Broken S-Tronic gearbox

[saintS400]

After having issues with my gearbox, which started pre MRC Tuning, post 60,000 miles service & gearbox oil change, my car went back in to West London Audi again. They replaced the Mechantronic for the 2nd time, but no difference except that the gearbox started to whine on the Technicians test drive today. Apparently this means the pump has no oil in it & this can't be rectified??

Audi Technical have authorised a new gearbox. These are on 10 working days from the factory with one day needed to fit. It has taken a while to get to this point but at least it is now settled (I hope).

Good news is that I get a new gearbox & it is being dealt with under warranty. Bad news is that is going to be 11/12 working days before I get to drive my car again on top of the time it has already been off the road.

WLA have been good, but resolving the issue has been long winded because of the way all the information has to be uploaded to Audi Technical. Once they have the information they need they then download software upgrades for the Technician to apply to the car. If it doesn't rectify the issue, the process then has to start again. It is very frustrating.

[chunky79]

Have you ever had the problem of it not knowing which gear to be in when pulling off? Had a loan a4 with auto tip box and it was shocking.
Audi are very frustrating full stop!

[spr0cket]

What were the symptoms you were experiencing with yours Saint?

[saintS400]

Have you ever had the problem of it not knowing which gear to be in when pulling off? Had a loan a4 with auto tip box and it was shocking.
Audi are very frustrating full stop!

Not really. When the box was getting worse it would really bang into first when you moved off & the same with changing down from 3rd gear. Above 3rd the box was fine.

[saintS400]

What were the symptoms you were experiencing with yours Saint?

It started off with noticing the gear changes more when the car was in auto. This was how it was ahead of the 60,000 mile service when the gearbox oil was changed, it then got worse gradually after that. It then went into limited drivability mode. Took it back to Audi so they could check it out & check the fault codes. They could not find anything so they told me to carry on driving & report back.

Then you could feel the box very noticeably change down from 3rd to 2nd to 1st, you could really feel it from 2nd to 1st more than from 3rd to 2nd. It then started to jump forward as it changed down into 1st, but not everytime. In fact for a while it was much worse sometimes than other times, it tricked me into thinking the gearbox was learning to mend itself!! It then started going into limited drivability mode again on a couple of occasions.

I spoke to Audi & they booked it in to have a proper look. Before this could happen, early on a Sunday morning just as I was about to leave to go on a tour of the Prodrive facility at Banbury, I started the car, it clonked a little, I put it into gear & the car stalled. It did this a further 4 times before it remained running. I tried to drive it but it was clonking & banging into & out of gear as I drove down the road. I turned round, parked up & called Audi assist, who came out to have a look but obviously there was nothing they could do. They recovered my car back to West London Audi on the Monday morning.

That is when they replaced the Mechantronic for the first time. I went to pick the car up, test drove it & it was a lot better but not perfect. I took the car away on the basis that I had any further issues I would bring it back.

It then started to go into limited drivability mode on a regular basis, twice in a day. So it went back to Audi where they fitted another Mechantronic, didn't work so new gearbox ordered.

[spr0cket]

Thanks for the thorough insight. Glad to hear it's finally getting sorted.

I have intermittent lurching though without any fault codes Audi are unable to isolate further. Booked back in again later this month to see if they can reproduce it.

[saintS400]

Looks like I will be getting my car back on Wednesday. The gearbox arrived today & they have started the changeover works.

I can't wait to get back in it & go for a blast. Roll on Wednesday!!

[Hom]

I've definitely started to notice the gear changes more in auto in mine, it lurches sometimes. It was always a little bit noticeable in dynamic but never in auto or comfort. Its just rolled over to 30k today.

I need to get in booked in anyway since the key isn't registering in the ignition sometimes (I have to take it out a few times to get it to start)

[Trups]

Have you ever had the problem of it not knowing which gear to be in when pulling off? Had a loan a4 with auto tip box and it was shocking.
Audi are very frustrating full stop!

Ye i had the same, thats that multi tronic, i had a few new Audis as loan cars with these and they are <beep> lol

[saintS400]

I have my car back. Picked it up at lunch time, took it for a drive for a couple of junctions down the M4 & all seems good. It feels like it did when I first had it, gearbox wise that is.

Selector is stiffish, but I suppose it would feel different to my 60,000 mile sick gearbox.

I asked about the cost, Sinead said the job card was up to £8,500 so far. But didn't break it down other than to say that the Mechantronics are around £1200 a go when I asked. That is the cost to the man in the street, so I am not really sure how the total is made up.

They also had to re code the keys as part of the gearbox replacement, so its off to MRC tomorrow to see Doug just in case the map has been affected.

Its good to have it back. I have some driving to do at the weekend including going to McLaren Birmingham on Sunday, so I will get a good few miles in

[spr0cket]

Well I dropped my '09 in for an very intermittent issue of gear hunting, kangarooing reverse and occasional rough downshifts in slow traffic.

Sods law it wouldn't play up whislt I took the master tech out to try and replicate the issues - so left my car there for further testing and diagnostics last Thursday. Pleased to hear on Friday that a test drive showed up some "unexepcted" behaviour and Audi tech had asked for extended environmental measurements along with smapling of fluids from gearbox and rear trans.

Advise has been to replace mechatronics unit - whihc arrived today and should be (subject to succesful road testing) handed back to me later tommorow.

Seems a number of reported problems have been solved with swapping this unit, whilst a smaller number have needed further work with box replacement. Here's hoping mines not so poorly and this will keep it sweet.

Audi Guildford have been great, I was very open about cars stage 2 tuning etc and whilst they obviously gave me cautionary advice, so far it's not been mentioned of challenged in any way - he says waiting to pick it up and get away with credit card unscathed.

[saintS400]

Well I dropped my '09 in for an very intermittent issue of gear hunting, kangarooing reverse and occasional rough downshifts in slow traffic.

Sods law it wouldn't play up whislt I took the master tech out to try and replicate the issues - so left my car there for further testing and diagnostics last Thursday. Pleased to hear on Friday that a test drive showed up some "unexepcted" behaviour and Audi tech had asked for extended environmental measurements along with smapling of fluids from gearbox and rear trans.

Advise has been to replace mechatronics unit - whihc arrived today and should be (subject to succesful road testing) handed back to me later tommorow.

Seems a number of reported problems have been solved with swapping this unit, whilst a smaller number have needed further work with box replacement. Here's hoping mines not so poorly and this will keep it sweet.

Audi Guildford have been great, I was very open about cars stage 2 tuning etc and whilst they obviously gave me cautionary advice, so far it's not been mentioned of challenged in any way - he says waiting to pick it up and get away with credit card unscathed.

So how is your car now you have it back. Is all ok?

[spr0cket]

So far... So good got a longer drive tomorrow so will get a chance to check it properly.

[xxx_mojo_xxx]

DSG problems seem to be pretty prevalent. I had a similar issue with my MK5 GTI. A replacement of the mechatronic unit under warranty sorted that out.

I was hoping the VAG group would have figured things out 4 years down the line with the S4. Fingers-crossed, I dont want to go through the same on my S4.

Glad to hear you got things sorted. Still a bit surprised Audi didnt try to blame the remap for the gearbox issue.

[saintS400]

I have now completed a couple of thousand miles post gearbox change & all seems ok at the moment. The miles include normal driving (obviously), VMax & 3 lots of Sporting Bears Dream Rides. At the VMax & Bears events I was not holding back, but only time will tell as the last gearbox did 60,000 miles, only 16,000 of that was stock car miles.

It feels good & makes my MRC'd car feel even better now I can let rip (sensibly of course)