A month ago when slowing to take a normal turn my transmission make a huge clunking noise when I lifted from the brake to apply throttle. After the noise the car would barely move, felt like the car was trying to pull a 10,000 trailer. After getting home (only 2 blocks) the car backed into the garage fine. The next day I tried to put the car into drive. Everything fine up to this point but when I went to accelerate the car acted like it was in neutral. When RPM's hit 1800 the car thumped into gear and would move forward at about the pace of a worm. All the gear indicator lights lit up at this point. There is no forward movement with the car in any forward gear but reverse works fine. Dealer said that my tranny fluid looks like used motor oil and I need a new transmission. He quoted me $9700 installed. Thereis also $6000 in other service he said I need done. (Tie rod, timing belt, control arm, differential gaskets, etc.) I mentioned a possible plugged filter or bad sensor and he told me, "There is no hope for my transmission." Apparently there is no one in Des Moines Iowa who does rebuilds. Can anyone give meadvice here? I feel the dealer is milking me for money. Would a fluid/filterchange at this point work?

I bought the car a year and a half ago with 78,000 miles and at 101,200 I no longer have a usable car.
No check engine light or any other problems besides a brokenarmrest.

 

That probably is the cost of a rebuild transmission. New trannys are like 10g's without labor. I doubt a fluid change would help. Black fluid means that the clutchs inside the trans have burned up.

 

The 97 model requires a transmission fluid and filter change at 40k, but the later models don't.
My 97 A8 put on a similar show at about 57k just after I bought it used. All the gear lights lit up and it behaved as if it was stuck in two gears at once, pulling that 10000 pound load. Another symptom was a tapping noise coming from under the car when it was cold, sounding like a loose valve tappet or similar.
Looking through the records, the previous owner did not have the filter/fluid changed by his dealer. I called the dealer and they were under the impression that they never needed to change the fluid or filter. I called audi USA and indeed for the 97 model, the filter and fluid MUST be changed at 40k. What happens is the filter on the 97 transmission gets a little clogged with the new clutch/belt material wearing in and the pump starves for oil sending bubbles or lack or fluid throughout the works, causing all sorts or odd stuff. I suspect there are many 97 model horror stories due to the lack of that service. I know a fair fraction of my hair turned gray as I feared a quest for a salvage transmission.


The dealer who failed to change the filter/fluid during the warranty wanted over 400 dollars to change the fluid and filter and pan gasket. I did it myself for a lot less. Red Line synthetic transmission fluid is what I used, ordered the OEM filter and gasket online. Red line and OEM VW are the only two fluids I found back when I did it that were correct. The Red Line cost half as much, but I trust it more.
The original old fluid was quite dark, much like used motor oil, and there was slimy gunge in the old filter.
It is an easy job to gain access to the pan and remove it, the filter will then be right there in your face. Very easy to figure out.
The filter serves as the pick up tube for the pump, so when it clogs, no pumpy. The above mentioned clicking sound must have been the pump starved and clacking.
The only skill part is observing proper tightening procedures on the pan, so the gasket seats right, but that's something anyone that has taken an oil pan off will know how to do. Mine has no leaks after five years.
The replacement fluid must be siphoned in with a small tube, unless you have the factory pump. Once the pan is off you will see how to do that, the plug is raised from the bottom of the pan so that the pan will hold the exact correct amount of fluid when the car is level, as excess will come out the raised hole if the plug is out. I put the tube into the bottom hole and crammed it in so the fluid would go into the pan, then siphoned the fluid from the bottle via the tube while the bottle was sitting on a stool next to the car. Once I neared the correct quantity of fluid I watched for the overflow, removed the tube, then put the plug in.


My transmission has not had a single second of trouble after I changed the fluid, gasket and filter. I used VAG-COM to select the european shift program and the car was transformed.

I'd never take any car to a dealer for out-of-warranty service- too many shocking tales that turned out to be nothing. Like them wanting 6000 dollars to fix my head rest adjusters. I fixed those for the price of one wooden match. That's another old story though.

If you get someone to replace the fluid and filter, be sure to have them use the correct fluid. I can't remember which Red Line ATF it was I used, I had to call them to ask which was correct, I'm sure it was the most expensive one!

Over the years I've found that some mechanics and independent shops HATE to work on audi, while others love them, it pays to find the guys who like what they work on.

 

Checking ATF level; changing ATF[/align]Checking ATF level[/align]
Requirements for test:

�Gearbox not in emergency running mode; ATF temperature not higher than 30°C when starting the check.
â—�Vehicle must be level (horizontal)
â—�Selector lever in position P
â—�Air conditioner and heater switched off [/ul]
Notes:

â—†The ATF level will vary according to the temperature of the ATF.
â—†If the ATF level is checked when the ATF temperature is too low, this will result in overfilling.
â—†If the ATF level is checked when the ATF temperature is too high, this will result in underfilling.
â—†Overfilling or underfilling will impair the function of the gearbox. [/ul]
Note:
Use only VW ATF Part No. G 052 162 (transparent and slightly yellow). Do not use any additives.
Container sizes:

â—†0.5 ltr. - Part No. G 052 162 A1
â—†1.0 ltr. - Part No. G 052 162 A2 [/ul]

‒Start engine and allow to run at idling speed. [/ul]
Notes:

◆The ATF temperature must not be above 30°C when starting the check (gearbox oil pan just warm to the touch).
â—†Temperature tester V.A.G 1558 can be used for a more accurate measurement of the ATF temperature. Apply the tester probe to the outside of the oil pan. [/ul]










‒→ Unscrew ATF filler plug -arrow 1-. [/ul]
Warning!
Wear eye protection[/align]

‒The ATF level is correct if a small quantity of fluid comes out at the hole when the ATF temperature is between 35 ° and 40 °C 1). (The fluid comes outbecause the ATF level rises as the temperature increases.) [/ul][/ul]
1)50°C for tropical countries


â—�If ATF flows out of the hole, the ATF level is okay. [/ul]










‒→ Always renew seal -arrow- for ATF inspection plug.
‒Tighten ATF filler plug. This completes the ATF check. [/ul]
Tightening torque







Component

Nm


ATF filler plug

60
Topping up ATF

â—�If no ATF comes out at the hole, top up with ATF as follows: [/ul]










‒→ Use V.A.G 1924 to add ATF until fluid level reaches lower edge of filler hole. [/ul]
Note:
Use only ATF with Part No. G 052 162 A (colourless/yellow) for topping up.Do notuse any additives.
Warning!
If the ATF level is too high or too low it will adversely affect the operation of the gearbox.[/align]










‒→ Always renew seal -arrow- for ATF inspection plug.
‒Tighten ATF filler plug -arrow 1-. This completes the ATF check. [/ul]
Tightening torque







Component

Nm


ATF filler plug

60

[IMG]local://upfiles/12092/DC3B08B6BAC749DCA09FCDA11BC372FC.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/12092/F74C52391F6C4B43A5F5C45B54C03A44.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/12092/82627F6890AD4BC9B20367BB76398E3A.jpg[/IMG]

 

That pan looks in no way like the transmission pan on my 1997 4.2 A8.

Here's even more about the '97 tranny and how to deal with changing the fluid and why;

http://www.audipages.com/Tech_Articl...eshooting.html

 

Jaeder:
Do you think it is possible to save this trasmission? At 101,000 the dealer says my clutches are too far gone to save. They said that the fluid being the same color as used motor oil was indication of that. I beg to differ though. I thought that the filter was just plugged so bad that the transmission was starving for fluid. But then there is the reverse gear. Why does reverse work as if nothing was wrong?

Any ideas where I can get the rebuild parts for this transmissions? Or another rebuilt transmission to install?

 

I think it's far more likely that it's a clogged filter than it is worn out clutches. 101k is not high milage, and if the filter was not changed at 40k then that is a definite problem, while the dealer mechanic's gut opinion of the state of the clutches is only speculation.

The 97 filter will not work anymore at 101k, and when it is clogged the symptoms are just what you experienced.. Again, in my personal experience anyway.

Since Audi didn't sell trailer hitches in the us for the a8, and one seldom sees a roof rack on the things- I'm saying that it's hard to see any way the clutches could be subject to adverse wear, as the tranny would fault if the fluid got to the point that something would slip.

I can only offer one data point, that is my own experience, I had to push my car into my garage it was so bad once I hobbled to the driveway, then the filter and fluid were changed, no further problems.

It's supposed to look like used oil, it IS used oil! I hope that mechanic does not replace every engine he sees with blackend oil in the crank case. The transmission oil was as black as coal, and I could squish the silt built up in the filter around with my finger and leave an impression in the gunge that would retain it's shape. I'm suprised it worked as well as it did!

As to the reverse being ok, I think it has something to do with the car getting confused by the bubbles or low fluid pressure and becoming stuck in two forward gears at once. Since there is only one reverse, that can't happen for reverse.

I'd feel bad if I convinced you to blow four or five hundred bucks on the filter/oil change and it didn't fix it.
But consider that unless that filter was changed at 40k, then it is bad, no question, absolutely bad.
When it's clogged, the transmission can't work, so how can the mechanic know the rest of the transmission is bad if it came in with a non-working filter?

It's a bit like saying the pole transformer for your house is bad when your table lamp goes out without first trying a replacement bulb.