famous600

So I picked up a 99 Audi A6 Avant the other day. Got a good deal because the tranny went into safe mode and the airbag, ABS, Brake, and CEL were all lit up an the tranny was stuck in safe mode. Well come to find out the tranny problem was just a simple fuse. The CEL went out and its no longer stuck in only 4th gear. It goes through all the gears, however my LCD screen on the cluster is almost gone but I can barely make out that the PRND have the line going through it and I can not use tiptronic, which doesnt bother me because I dont really care much for that option, however on the interstate going about 60mph my rpms are over 3k and this just seems....high. This is my first Audi so I could be wrong and that could be normal but any suggestions? Could the ABS/Brake light be causing the transmission to not fully reset? I know the ABS module needs to be rebuilt which will happen next and then I will tackle the airbag light but just cant figure out why the tranny problem wont go away after changing that fuse and the CEL going out. No I dont have a VAG COM and its quattro V6 non turbo. ANY help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

frankinstyn

it sounds like your torque converter isn't locking. this is a common problem and as far as I've read, can only be fixed with a new torque converter. you can find alot of information on it here just to verify the symptoms. the screen broken is common as well. the tiptronic may be related to the torque converter so i wouldn't bother looking into that until after its fixed. at 60mph you should be at about 2200rpm just as a reference.

also, i understand not buying vag-com but you can buy the generic cable from eBay for 15 bucks and use the free version. I've been doing that for 3 years now.

famous600

Yeah I am sure I will pick one up eventually. Also i noticed today the car gets up to third gear and thats it. Wont go past it. The CEL is out. Very weird. I will look into the torque converter though.

frankinstyn

If you're getting to 60mph at about 3,000rpm then it probably isn't your torque converter. I assumed that you were shifting fine.

Are you sure about that gear? It sounds more like fourth with the TQ working fine.

famous600

It could be 4th. I dont think its the converter because my CEL isnt on. It went off right after I changed the fuse. PRND has the line going through it and Tip doesnt work. Very weird. Also here in Omaha its like -8 outside and my ABS light went off! Temporary bonus.

famous600

Oh yeah. I left the negative terminal unplugged over night and still nothing in hopes of resetting the ecu and tcm.

towertro11

Are the PRND letters on the display red (lit), or are they dark with red lit up around them? If they are dark with red around them, you are still in transmission limp mode. That will prevent tip shifting. Your CEL may not light in limp mode. A lot of your symptoms sound like when my transmission control module got wet. I dried it out and no problems since. In sub-zero temperatures, drying out may not help, perhaps some damage was already done?

You can check torque converter function at highway speed on a flat stretch of road. Release the gas pedal and check to see what the tachometer does. If it stays steady, TC is engaged, if it drops, TC is disengaged. A disengaged TC is not a definitive sign of a problem, but if it is engaged, it will help troubleshoot your rpm at x speed question.

Highly reccomend a diagnostic tool. Even an obd2 reader is more help than none. Using the negative battery cable trick keeps you blind to problems that are occuring. Doing it once will clear codes that were one time events, but it will not help if you have recurring issues.

Good luck,
John

famous600

Well after I replaced the fuse I took it to oreilleys last night and used their OBD2 reader. Cleared out the codes and she works good as new! Just gotta find why the airbag light is on and get the ABS module replaced and shes all done.

alvaudi

I purchased a 2000 A4 with a similar problem. What fuse was needed to get it up and running again?

Thank you