ejmeier

I literally just bought this car about a week and a half ago on Craigslist. (123k miles, 2002 A8L.) I test drove it, took it on the highway, etc. and everything seemed smooth.

Now, I've finally got around to driving it for slightly longer distances (over 20-30 minutes on the highway) and I'm noticing the transmission acting up.

The biggest hiccup happens when decelerating going from 2nd to 1st gear. It happens as a slight lack of smoothness at first, but eventually grows to a noticeable clunk by the time everything is warmed up. It also fell out of gear once (I think it was from 4th to 3rd). Most issues center around downshifting. There are no dash lights or visible codes that have come on (yet).

Previous owner said he had the transmission fluid flushed and changed, along with filter, last year. No mention was made (and I found nothing during test drive) of any transmission issues whatsoever.

Any advice? Options? I'm located in Minneapolis, MN, so I'm also wondering if there's anyone in the area with specific expertise in this area.

silverd2

I'm not a trans expert by any stretch, but my first advice is always check the atf level before making any other decisions...esp when someone tells you it was serviced (by who...did they really know how?).
It is critical that it be done exactly correct...start with cold engine, bring to exact bath water temp, fill to overflow while running, etc.

Not easy to check...no dip stick...must be up on stands (or lift), dead level, same procedure as new fill...here >>

audipages A8 Automatic Transmission Servicing

nossisnave

When you say it "fell out of gear", do you mean it was revving like it shifted into Neutral, or d'u mean something different?

ejmeier

I may not have explained it the best. Basically it was near a shift point in the RPMs, I believe between 3rd and 4th, and it downshifted quick and then jumped back up into 4th.

After driving it this afternoon, I don't believe it's as disastrous as I had initially thought. I was able to avoid much issues by slowly decelerating, and it only made a clunk noise once going down from 2nd to 1st, but that was during a relatively hard stop.

The one upside is that the original owner is still responsive, and is giving me info and not ignoring me. I'll ask him where he had the fluid/filter changed, and give them a call. I know that it's probably one of two places nearby, and they're fairly reputable shops, but not sure what I should ask them. What kind of fluid they would've used? Is the fill procedure specifically different for the A8?

silverd2

Same procedure for any modern VW/Audi (probably many other brands without dipsticks, too).
But, in my personal experience, I even had a VW dealer botch the job...after odd symptoms (different than yours), I checked it the correct way, at the proper temp and out comes a huge overflow...overfilled...probably just filled instantly upon cold start, without waiting for it to come up to temp. As I understand it, overfilling allows moving parts to come in contact with the reservoir atf causing foaming, leading to pressure loss.

ejmeier

Just spoke with the former owner on the phone, who's been pretty good with communication on this.

Apparently the tranny wasn't flushed last year, but actually back in 2011.

I'm going to see if I can't take it into a reputable shop this Monday and see if they will have a look at it. Should I have them change the filter regardless?

123quattro

My S8 is doing something like this. You can be in any gear and then it will try to downshift to 1st. The shift fails and the trans goes in limp home mode. For my car it temperature dependant. When it's about 60F outside this will happen once the car has been running for about about 10-15 minutes. When it's cooler it never happens. I replaced the transmissions output sensor on the FL output flange. That made no difference. I'm convince now it's an intermittent short in the wiring harness and will be swapping over a new harness.

However, since it's fall now so the issue has gone away until next spring.

ejmeier

Okay, just got back from the shop. Since it was pretty chilly this morning, sure enough, they couldn't really get it to act up like it did in warmer weather. They said once it may have felt a bit of a jerk when downshifting from 2nd to 1st, but very minor. They also said that the reverse still seemed very strong and solid, which was good.

So, they pretty much told me to leave it as is. To change the filter and fluid would've been like $700 - $800, which I'm thinking I could probably do myself if it's that much.

Anyway, they seemed to be of the opinion that the transmission was bound to fail eventually, and that paying to have the fluid and filter changed would only be a waste of money. They mentioned something about wear from clutch packs getting into the fluid, and how if I changed to clean fluid which would be thinner, it might actually accelerate the problem.

I know ZF specifies changing the fluid, but Audi doesn't. What I'm wondering is: does the mechanic's story make sense? I mean, I don't want to be some **** retentive guy who changes the fluid just because it looks "icky." Bottom line, I just want to do whatever prolongs the need to get the transmission rebuilt/replaced for as long as possible. If, for some reason, it will last longer with thicker, nasty fluid in there, then I've got no problem leaving it in.

2001 S8

Sounds pretty high. Mine cost $350 with Audi filter and Audi fluids.

Then I should stop eating healthy and running 3 times a week, because I'm going to die anyways. : )

Your going to get arguments from both sides of the table on to-do or not-to-do a trans server. I did a trans service at 100,000 for peace of mind and have not regretted it.

Good luck.

123quattro

Changing the fluid isn't hard. You just need to get the car up in the air and level and have a 17mm hex. I did it 3x in my A6 4.2. Takes about an hour and is roughly $75 in parts. It's worth doing every 40k miles.