bestoverall

Sorry if this topic was covered previously, but I couldn't find anything definitive whether my 2009 A4 with 2.0T engine would need to have a transmission tune up done. And if so, is it just replacing ATF or do I need to change the filter and gasket. Should I change the differential oil as well? I remember hearing somewhere that the transmission on 2009 A4 is a sealed unit and does not need any service.

My A4 is getting close to 100K miles and I had my engine swapped from a 2012 A5 recently because the engine seized. Since I spent a large chunk of change, I want to use the car for awhile.

ECS Tuning-Audi

Typically the fluid in an automatic is considered "life time" or life of the transmission.

If you haven't regularly changed the fluid in the transmission I wouldn't change it now. Replacing the old dirty fluid with new clean fluid could cause the transmission to start to slip.

New fluid is free of particles which often as a transmission ages will provide the clutch packs better grip as they wear away.

The new fluid is will have much less viscosity and likely cause the trans to act different.

Jason

jfo

I have been reading about this concept that changing higher mileage TF may be a bad idea for at least 20 years and I've never seen an expert technical explanation saying if it's actually true or not. Some have also said that you are OK to do a drain and refill, but not a full flush. One thing is true however...old, burnt fluid is not good for the transmission. I suggest you send an email to ZF, the manufacturer and ask them their advice. I do recall reading that ZF does indeed recommend changing the fluid, not treating it as "lifetime", but don't have the recommended interval at hand.

ZF Friedrichshafen AG USA/Canada | Technologies made by ZF

Edit: ZF recommends changing the 6H transmission fluid at 80-120k km's, or at least at 8 years.
http://www.zf.com/media/media/docume...hselkit_EN.pdf

jagtoes

Changing TF if done periodically will extend the life of the transmission. Read or look for the info for your car. My Jag with a 6 speed ZF auto box recommends 60,000 miles while my wife's old Volvo with 345K miles gets it done every 50,000 miles.
The reason for the old tail from what I had been told is that the newer fluids will have fresh detergents which will clean contaminated fluid from seals and o-rings which intern will cause slippage. The contaminates could be anything from rubber , paper gaskets or water caused by condensation.

jfo

Yes, I've heard about the potential leaks and slippage that supposedly may occur. I've been changing my TF for over 40 years, so I can't speak from personal experience about high mileage changes. All of the comments about this though seem to be anecdotal, passed along by people who have read it somewhere. I can't recall ever reading or hearing from people who have actually experienced this first hand though, or seen comments from transmission experts. So, I'm not saying the OP should ignore these warning comments, but try to get some concrete advice since he wants to keep the car for awhile. Personally I would be inclined to change the fluid.

bestoverall

Thanks for all the inputs. But I'm back to square one - no definitive answer. The repair shop I went last time quoted $350 for transmission oil change that includes new gasket. Not sure if it's worth the money.

jfo

Well, you're never going to get a definitive answer on a forum...just opinions, some useful and some totally wrong. I would still recommend asking ZF for an expert opinion and then make a decision. If you plan to keep the car for the long term, then never changing the fluid is probably not a good choice.

Audi Junkie

MaxLife or Mobil One claim the LT-71147 or whatever spec. I would use MaxLife.