Hello everyone on Audiforums.com,

I am new to this forum, however after a long sought out search, I can't seem to find anyone with a particular issue as mine. I am a second owner of a 2003 A4 CVT with 86,000 miles, bought it at 82,000 and over the past few months started noticing a strange issue regarding the PRND display on the cluster, it goes like this:

-When car is started from cold start, I am able to put car into drive/reverse and works as it should, PRND display works as it should
- After approximately 5 min of driving(regardless of engine temp.), entire PRND flickers several times until the entire PRND display disappears - car is still drivable but very hesitant on low rpm, i.e.- when in traffic, car jolts/jerks from a complete stop
-When I put it in reverse sometimes PRND is on but no square on R. - reverse gear does not engage fully. It rolls back at idle but no response to the throtle.
-Then I put it in neutral and PRND start to flash then I can put into reverse but the display keep on flashing, PRND will never flash unless i force it into "limp" mode
-After driving for 20-30 min. PRND display comes back on and stays on the rest of the drive. Jolts/jerks still occur until i put it into neutral/park, then back into drive. Then car drives normally.

I have taken it to a local mechanic, and they first replaced the plastic shifter housing surrounding the shifter circuit. a local Audi dealer told them the shifter circuit sensor could be at fault for this issue, and my mechanic stated that something might have been spilled on the shifter circuit.

My question is, could it be the circuit in the center console under the shifter? or should i have the CVT trans fluid changed? or is it a faulty TCM?

Im in college right now, and i don't have deep pockets to do the process of elimination repairs. So I am afraid to take it to the dealer knowing that
they would just simply charge me around $200 for a diagnostic check and then a really expensive repair top of it.... can anyone help or give feedback/experience on this issue... any insight is greatly appreciated!

Thank you

 

When the PRND started flashing on my '03 B6 at around 100K, the dealer had to replace the CVT Transaxle ECM at just over $2000.00. Good luck.

 

Ok, mine was at 73k miles. It was the TCM that was faulty. Ended up being a $1700 fix but luckily it was still on warranty from the dealership I got it from. Sorry buddy but it sounds exactly what happened to mine.

 

there are so many problems with cvt trans. :/ sorry man