Straw Clutching

[Shoppinit]

+1 There's a list of ATF equivalences in the FAQ.

[Revolvo]

Checked with the guy, he's using the original spec oil, Pentosyn, so looks like he's the right man for the job then.

Might start visiting him regularly if he does a good job of this fluid change.

Thanks guys

[Revolvo]

At independent specialist right now and he's opened the gearbox to replace the ATF. Surprisingly, original filter and fluid in there, looking very clean even after 210,000 kms.

Worringly, he mentioned to me that changing fluids can cause gearbox problems

Only after he'd opened it out of course..... So, hoping now with fluids replaced that everything will run as smooth as it did for the last10 and a half years. Original gearbox, original ATF, let's see how the new stuff fares...

Will let you know in a few kilometres how it feels.

[Shoppinit]

It can't cause failure. It can only show up faults that were there anyway and about to result in box failure.

It's like replacing the sawdust in the coolant system with water and then when the radiator leaks saying it's because you put clean water in.

[Revolvo]

Open sesame

Thanks, still sitting under the car right now. Let's see how this goes.

[Revolvo]

And spotted front left CV boot has expired. Will replace now that car has assumed a suitable position to access it.....

[Revolvo]

It can't cause failure. It can only show up faults that were there anyway and about to result in box failure.

It's like replacing the sawdust in the coolant system with water and then when the radiator leaks saying it's because you put clean water in.

Listening to him talk about the system, I think now that this is what he meant. That codes would be thrown up, become more apparent with imminent box failure etc. after ATF change.

[Shoppinit]

It's a good sign that the old ATF is in good condition.

[Revolvo]

So, ATF changed and Vagcom says that car is fault free except for one of the front PDC sensors, so that looks good.

Only thing is, that when driving back from the specialist yesterday I noticed three or four jerky changes from 1st to 2nd gear. It was a smooth but rapid rise in revs, then a slamming into gear and off I go. Everything else smooth but it's feeling like a slipping clutch - is it time to think about having the gearbox out for inspection/rebuild or is it a torque convertor issue?

Recommendations?

[Shoppinit]

After an ATF change, there can be some air locks in the valve body. Give it a few more miles and gear changes and see if it still does it. Use tiptro to go through all the gears.

If it still does it, then it's time for a new box.

[Revolvo]

So, had the ATF changed and drove the car home. Left it sitting up for a while (almost two weeks) and when I returned, there was a large puddle of ATF under the front leftside. As there has never been a puddle there before, I called the guy who did the ATF change and the car is now on a flatbed on way to specialist to have a proper look at gearbox to salvage what can be salvaged before it eats itself. He was very apologetic and pretty embarrassed about it so let's see how long it'll take and how much it'll cost to put it right.

Feels like clutch is slipping, even when in tip mode up and down the gears so I've asked that it be pulled apart and examined, rebuilt as needs be.

Now, where did I leave those prizebonds, might be time to cash them in finally

It'll be worth it though, I do like that car......

[skirs6]

I'm relatively new to RS6 ownership just under 2yrs yet all I seem to read about is gear box failures on cars that cost in excess of 60k new. I assume the majority of these failures are on modified vehicles??? If not what do Audi have to say when it seems they are virtually guranteed to fail

[Revolvo]

I'm relatively new to RS6 ownership just under 2yrs yet all I seem to read about is gear box failures on cars that cost in excess of 60k new. I assume the majority of these failures are on modified vehicles??? If not what do Audi have to say when it seems they are virtually guranteed to fail

My car completely unmodified mechanically (only mods are new steering wheel and dectane rear light clusters but that's it) and has full Audi Service history from new. Read in other posts that auto gearboxes should be considered as consumables with their life expectancy being somewhere around 120k miles. I'm at about 131k miles and it seems to be giving up finally or starting to give problems. I don't tear off from standing starts but I do put the foot down and regularly max out on the autobahn and it's only recently that I noticed any difficulties. VAGCOM says the car is perfect apart from one PDC which went a few weeks ago.

There are plenty of posts on what Audi says about these boxes but I can't remember them offhand except of course that they really should be considered a consumable and should be budgetted for accordingly.......

[Revolvo]

Specialist just called to tell me that my torque convertor is not closing.

Doesn't explain where the fluid leak is coming from though....

T/C replacement is hopefully straightforward enough.

[Shoppinit]

Specialist just called to tell me that my torque convertor is not closing.

And so it starts...