Hello everyone!

First of all, I would just like to thank everyone for this great community. I've been reading these forums for some time now and gaining a lot of knowledge about my Audi A6. Unfortunately, I think a problem has arised so I decided to register and ask you guys for some advice and suggestions.

Background : I bought an Audi A6 2000 model in April this year. It has 75k miles on it and CarFax was completely clean. I test drove it a couple of times and it felt smooth as butter. That was the first time I drove an Audi and fell in love with it. The car has given me no problem so far and runs really well.

Last weekend I had to drive down to Tennessee from Atlanta so decided to get some general maintenance done from Firestone. I got all the fluid levels checked and tire and brake maintenance. Everything was fine, but there was a transmission leak. The mechanic showed it to me, there were a couple of thick cherry red drops. He said he can't do anything about it and I need to go to a dealer.

I could smell some burning smell coming from underneath everytime I would get out of the car but had been ignoring it till now. Sometimes, the smell even comes while I'm driving but then goes away in a few seconds. Usually when I get into the car and change gear from P to D, theres some vibration in the floorboard. I thought it had to do with my brake pads but the Firestone mechanic said that they were brand new. I don't know if the problem is related to transmission leak.


Questions : What do you guys think is wrong? I would be going to an Audi mechanic soon, what could be some potential problems and what would be the right price? For guys in the Atlanta region, do you know of any good honest Audi mechanics (I live in midtown)?


I hope its not too much to ask in my first post on these great forums. I really appreciate the time and effort of all you guys!

 

Your problem is probably a transmission seal gone bad. The cost to repair is dependant on WHICH seal has gone bad. There are basically 4 seals: front, rear and two axles. Oops. I assumed a quattro. For a FWD, there should be three: front and both axles.

Can you tell us where the drips were coming from? Between the engine and transmission is the front seal and is the most expensive to change.

But, whatever you do, don't put off getting it fixed. If you think the cost of replacing the seal is high, try a transmission rebuild!

Bob

 

Hey Bob,

Thanks a lot for replying. The mechanic showed me the leak, I don't know exactly where the leak was but it was more towards the front. Can you give me a rough estimate of how much it would cost to replace either of the seals? Also, would replacing them would be the only option or is it just possible to repair it somehow?

Thanks again for the quick response!

 

As for the buring smell, it can be transmission fluid, but more times than not, it can be you valve cover gasket(s) leaking. Oil from the location leak directly onto exhaust manifold and stinks up the car.

 

@hxgaser - Yeah thanks for the advice. I looked it up on the Internet and my problem does seem quite similar to the one caused by a leaking valve cover gasket.

So, barring extreme cases, what kind of a bill am I looking at here?

 

I paid a local Audi tech 450.00 to do my can seals/valve cover gaskets here in Mpls as it was -10f and I was unwilling to do it. The trans seal?

Jeff

 

$450? Wow thats way more expensive than what I thought it would cost me. Is the burning smell the only problem? I can live with that, if nothing else major would go wrong

Anyone had to get their trans seal replaced/repaired?

 

*bump* I'm sorry, but I'm probably going to the dealership today and wanted some more suggestions. Really appreciate it guys!

 

To be frank, I have not personally removed an Audi transmission before. But I have removed many old american 3 and 4 speeds before. So my suggestion should just be a reference.

Usually the seal is located behind the the torque converter assembly. Meaning, the entire driveline, including the front axels need to be dropped before accessing the seal. Also I am not sure how complecated the seal is attached to the housing. It could be press fit behind the shaft and etc. So given the circumstances, if you can access the seal from the outside, I would say it is at least a day worth of job, if not more. Usually $130/hr dealer rate, you are looking at more than $1000 just on labor.

I maybe wrong, and lets hope that I am wrong. But I don't think it is a cheap repair.

 

I just had an output shaft seal replaced on my 4.2 Quattro, ATF was slinging on a cat (potential fire hazard) for ~$350.00.

BTW Quattro ATF should not be red (don't know about FWD).