hello:</P>


My wife's audi cabrio ('96 v6 engine, 70k) is acting up a bit, and thus i have a couple of questions.</P>


First, is the 96 cabrio built on the A4 or A6 platform?</P>


Second, it has an automatic transmission. To our knowledge, the tranny ahs never been serviced. She bought it with 30k on it and drove it to 60k, at which point I changed the fluid--three times in order to remove as much of the old fluid as possible (recognizing that you cannot fully drain the torque converter). I checked around and learned that (speaking from memory) one, and only one of the commonly found tranny fluids substitute for the extremely expensive audi brand transmission fluids. Again, from memory, I believe it was mercon III. Regardless, the info came from the local audi dealer. </P>


I filled the tranny with fluid after the car was warm and checked levels on flat ground in park, with motor running. </P>


The fluids were exactly full. </P>


Since I changed the fluid, the transmission does not shift properly. When starting off cold, it will not shift out of first until 4000 or better rpms, or until you completely let off the throttle and coast for a bit. This is not correct shifting. Second, quite often the tranny feels taht it is "hunting" for the correct gear--it will shift from second to third, then back to second. After which, itseems to go on fine. </P>


Any comments about the transmission fluid? Have I caused some problemsby using non-audi fluid, or is the tranny simply beginning to wear?</P>


Comments please. </P>


</P>

 

Are you saying you didnt have problems till you changed the fluid?

 

re: problems until changing fluid? </P>


i don't think it shifted the way it does until after i changed the fluid.</P>


if it did, the new fluid seems to have magnified the problem somewhat. </P>