Bangerla

Here is a link to another forum, of people complaining about the thump, and the fix is the valve body...

http://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s-...t-flare-96631/

MP4.2+6.0

If my W12 tranny blew up tomorrow, I would not go to Audi either. Nor did I when it blew up on my 2000 4.2 with the 5 speed lemon. I would go to a good shop that deals with ZF USA for factory rebuilt trannies at the US rebuilding facility. For me, that's about 30 minutes away in the South SF Bay Area, and I expect if I poked here, there are probably a few more around too. I found that one by running some searches on the regional Audi boards looking for any model Audi where the owner had a tranny rebuild done.

It is what Audi does essentially anyway, other than I cut out another layer of overhead and maybe they have ZF do it back in Europe with yet more freight expense. At book labor, the indy shop will typically have a lower hourly rate too on the R&R. On my 4.2 it was still in the low $4K range out the door including tax, but that included R&R, all fluids brand new, rebuilt and updated internals (a big issue on the earlier 5 speed), a rebuilt/serviced torque converter and a 2 year unlimited miles warranty. TozoM8 in the Chicago area could have done it for somewhat less, but I had no way to get the car to him and net of shipping and R&R it would have been at least as much. All perfect since, and now my brother in law has it with about 50K more miles on the clock since. The shop I used actually also did its own internal ZF tranny work for a known specific issue involving a specific piece part and not a more generalized issue. Mine had a torn central clutch basket (notorious apparently on the early 5 speeds and one of ZF's "improvement" revs along the way), so it was all over for any easy/shop bench type fixes for that unit.

And yes, I might roll the dice on a used unit at low miles on mine too, but only if the 3 letter codes lined up, I had the fluids done (and any weird W12 access stuff like the temp sensor and a couple of buried O2 sensors), and I used an indy like the one I describe who regularly does full ZF pulls and replaces in Audi longitudinal AWD--as in not just VW type transverse FWD or Sychro, or only A3's or TT's. If the out the door price difference closed to even a grand or maybe two, and I was keeping the car, for my own tradeoffs anyway I would probably pay up on the ZF rebuild and warranty with little chance of mystery surprises or further tranny work ever likely needed again. Kind of how I got through the pain of writing the check the last time, though I was less a happy camper with ZF once I heard from the shop that ZF itself had quietly revved the internals for exactly what mine broke for.

2k6blacka8

Been there. Seen that. Thank you again for the suggestion but I'm not putting anymore money in that car especially wasting money on a $1050 transmission flush. I threw in the towel and a "I give up" flag and it is for sale as we speak. I love the car but not when it has problems like that. Not putting thousands of dollars($4000-$6000) at one time in any car period. Doesn't make sense.

2k6blacka8

So why are there different transmission codes?? Since it's the same unit I don't know why it matters.

MP4.2+6.0

Even if the internals gearing seem the same, if the TCU is talking to what it thinks is mechatronics version "A," but its actually "B," or the fluid pressures it uses with the clutches vary by tranny code or with the torque converter or whatever, good luck unscrambling that mess. Similarly, if the cars need TCU box ending in "AX," would you want to install an "AY" that seemed the same and plugged in and all without Audi telling you they are interchangeable, and at literally only like 1 to a few percent of the actual R&R labor of a tranny? If Audi keeps the replacement trannies still separated by part number, it's not because they want to inventory ten times as many units and move around multi hundred pound high value parts with forklifts and full-on truck freight.

If you haven't done it already, get your parts counter to tell you if the rebuilt units still vary with the original tranny codes involved. If so, you're playing Russian Roulette with a both a very expensive gun and real chance of a quite bad outcome. If they are unified for the remanufactured units on the other hand, then you can breathe easier.

2k6blacka8

Oh ok that explains it. It has a lot to do with line pressures. Makes a lot of sense. Well i'll make sure I get the matching tranny code. Thank you very much.