I am suffering from the aparent ATD (automatic transmission disease). My 2001 A6 is slipping through all gears now and I've been told it's the ever sensitive clutch packs inside the transmission. My mechanic has told me that Audi recognizes this defect but is not willing to recall this.
A better description is that the car shifts fine in the morning when cold, but slips horribly once it has warmed up. There are no codes displayed and I've checked the computer under the carpet for water damage. There is none. My car definitely leaks water into the cabin as leaves build up under the battery and windshield.
The quote I recieved was $7500 to install a rebuilt transmission.
With no assurances that the rebuild will remedy these ever failing clutch packs, I'm at a loss...
Do I just bite the bullet and install a problematic transmission design or is it possible (however traumatic) to switch this vehicle to a manual transmission??

It is a 2001 A6 Quattro with a 4.2.

Has anyone done this?

 

try changing the transmission fluid...if it doesn't work...my advice to you part it out.

 

Also changed fluid, and replaced with Audi fluid. $300 for a service on the transmission and I trust that the mechanic followed proper procedure for this. The car is cool and I would like to keep it. Anything more constructive than part it out would be appreciated.

 

well, remove all TF fluid. Not just in oil pan. There is about 9 quarters of TF fluid.
Go for Audi TF. Do not use any other transmission fluids !!!

I'm surprised. I'm killing my audi all the time, but no problem at all. I got 130k already, hard tipronic shifting, but runs great. Only problem show up, after stupid cheap mechanic tried to do oil change and accidentally drain 4 quarters of TF. Then just refilled with universal TF and tranny start kicking sometimes. But after i change TF for original audi, everything return to normal.

 

Do you have a leak from the transmission? If there wasn't a leak i fail to see why it would need new fluid. Don't always trust dealer technicians, i came from the dealer, and i would say over half of them weren't up to par with our transmissions.

 

If the ATF level is too low, then the torque converter won't work correctly. Also, if the ATF becomes too hot, then it may not act the same as when at the correct operating temperature. However, unless you are pulling a trailer or are doing something extreme, then this may be unlikely. This would be unlikely in the winter, but on a hot summer day it could happen. Why would the clutches inside the transmission be slipping? Perhaps they are worn out or the ATF has gone bad.

 

Constructive advice - trade it in on a cold day.

Good luck,

Bob

 

Bentley Manual Says that if you are slipping through ALL GEARS, Check ATF Level and Change the Filter.

If you are slipping in 4th or fifth only, Check pan for wear and dissasemble transmission if it has big metal particles or heavy sludge built up on magnets.


Slipping through all gears is good news to me. This means you are not getting adequate fluid to push pistons forward to lock clutch packs. There are many clutch packs, they could not have all worn out at the same time, impossible.

I bet you $500 bucks it just needs an oil change and refill correctly

 

When the mechanic filled it last he said that the fluid was really dirty and that there was sludge in the pan, not metal though. I believe its probabley still dirty. Could dirty fluid cause these types of slippages..
All this had me thinking of traditional valve bodies (i understand that not much is traditional with this car) but my thought was if there was heavy sludge built up in this valve body that there maybe a ball stuck or canal that is clogged and not properly flowing to through the valve body... Does this hold true with this transmission?
Is it a part that can be reached and inspected easily?
For the cost of a rebuild I'm certainely willing to change out the fluid again just to rule it out, but I want the valve body inspected as well. do these valve bodies work similar to a other transmissions or am I barking up the wrong tree again??
Thanks for all of your help..
And for those who tell me to sell it.... I don't want to. I'm upside down in the loan, I bought this car because I love it, and I couldn't in good ethics pass this trouble to some poor sucker. So I'm stuck with it and its problem. Thanks for the advice anyways...

 

If you are slipping in every gear, but the car is moving forward and reaching 50+ miles per hour without the car going into limp mode, then it seems in my opinion that you are fine. Just do another oil and FILTER change and test again. I learned that these cars have to be filled correctly. I've experienced this "slipping in all gears while driving" in american cars. Low fluid would cause slipping in all gears. be sure to see your oil pan when they drop it next time. tell them to show you the filter. sometimes they change your oil but not your filter and it could be clogged, not letting hydraulic oil flow smoothly through the pump and valve body system.and make sure they install the oil filter o-ring, or it will lose some pressure sucking up oil when warmed up. it is normal to see sludge after thousands of miles. Metal shavings would worry me. Be sure to have them clean the magnets and make that pan so clean, you can eat chicken soup in it and not taste transmission oil. If it was tar black and smells burnt, it could have a clutch pack worn. I dont wanna scare you. so disregard that last comment.Your car seems fine according to your description though. Valve bodies are easy to remove and change out, or replace these little rubber grommets and plugs that break. But someone would have to diagnose valve body with a tool they call VAG-COM. excuse my ignorance, I never seen it or used it. But it makes sense to get this program to test the solenoids and other mechnisims that have to do with shifting your tranny before you start buying a valve body.The only thing a valve body does is control when, how and where the hydraulic oil will flow by using solenoids that open and close when signals are received from a control module under rug and other sensors and actuators. If your filter is clogged or you have little oil(or too much oil in some cases)it cannot operate correctly and every clutch piston will be short on oil pressure to lock those clutches up real tight. Valve body takes about half an hour to change out. Real easy from the bottom of the car.