New guy here with an '01 S8
 

Picked up one of my dream cars on Sunday.


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...15e7c2cbcd.jpg

198k miles, I'm the 3rd owner, second owner purchased it CPO. Came with a stack of receipts.

Trans replaced by Audi at 106k, fluid changed at 155k.

Now, I had a BMW with the same trans, and had issues after a fluid change, then rebuilt the valve body, and then once it was good I sold it. What's the consensus around here for fluid changes? Right now the trans is acting fine. I want to keep it acting fine until at least it's warmer out.

Anyway, glad to be here!

Nice S8!

I don't know if you will find a definitive answer about the transmission. I've heard 30k-60k is a recommended OCI for it. I did mine @160k for what I think was the first time

I wouldn't rush to do it if the trans is behaving but it's worth doing at your convenience

have had the same, or anyway very similar gearbox, on my ex RS6 C5 and E39 540i. Both have had an oil change for the first time, the Beemer at 120k miles and the RS6 at 80k miles, both were on original transmission, worked just as fine if not even better aftewrads.

Now i am running another RS6 C5 and recently picked up an '01 A8 4.2, and will definitely do the gearbox oil change as well on them too. While the RS6 is now close to 150k miles and on its second gearbox which was fitted by Audi at 60k and never seen an oil change since, the A8 is at 80k miles, original gearbox by what i can tell, and acts very well, in fact is smoother than the RS6 one.

Conclusion would be that an oil change will not damage a gearbox as long as it has been acting alright prior to it, problems always show up if problems were present prior to the gearbox oil change. One other thing would be not to do a flush but do a simple oil change and filter couple of times in a short period of time/miles and all should be ok, that's my experience.

Loving it so far. I did the timing belt service and a new thermostat last weekend, then the coolant temperature sensor this weekend. Picked up a VAG code reader and verified what the P.O. told me about the only code being from the rear O2 sensor on bank 1. He had a receipt from where he brought it in after he swapped all of the O2 sensors, shop told him one of the cats was dying. I'm just going to install defoulers and be done with it until I open the exhaust up.

I think I'll wait until spring to change the fluid/filter. I found this in my Audi DVD manual.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...61c173594b.jpg

They seem to think the cause for the F clutch problems is in the valve body. The main pressure valve in the valve body is a concern on the BMW 5HP24's as well, and when I rebuilt my old valve body this was one of the main reasons, so I could replace the old design valve with the new design valve.

Thinking about when I change the fluid/filter, if it might be good to rebuild the valve body just to be on the safe side. It's pretty easy to do since the pan and filter will be off already.