'97 ABZ code.

Anyone know if another transmission is compatible?
Could I switch to Tip?

Repair shop said they didn't find any chunks in the transmission but found some above the valve body while replacing the input and output transpeed sensors. Does this sound right?

Any suggestions are appreciated...

 

They found chunks in the transmission? Can you expand on that?

Did the car drive before you brought it in?

If so, why not just change the fluid and filter and see what happens? Or is it terminal?

Just so you know, ABZ is your engine code, not your transmission code. If you have a 97, you either have a DPZ, DSM or DTE transmission. <a href="http://www.audipages.com/Tech_Articles/auto_transmission/autotranservicing.html">This shows you where the nameplate is.</a>

Any of those transmissions can have tiptronic retrofitted to it, <a href="http://www.audipages.com/Tech_Articles/auto_transmission/97tiptronicupgrade.html">Here's what you need to know about it</a>. It's a control issue, not a hardware issue. Just add 3 wires and a new shifter and you've got tip!

pw

 

Paul- Thanks for checking in with me. As you know this has been a week w/o my car and dealing with this problem. After the dealer told me I needed a new transmission without even checking the fluids and giving me terrible service I drove the car 2 miles in Limp mode to a reputable repair facility who works strictly with Audi and VW. They pulled the transmission pan, filter and valve body. It was recommended that while the transmission was opened up to replace the input and output transsender units. One of these units is located on top of the valve body and so when they removed the body there were shillings, 1/8" x1/16" sg. and 1/8" x 1/4" x1/16 stuck to the sender unit. From the diagnosis it looks to be the "forward pack" blew out. B/c the car goes into limp mode only when shifted into forward, in other words you can back up but once the car goes forward at all the trans. goes into LMode. I have thought about just changing the fluid and having them button it back up and see what happens but at this point I want to call ZF and talk with Tech service. Looking at 4k for tranny and 1200-1500 labor. Does $1400 sound right for a timing belt, pully, and waterpump? Seems like if I'm going to stick the 5k into the trranny and still not know when the timing belt was changed it seems foolish not to have it all done at once, then I KNOW what has been done when.

PS- I purchased the car with 162k miles for $9k. Good rubber, excellant interior cond.. I just can't see "shooting it dead" at this point. Would like your opinion.