03-Transmission Slams into Gear!

My 2003 Jetta slams into gear between 20-25 mph. I'm coasting up a steep incine on the freeway the car is slowing down and then I hit the accelerator and blam you feel like you've been hit! Two dealerships I've talked to say this is "normal"!! How can that be?

If I had known this I would NEVER have bought the car...

automatic or manual? if automatic that is the transmission downshifting into a lower gear to get you up that hill... We call that a kickdown. manual, well manuals have a tendousy to jerk in lower gears cause of the tension(i think)

automatic or manual? if automatic that is the transmission downshifting into a lower gear to get you up that hill... We call that a kickdown. manual, well manuals have a tendousy to jerk in lower gears cause of the tension(i think)

Hi, Automatic, sorry about that, wasn't clear. I was coasting to slow the car down going up a steep incline, and thus it was slowing down fast, then I hit the accelerator and the car slamed. I assume that the computer was making it's mind up as to what gear to go into and I confused it by hitting the accelerator?

ok well since it is an auto... have you checked the fluid with the engine and tranny at running temp? if you are low the tranny will not shift properly. Unlike in a manual where the fluid is mostly to help get in gear smoothly and keep it lubed.... an automatic is a little(lot) different. the fluid is actually used to make the gear side of the trans get up to speed to match the flywheel side. think of two fans facing each other and only one is plugged in(the engine/flywheel side) when you turn that one on(hit the gas) it starts the turn, the air(tranny fluid) starts to spin and flow pushing against the other fan(gear side). When the two reach the same speed(which is the set speed in your stall converter) they engage and the car goes. if you are low, the gear side will be going slower than the engine side and it will slam into gear. just like when you downshift in a manual and let off the clutch to fast(not giving the gears time to catch up, or without double clutching to speed up the gears to match the higher engine speed when you drop that gear.) yea so check your fluid...

ok well since it is an auto... have you checked the fluid with the engine and tranny at running temp? if you are low the tranny will not shift properly. Unlike in a manual where the fluid is mostly to help get in gear smoothly and keep it lubed.... an automatic is a little(lot) different. the fluid is actually used to make the gear side of the trans get up to speed to match the flywheel side. think of two fans facing each other and only one is plugged in(the engine/flywheel side) when you turn that one on(hit the gas) it starts the turn, the air(tranny fluid) starts to spin and flow pushing against the other fan(gear side). When the two reach the same speed(which is the set speed in your stall converter) they engage and the car goes. if you are low, the gear side will be going slower than the engine side and it will slam into gear. just like when you downshift in a manual and let off the clutch to fast(not giving the gears time to catch up, or without double clutching to speed up the gears to match the higher engine speed when you drop that gear.) yea so check your fluid...

Good Morning/Evening. Thanks for the insightful reply. I can now "see" what's going on and this makes sense. The dealership said the computer was "searching for a gear" probably was trying to downshift the car and when I hit the accelerator the computer got confused. Since I have a tachometer what I need to know is when my car downshifts (what rpm and speed) so I can anticipate this occurrence.

BUT, why does the car roll back (again, I'm on a steep hill) when I put it in Drive in the morning? The dealership said I should wait a couple of minutes for the car to warm up and then put it in drive. I did so and back it rolled, then blam. I had an automatic corolla and this never happened. (By the way, would have bought a manual, but bad knees would make shifting impossible.)

Thanks for all the responses...

again check the fluid.. if it isn't full or isn't warm it will roll back.. not enough pressure to hold it. automatics are made to slip a little... the stall converter in them doesn't engage the gears until you rev the engine to a certain preset rpm... (this depends on the cam/stall set you have) like i said they are made to slip til that rpm, so in that case it will roll back. all automatics with high stalls will, and with low fluid or cold. the heat matters cause the fluid expands. that is why it says on the dip stick to check tranny fluid hot and engine oil cold(cause it has to drip back down) got it?
if an automatic didn't slip... when you were stopped at a light and "in gear"(drive) with your foot on the brake the car would stall out like not putting your foot on the clutch at stop. think of the stall converer as you putting your foot on the clutch til you rev the engine to take off...

again check the fluid.. if it isn't full or isn't warm it will roll back.. not enough pressure to hold it. automatics are made to slip a little... the stall converter in them doesn't engage the gears until you rev the engine to a certain preset rpm... (this depends on the cam/stall set you have) like i said they are made to slip til that rpm, so in that case it will roll back. all automatics with high stalls will, and with low fluid or cold. the heat matters cause the fluid expands. that is why it says on the dip stick to check tranny fluid hot and engine oil cold(cause it has to drip back down) got it?
if an automatic didn't slip... when you were stopped at a light and "in gear"(drive) with your foot on the brake the car would stall out like not putting your foot on the clutch at stop. think of the stall converer as you putting your foot on the clutch til you rev the engine to take off...

Thanks...This lady has learned a lot!

Haha I call everyone "man" male or female.... as well as "kid" old or young... no offense on you. no need for that last post haha. sorry though ma'am ;)

Haha I call everyone "man" male or female.... as well as "kid" old or young... no offense on you. no need for that last post haha. sorry though ma'am ;)

No offense was taken. I appreciate the detail and the time you took to respond. You are exceptionally good at helping one visualize mechanisms. Thanks.

I try to.. cause most people are like it does this and that and this is how it is... but they leave out what those who may not know everything needs to know. I have always been good at relating one thing to another that is better understood. Plus I learned that fan trick on Two Guys Garage on Speed(Formerly i think chrome and gear or whatever that show was called on ESPN

I try to.. cause most people are like it does this and that and this is how it is... but they leave out what those who may not know everything needs to know. I have always been good at relating one thing to another that is better understood. Plus I learned that fan trick on Two Guys Garage on Speed(Formerly i think chrome and gear or whatever that show was called on ESPN

I'm a click & clack affecionado myself. Cable challenged, aka I don't have it, thus, no knowledge of that Two Guys and A Garage Show, though it seems like that was probably a real winner.

Okay, so I believe I have a need to check my transmission fluid now. Where is the dip stick on a 2000 Jetta VR6 (automatic transmission)? Thanks for the help.