Jetta starts but won't move

40

Asked by Kabicolee Mar 21, 2014 at 03:56 PM about the 2003 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T Sedan

Question type: General

2003 Volkswagon Jetta GLS 1.8T.... I parked it over the winter, disconnected battery
and add stabilizer to the fuel tank.  I charged the battery this spring and started the
vehicle with no problem.  I let it idle for awhile, then put it in gear to move it to the
garage.  I put it in gear and pressed the accelerator and it does not move forward or
backward.  What might the issue be?

12 Answers

250

your brakes are locked maybe? If the engine is turning freely and you just hear it revving up then you've got a burned out clutch in the case of a manual transmission or you're out of transmission fluid or have a burnt transmission in the case of an automatic transmission.

9 people found this helpful.
160

im having the same issue but its a vr6 automatic and it rolls freely it will not go into gear engine sounds fine but doesnt move. i heard its either shift linkage or a bad solenoid. i was about to buy a new trans but am waiting to do so.

16 people found this helpful.
1,415

^ Nick, first check to make sure the trans fluid is topped off.

6 people found this helpful.
50

My 2011 Jetta tdi has has this issue a few times. I shut it off and start it again and it works.

5 people found this helpful.
20

Kinda have the same problem but when I put mine into gear it just dies when I let off the brake

2 people found this helpful.

same happen to me yesterday. my Golf 4 tdi manual started to drop down from 120km to 40km. I keep to going until it stop. now gear does not change.if i switch it off and change gear. It can not move. It also have funny noise.

100

I got a 'transmission overheated' message and pulled over and turned off the engine. Upon turning it back on, the car starts fine but will not engage into any gear - forward or reverse - and I get a 'wrench' icon when I try to rev the car up. I just had it towed and the garage will 'analyze' tomorrow. Anyone have any guesses? Hoping the car went into 'safe' mode after the transmission overheated and that it is not worse . . .

10 people found this helpful.
20

my volkswagon jetta engine light turns on if I don't let it idle for 1/2 hr and reaches 190. If i try to move it the engine vrooms and doesn't move any idea what is going on?

2 people found this helpful.
60

2001 Jetta, I was driving to see the Star Wars Rise of Skywalker, and when i was at a stop light, when i pressed the gas pedal, it vrooms but doesnt move. Kinda like having it on neurtal but it was on Drive. Shifting it down to 1 moves it and I have to use an automatic transmission as a manual moving it with 1 to 3. But now my Drive works but not my reverse. What can cause the problem? The night before was fine up until I felt like a hard shift when I was stopped at stop light.

6 people found this helpful.

Mine is a 04 turbo Jetta and it moves freely but just climbs, and when it feels like going into gear it just jumps forward. What could it be? It goes into reverse just fine it's just when I put it in drive or the transmission numbers2- 4

The same is happening to me but mine is a 2004 Jetta 1.8t gls auto and when I put it into park it makes a grinding noise

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