oct 30, 2008 9:19 am

You ought to buy a Master Rebuild Kit and rebuild one of your VW 003 AT's! 8)

Thu Oct 30, 2008 3:09 pm

Where can i get one of those from?

Also how much do they usually run...

Thu Oct 30, 2008 3:31 pm

www.bulkpart.com shows them for $88.85. squaretone rebuilt his just using his Bentley Manual, but bulkpart might have a Manual for a VW 003?