I never had a problem like this before and it seems like it's some kind of sensor issue. I have a 2000 A6 Avant with the 2.8L with only 48k on it. When the car is cool and just started everything is fine. After the car has warmed up for a little bit this issue occurs until the car has been turned off and left alone for a little while. The problem is it will shift from 1st to 2nd and to 3rd but will not shift into 4th or fifth gear unless you rev out the gear. If you throw the car into tiptronic mode you can manually shift up and down through any of the gears and everything acts normal. Once you place it back into "D" / drive the car will downshift into either 4th or 3rd depending on my speed and will not up shift unless you rev out the gear. It's as if your in tiptronic mode but your in drive. And when you are in drive it also appears that the shift points for 2nd to third have been raised as well. This has me totally stomped and I searched everywhere and haven't heard of anyone having the same issue. If anyone has come across this or has a fix please let me know. I can't see taking it to Audi after having other issues that they could not seem to fix but loved to take my money just to say they couldn't see any problems with the car.

Thanks in advance

Chris

 

have you got it set to winter mode ( little button with a snow flake on it ) also check if there is enough fluid in there and look for transmission leaks

 

Thanks for the response Dave. I don't have winter mode on my car. I really wish it was that easy. As for the fluid... there are no leaks and the level is 100%. That's what has me thinking it's some kind of sensor. When this first happend the check engine light never came on. After it happened a couple of times.... like after a month of this going on..... it finally did and the code said I had an issue with the vapor pressure of the gas tank. I reset the code and it came back again the next day.. I drove it for a week or so and the light went out but came back shortly after with the same code. I changed the gas cap and that had no effect on the check engine light coming on either. I don't know it the two are related or not but as of 2 weeks ago I loaned my reader to a friend and haven't seen him since. And every time I drive the car for a distance... like a 1/2 hour or so it will start doing it again. Just today it would shift from 1st to 2nd find but then I had to manually go into triptronic and up shift from there or rev the car out until it would shift itself. Freaking weird!!!! Has me stumped!!

 

I'm no expert, but it could be the Tranny ECM. It sits in front passenger floor. It basically tells the tranny when and how to shift. It was causing my brand new tranny to shift hard from 2nd into 3rd and sometimes not shifting into the next gear. If you've ever had water in that part of the car either from the sunroof drain not draining or the cowling cover not secured correctly, water would find it's wayinto that area.

 

I had a similar problem with a 99 2.8 quattro. Several times I had to shut the car off to reset the transmission. There is a computer mod either in the center console or around the passenger side floor area (must be the ECM Chico mentioned). It controls when the tiptronic trans will shift. This unit could make you think your trans is going. On another occasion the mass airflow unit was bad and had the same effect on the trans with hard shift and then locking in third or extended stay in third. Mass air flow at audi dealer is in the three hundred range. The part could be bought wholesale for 170 and is extreamly easy to replace. A quick scan tool will let you know if its the mass air flow. Good luck!!