audi a4 gearbox issues

So im just coming off replacing my thermostat this past weekend. I was driving up to my apt from my parents house (~90 miles). Car drives fine. I make an errand to walmart and the car still drives fine. On the way back i could not get into 1st or 2nd gear. If i turn off the car, it E36 M3s in to gear fine. I hobbled back by a combination of starting the car in first, not stopping and just slamming it into 1st gear. Lovely crunch noises came as a result. Yesterday morning I was already budgeting for a new clutch as my worst fear. I could get into second but not first. So I drove to work without first gear. Even down shifting on exit ramps was very difficult. Then about 2 miles away from work, as im getting back onto local roads, The car starts to shift fine, even first gear is behaving. Its been fine today as well. What the hell happened to my gearbox that it would act like that one day and be fine the next? how worried should i be?

Oh god. "What the hell happened ?".

Something is very wrong, besides your decision making process.

Unless your or some one Else's life in in danger (or you can simply afford to blow E36 M3 up), park the car when major systems fail. Then get it towed home or to someone who is able and willing to fix it. Good Luck.

revhard wrote: So im just coming off replacing my thermostat this past weekend. I was driving up to my apt from my parents house (~90 miles). Car drives fine. I make an errand to walmart and the car still drives fine. On the way back i could not get into 1st or 2nd gear. If i turn off the car, it E36 M3s in to gear fine. I hobbled back by a combination of starting the car in first, not stopping and just slamming it into 1st gear. Lovely crunch noises came as a result. Yesterday morning I was already budgeting for a new clutch as my worst fear. I could get into second but not first. So I drove to work without first gear. Even down shifting on exit ramps was very difficult. Then about 2 miles away from work, as im getting back onto local roads, The car starts to shift fine, even first gear is behaving. Its been fine today as well. What the hell happened to my gearbox that it would act like that one day and be fine the next? how worried should i be?

Shift fork might be loose....

thanks for the lovely insight.

Slave gone? Or not moving enough fluid to disengage the clutch?