In a message dated 98-09-15 02:02:05 EDT, Chrisw7971@AOL.com writes:

<< Dear list,
 I have just driven my 87 Syncro (w/114,000miles on it) from Mass to Santa Fe,
 NM and have been limping since Penn.  I was getting off an exit and coming to
 a stop when I tried to take it out of 4th gear but it wouldn't come out, it
 was stuck. I tried moving the gear back and forth but it wouldn't move
 anywhere so I inched across a huge intersection (clutch gas clutch gas...)and
 parked to check the situation.  I looked underneath couldn't find anything.
A
 mechanic down the road lifted it up and didn't find anything wrong with the
 visible transmission parts underneath.  He pulled on the rod a few times
hard,
 and figured it was internal (possibly one of the "forks came off/broke...).
 So I had two choices I could wait there until Monday when maybe someone could
 look at it some where (that guy couldn't work on it) or I could just hit the
 road again in 4th gear the whole way.  I choose to hit the road and as I got
 started I was able to shift into 3rd then briefly into 2nd and 1st, but 3rd
 was the most reliable if I wanted to shift into 4th gear to get on the
highway
 (confusing??  sorry I am seeing triple and my upper back is a knot  from all
 the stress of this Bull $%@!!#$ i have gone through in the past 3 days).  So
 basically I could shift form 4th into 3rd and back to 4th w/ no real problem
 except a noticeable weird feel, but shifting into 2nd 1st and reverse is
 another story.  When I get off the highway I would shift into 3rd and it
would
 hold but when I would try and take it out it would feel like it was totally
 trashed.  So I limped like this on down the highway (once I was on the
highway
 at speed no worries).  Then in Illinois it started pouring rain and guess
what
 happened next, my driver side wind shield wiper went right off the wind
shield
 and would not go back without a little help from my hand w/ my arm out the
 window.  Realizing that this was not going to work and it was becoming very
 dangerous I got off the highway and found some Rain-X I had packed.  Applied
 that and was able to make it to Joplin Missouri in pouring rain where the fun
 really started!!  I got gas and went to start it up and there was nothing.
 The power worked but engine didn't turn.  --OK this happened once before at
 the final end of a drive I had made from North Carolina to CT when I filled
 her up, and what I did was push start it--
 So I got a guy to give me a hand (absolutely pouring rain FUN FUN FUN).    We
 push jumped it and it started right up.  So I limped in 3rd gear to a hotel
 for the night (can't sleep in her cause she is filled to the rim w/my life
 which is moving to San Diego).  She started up the next morning and this
 procedure of having to push start when stopping for gas continued all the way
 to Santa Fe.  So here is what I know; my battery is good, I tried starting it
 up an hour after I parked here and she started up!?  so it has to do w/ a hot
 engine / heat needing to cool down ????  Whatever, it sucks!  -and as for the
 transmission the only thing I can think is that (another fun thing) my
 emergency brake has not been working for over a month when I drove w/ it on
 for 30min (ooops), and I have been having to put it in gear to park.  I
 tightened the E-Brake cable but that wasn't it VW said (last week) that in
 short it was f!@#ed and needs $1000 worth of repair (whatever they also once
 told a new CAT would cost $995.00 and I got one through Ron for $89.00).  So
I
 basically I don't know what to do, I need my baby fixed and I need to get to
 CalIf...
 HELP!!!  All advice PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!
 Chris W
 87 Syncro GL
  >>
Bad news Chris. You need a starter because the solenoide is bad, when hot the
magnet inside the starter solenoid fails causing a no start until it cools
down. To make bad news worse, you need a reman trans with all the updates.
Post on the list a tranns concern aimed at Todd Hill.  He can help you.  Sorry
about all the hell  you are going through.  Been there done that, same hell
but in a 74 Opel wagen once. It broke down right in the middle of the salt
flats west of Salt Lake City 3:30 AM. I gave the car away for free to a bell
boy, when I finally made it there with a melted motor by then.    I think
there's someone in Arizona that can help.  Good luck.
 Michael Modl
 87 syncro
 87 quattro