Ok so my tranny sometimes starts in limp mode, and sometimes it doesnt, when it doesnt start in limp mode the car drives fine and all of a sudden it goes into limp mode. I know this because of all the gears illuminated and my car wont come out of 4th gear, ive heard the tcm goes bad on these but i want to know where i should start before throwing money away

 

any CEL codes? download vcds lite and scan the transmission module if you can.

 

ive had a intermittent cel light so it has been off and on im guessing its because its time for a tune up it been like 30k since i did it

 

Check your transmission fluid level. It doesn't get any cheaper than that. Could be the multifunction switch on the side of the transmission. Lift the carpet up on the passenger front floor and see if it is wet down there. If it is your TCM might be dead or dying. Also if it is wet, check the area under the hood where the battery sits. Those are known to get clogged and then fill with water which then ends up in the passenger floor. There are instructions on checking the transmission fluid level here.

 

idk if my fluid has ever been changed... im kind of scared to change it. i have 205xxx miles on the car. what do yall think?

 

Well beyond your transmission issue, which my friend who has a 2000 automatic S4 has the same issue. Had crap luck last time i tried to hook it up to VAG-COM, so I gave up. But you should definetely hook it up to VAG-COM with the blue Amazon cable and the free version from Ross-Tech's website. Report back with saved trouble/error codes. And all my friends say the same thing about the transmission fluid... It's like any fluid, it's need to be changed eventually along with the trans filter. It's lubricating abilities break down significantly over time. So don't let get it worse, that's my opinion.

 

does the amazon cable have a certain description, and i wake up this morning and go to work with no limp mode at all, does temperature have something to do with it? today it was like 60 all day and the past two days it was going into limp mode it was in the 80s, my car has only 130k the tranny cant be giving up??

 

Exact same cable/ place I bought mine from. Works flawless. You don't really need the cd that comes with it, just plug and go. It is hard to say what your issue is without trouble codes. Automatics are fickly to say the least. According to the my audi manual in the car, transmission fluid (in your case the filter as well) is to be changed at 100,000mi. then every 50,000mi. after that.

 

thanks im going to buy the cable, but the weirdest thing is that it hasn't done it at all since so im just dumbfounded...

 

ok so my cable comes in today so ill be posting my trouble codes up hoping for the best