Hi, I'm new to this forum, having recently bought my first Audi, a 2003 A8 D3, 3.7 V8 Quattro.

I searched the forums and googled my transmission issues, but all threads with similar issues are vague, or symptoms vary.

I'll start by saying I have had the codes read by a reputable specialist and nothing comes up.
So as for my issues.... I noticed the first issue with my transmission not long after I bought the car (private sale). It had a jerky gear change when going up from 2nd into 3rd gear. It does this whether I'm in Drive, Sport, or changing gears manually and it only jerks when going up from 2nd into 3rd. Downshifting from 4th to 3rd is smooth and all other gear changes while driving are also smooth. And the harsh gear change seems more pronounced with the faster you accelerate, although it is less pronounced when the transmission is up to temperature.
The second issue is something that I started to notice more recently. This only happens occasionally, and again, it is more frequent, and worse when the transmission is cold. When accelerating from stationary, the car will start to move, but slowly, then it jerks/kicks into gear and starts accelerating as normal. Sometimes it will judder very slightly as it engages (closest thing I can describe this with is a slipping clutch). Its almost as if the first gear, or the torque converter haven't fully engaged for the first few seconds of accelerating, then as you're moving, they engage with a kick and you're moving normally again.
The third thing I've noticed is the torque of the car, when trying to accelerate from a stand still, seems very weak to me (it may possibly just be me, as I'm not used to these cars).
I have shown the car to a transmission specialist (he offered to have a quick test drive for free and give his opinion of what to do next) who started by saying "oh...one of those" when he saw my car (encouraging first words). And after driving it, said the harsh gear change is nothing serious, especially compared to the usual problems he's seen with these transmissions and that the issue may seem worse to me because I'm used to Mercedes transmissions (seemed like an odd observation to me). He did however continue to say the slight issue is possibly down to low fluid level since the transmission warming up reduces the issues. But he will need the car for a whole morning to test it from cold and check fluid level/condition. I have also read one thread of someone with a similar complaint of lack of torque from his car (and another issue which seemed different to my issues...can't remember what it was) claiming a transmission oil and filter service cured his problem.

So has anyone else experienced similar issues with their D3 A8 transmissions, and does anyone else have experience with fixing these issue? And what are the odds of topping up/changing the fluid helping in my case?

Much appreesh for any and all responses, in advance.
Thanks, Baz.

 

The first thing I'd do is a fluid, filter, and pan gasket change. Changing the fluid in these transmissions is key to keeping them alive longer. The harshness of the shift will probably go away with a fluid change. The only thing is that it's impossible to get all of the old fluid out as a few liters of it will stay in the torque convertor and it impossible to get the fluid out of them in the car. But still, a fluid and filter (the filter is probably starting to get clogged restricting some flow causing the delayed engagment) change will probably make a big difference. Use ONLY the Audi Synthetic (or equivalent) in these transmissions. Any other fluid will trash it. Blauparts.com sells complete fluid change kits. I've used it and will be doing another fluid change this summer on my 03 A8.

 

Thanks Dave. But is there a chance the lack of torque I'm getting from the gearbox when pulling away from stationary could be improved by doing this? Also just as a side note, the car has done just over 100k miles and going by the service history, had a transmission service at 35k miles from Audi main dealers (additional work Every 40k miles has been ticked, which details in the service book describe as "service operation, multitronic gearbox ATF changed").
I'm trying to get as much feedback as I can about these issues to see if it's worth spending on a fluid and filter change, as apposed to upgrading the car.
I know this would otherwise come down to getting the fluid level and condition checked first, but if there are enough people out there who say this can help, I'll give it a shot. Or if there are loads of people out there suggesting the chances of a fluid change helping improve my transmission problems are slim, I'd rather not spend the money on it since its not just a matter of £50-100.

 

I don't know how much a shop would charge for the fluid change but I can imagine it running about $300US. The kit from Blauparts is around $120US. I do my own work. The transmission should NOT leak fluid at all. If it is leaking, very well could be down on fluid. Low fluid will cause slipping and slow engagement of the gears which can lead to burning up the clutches. Also this will accelerate the amount of material in the fluid that the filter will retain further reducing the critical flow of fluid. They way I see it, you can chance the fluid change and hope for the best. Otherwise, the transmission will need to be rebuilt or replaced. NOT cheap.

 

Hmmm fair enough. I'll see how much I can get a service kit for I guess. I've seen some how-to's on it.....doesn't look too complicated. Only uncertain bit is the refilling bit with regards to checking the level and if vag com is required to monitor the transmission while filling. Thanks again

 

You shouldn't need the VAG Com stuff. Just get the car off the ground high enough and level. Filling the transmission is the difficult part as it is has to be filled from underneath using a pump. There are some Youtube videos that show how it's done. Some kits will provide a small pump that is fine for refilling. When filling process is started and you crank the engine to suck the fluid out of the pan, you will add more to bring it up to the full point. Then you will cycle the transmission through ALL of the gears letting it fill all the systems. You will fill it some more till the fluid runs out meaning it's full. DO NOT turn off the engine at any point after filling the pan the first time and cranking it UNTIL AFTER you put the fill plug back in or a few liters of fluid are going to come rushing back out and you'll have a mess.

 

Ok so all the detailed descriptions I could find were for the D2 and it seems by your description it's exactly the same for the D3 A8. No reason I can't do this...except patience. Lol. Anyway, you're awesome Dave. You've convinced to do the service. Will post back as soon as its done and I have some feedback of the results (may be up to a wekk or so from now, but I'll post back here once its done). Thanks again.

 

The hardest part for me was getting the car off the ground and level on 4 jack stands. I wish I had a lift or it would have been a snap.

 

Yes my thoughts exactly. Getting the car on 4 jack stands on the driveway was one concern from the start. But now i have a new concern... the first price I've received is £312 for the kit alone, which would be somewhere in the region of $450-500! I'll have to see if i can find a cheaper source first.

 

I don't know what shipping from Blauparts here in the US would be but it might be worth a look.. See if you can find yours listed. I wasn't aware the A8's came with the V-6 engine though.

Audi Automatic Transmission Filter Kit - Vw Automatic Transmission Filter Kit