Not sure if this should be a B8 or B9 forum post but here goes... 2016 plate 2.0 TDI avant with the DEUA engine - everything suggests closer to a B9 than B8 including my recent replacement undertray and 8W5 on the options card. When at rest with the gearbox in neutral I have on occasions struggled to get into 1st or 2nd gear. As I move to the left gate, then push up or down there's an absolute resistance. No meshing of gears or anything, but a physical lock on the gear stick. I can release and select 3/4 (or 5/6) with ease, but pulling away in 3rd is a little haphazard. Occasionally, I'll select reverse, instead of 1st, which is always entertaining at the traffic lights for me and the car behind. In these situations amongst the panic I will select neutral and then back to 1st and inevitably will reselect reverse. At the same time I'll try to remedy by going to 2nd, and that's usually locked out with the same mechanical block. This happened last night in a supermarket carpark as I'm reversing, and I'm nearing the end of my tether (the car needs expensive work including clutch/DMF.... and it's getting tired and at 10 years old I'm thinking of just driving into the ground. Anyway, this morning out of frustration, and having a session with ChatGPT I did try a few static tests. It's possible that I'm at fault here - if I analyse my behaviour I think I'm probably selecting the left gate and then pushing the gear stick in the 7 / 11 o'clock direction - i.e. a force applied laterally to the passenger side as well as pushing forward and backwards. If I consciously bias this way I can reproduce the fault (in fact I thought I'd completely lost 2nd until I worked out that I was applying the lateral force as well). Statically, both engine running an engine off I can reproduce not being able to select 1st and 2nd. Unsure if this is representative of my actual driving style, particularly if I'm panicking at the lights trying to get into 1st, but it's quite possible/probable. I'll know next time it happens. I hope. BUT, long story short, are there any adjustments, or (following the generalised advice from ChatGPT) any cable adjustment, or selector mechanism to be investigated for wear / adjusted to avoid this situation (/resolve the 1st/2nd gear selection)? I've seen YT videos of adjusting cables in the engine bay but never with a DEUA engine. ChatGPT suggests (and I sort of agree) this is likely a mechanical issue before it even hits the gearbox, and the engine-off test absolves the otherwise high mileage clutch/DMF.