thrash

I was looking at newer Audis the other nite on ebay and noticed that A8s and A8Ls are showing up _dirt_ cheap just a few years old. Like all of the 98-01 cars are in the teens or twenties.

The last-gen A8 is a beautiful, beautiful car IMO and given how cheap they are now, i figure getting one in a while might not be impossible But naturally i have an issue with the gearbox. There is a "no automatics" rule in this household and I could only buy an A8/A8L if i knew that i'd eventually do the swap (the first time the slushbox tried to do something stupid, probably . I read all of Paul's posts on the subject, and my impression is that nobody has actually done the swap yet on a US car. Is that correct ?

It seems like with a VAG-COM this can be a DIY job; i've done clutch jobs on RWD cars and FWD cars, so i'm not uncomfortable doing half-shalft/cv joint work, or dropping a transmission. The sticking point for everyone i think is the ecu/tcu issue. Why is there a tcu for a manual gearbox ? There certainly isn't one for my wife's B5 (Passat 5spd). Can't the ECU be recoded to think it has a manual gearbox ? Are the signal lines between ECU and TCU control lines from the ecu, signal lines from the tcu, or some of each ? How much of that can be faked ?

I'd like to know the current "state" of USA cars with manual gearboxes

Thanks,
Matt
88 BMW M5 (5spd)
88 90 Quattro (5spd)
00 Passat Wagon (5spd)

PaulW

You'll have to source the parts....the brake master cylinder is used to feed the clutch master cylinder....it already has a blanked off hydraulic port....

Then you'll need a tranny, plus a rear end because the ratios will be different.....you can easily run the clutch hydraulic line.....

You'll need a pedal set, but there is already the means to mount it, just cut out the cut outs in the trim right now....

I tried to get wiring diagrams for an A6 2.7 T with a manual or a S4, but never got them, they could provide more info...

However, your ECM has a CAN (controller area network) that talks to the TCM on the 97-99's, has about 8 things....so you won't have that anymore.....you would always have a check engine light on unless you could get a European ECU from a six speed....but there were very, very few produced with a 4.2, only the pre facelift S8's and a few A8's.

You will also need the transmission mounting hardware which I have seen on ebay once.....

Do it and make a bill of material so I can do it! ;-)

Personally, I would rather just spend the 6-10K that it would cost to put in a supercharger or twin turbo......

pw

CaseyH

Anyone know if any manuals made it to Canada?

thrash

automatics sucking is the problem. Putting a heater on the intake doesn't solve the issue of automatics being unreliable, expensive, and fundamentally not as fun (compared with traditional manual gearboxes)

is there a problem with just importing everything needed from .de ?

Cjshutts

have any questions about the cars construction let me know.

From surfing the Bentley, it is pretty much the same, so I would think it is a bolt in.

The engine computer and O2 sensors are different, but I scan everything with with Rosstech.

I would think the manual would be the way to go when the ZF dies.

JörgenK

That sounds a bit wierd since Audi seem to use the 4.11:1 ratios everywhere now.

PaulW

U.S. bound A8's had different ratios because of the tall gears...S8's had the 4.11 in the states

thrash

the right approach is to just get a euro ECU ?

I wonder how much _that_ costs from the dealer

Anyone know ?

Cjshutts

To make the car OBDII comliant, so I have the US computer now.

I am worried now, I didn't know the trannies had different gearing.

Bernes

<center><img src="http://bilder.mobile.de/images/autos/1/11111111135383878-876-1081073230_4.bild"></center><p>The car shoud run fine once you block the park switsj ,
if you can get a 6 speed form a european TDI and an
adapter plate or (clutch housing) that fit's .
Maybe there is a company in the us tha can make you one you shoud be fine.

Scan www.mobile.de and look for "wreks"
you shoud be able to do this at an affordable price.
Sell the parts you don't need and your automatic tranny on Ebay
and you can make this "cost free"

But get a compleete car.

(i don't know if the linked car is a 4WD)<ul><li><a href="http://uk.mobile.de/SID4-ffgj4Ub-xZxHdIwGgTRA-t-vaNexlCsAsK%F3P%F3R~BmSB10LsearchPublicJ1081801143 A2LsearchPublicCCarX-t-vctpLtt~BmPA1A1B20B41v-t-vMkMoSmTh_X_xsO~BSRA6D1900Ba8BA8La8%7C%FF%A5%7C%FF %A5%7C%FF%A5%7C%FF%A5%7C%FF%A5A0A2A0/