I've been recieving a lot on conflicting info regarding changing the autotransfluid in my A6. The dealership says they won't do it as it is a sealed system. APR says do it, and my regular mechanic says do it. I understand the fact that its a sealed system but there is still going to be wear and tear on the clutch plates which will send debris into the fluid. Oh, the issues that prompted this are sluggish shifts in the early morning and the transmission shifting out of 5th to 4th under load in tiptronic mode.

 

Well, this really depends on who you talk to. The dealerships claim that it is "lifetime" fluid, and that the system is sealed. Kind of half-truths if you ask me. There is no harm in changing fluids out if done properly, which is really the key here.

A friend has done this for his 2001 A6 4.2 at 30k and recently at 60k. His dealership is willing to take on this task, but the not only drain the existing fluid, but temporarily fill the tranny with a different fluid, get the car into each gear, and drain that fluid for particle analysis to see if there is anything to be concerned about. Then, new fluid and filters are installed, and the job is done.

So, those who claim it is "lifetime" are just too lazy to do it right, or do not have the confidence in their techs to do the job right.