CLeonard

How is it running (or was it prior to the limp mode)? Shifting rough, hunting, whirring sound?

If you have another ride, I would park it until you can do the tranny fluid/filter change.

Colby

Sven_S8

<i>Safety functions of gearbox control unit

If one or more of the system components or sensors fails, control unit -J217 switches to a corresponding back-up mode, or emergency running program. This enables the automatic gearbox to continue operating without becoming damaged, but will affect the operation and smoothness of the gearshifts accordingly.

If a critical fault occurs and control unit -J217 is active, the gear which is currently selected will initially be maintained. As soon as it is safe to do so (i.e. without damaging the gearbox or affecting driving), control unit -J217 will switch to the "Mechanical emergency running mode with active control unit".



Mechanical emergency running with active control unit

- Gearbox shifts out of whichever of the forward gears is engaged and selects hydraulic 4th gear. Torque converter clutch is released. No electrical signals to solenoid valves.
- Maximum shift pressure applied to power-transmitting components.
- Reverse gear can be engaged. Selector lever lock (in positions P and N) is active.
- -&gt; All segments of the gear display light up together.

If control unit -J217 fails (e.g. if the power supply fails or the connector becomes detached), the gearbox will immediately switch to "Mechanical emergency running mode with inactive control unit" and continue to operate.</i>

PaulW

....first of all, you probably have a simple problem that needs to be fixed. Relax, it's no biggie.

1. Do you have vag-com? If yes, pull the fault code (it should have a fault code if it went into limp home mode). Post it here. If no, I would put vag-com and the Bently manual on you "mod list" as "next". Without it, you're in the dark.

2. If you have the fault code, post it here...but I bet it's the code that says for possibilities of problems: "ATF Dirty".

3. You have 140K on your car, do you know if anybody has every changed the ATF fluid and filter? If you are uncertain, you have to do this anyways. So start collecting the parts. Buy the ATF fluid at a VW dealer, you should be able to get it at $15/litre.

4. Change the fluid and filter....take pictures of how disgustingly dirty it is and full of metallic particles and post here! ;-) This way we'll all stay convinced that this is a normal required procedure.

5. Rinse, and repeat (well....actually don't rinse)....but if you find dirty ATF with metallic particles, you'll be doing this again in about 1-3 months to really solve your problem.

And no, it has nothing to do with the recoding most likely, but without the fault code, we won't know.

pw

seanA8

I had my fluid changed three times until it completely cleared this summer. You can drive the car in limp mode and start out slow without burning anything up. I drove it for no more than two days but it can get you from point A to point B.

The fluid will be very dirty. I had them touch it off a second time as it went into limp mode on hills. The third time, I just had a flush done at a 3rd place and it has worked well for the past two to three months. Good luck! Two flushes and one filter cost me less than $400 which is a helluva lot less than a new transmission.

ex-a8drifter

Disconnected battery and no results. Definitely have to change the fluid and filter.

ex-a8drifter

Address 01 -------------------------------------------------------
Controller: 4D0 907 557 D
Component: 4.2L V8/4V MOTR AT D05
Coding: 01273
Shop #: WSC 09417
2 Faults Found:
16486 - Mass Air Flow Sensor (G70): Signal too Low
P0102 - 35-10 - - - Intermittent
16825 - EVAP Emission Control Sys: Incorrect Flow
P0441 - 35-00 - -
Readiness: N/A

Address 02 -------------------------------------------------------
Controller: 4D0 927 156 K A
Component: G5 01L 4.2l4V USA D32
Coding: 00002
Shop #: WSC 09417
3 Faults Found:
18157 - Transmission Control Unit Incorrectly Coded
P1749 - 35-10 - - - Intermittent
17090 - Transmission Range Sensor (F125): Implausible Signal
P0706 - 35-10 - - - Intermittent
17087 - Brake Switch B Circuit Malfunction
P0703 - 35-00 - -

PaulW

My Bently is out in the garage right now.....

Sven_S8

18157 P1749 Control unit for automatic gearbox
Wrong coding

- Engine control unit has detected a fault in the "signal for the actual engine torque"
- Engine control unit coded incorrectly or wrong engine control unit fitted
-------------------------------------------------

17090 P0706 Driving range sensor =&gt; -F125 1)
Implausible signal

- Selector lever cable wrongly adjusted
- Connector for driving range sensor (multi-function switch) -F125 unplugged
- Open circuit or short circuit to earth or positive
- Driving range sensor (multi-function switch) -F125 defective
-------------------------------------------------

17087 P0703 Brake light switch -F
Electrical fault in current circuit

- Wiring connection between brake test switch, brake light switch -F and gearbox or engine control unit defective
- Brake light switch -F defective
-------------------------------------------------

16486 P0102 Air mass meter -G70
Signal too small 1) -&gt; Check air mass meter
-------------------------------------------------

16825 P0441 Fuel tank breather system
Throughput faulty 1) -&gt; Check solenoid valve 1 for activated charcoal filter, perform final control diagnosis
-------------------------------------------------

HTH

CLeonard

When I got my car at 103k miles, it had a slight whir (I thought it was the fan, being used to the silence of a LS400, I thought the sound was normal for Audis) and poor shifting. By 105k miles I was desperately gathering parts for a fluid change as the shifting rapidly turned for the worse. And I wasn't even in limp mode yet. Do a search, by the time I got in there my magnets were FULL of metal particles. The whirring sound was likely the oil pump cavitating starved for oil because the filter was clogged. I wish I had done the filter change ASAP and not driven it; I fear I did MUCH more damage in doing so, possibly requiring a new tranny in the near future. If your oil filter was clogged and the oil pressure dropped would you drive it for a few days until you could do an oil change? The tranny is no different.

Just my $0.02.

Colby

seanA8

I understand you point and dont suggest driving a car long term. My only point is the car is still OK, it just goes into limp mode to prevent you from causing further damage.

Some people panic as I did and think it's the death of the transmission. Having been in the spot where someone will try to have you towed to a dealer and stranded with a $10k bill. I am saying drive the car and get it changed. Don't get towed to a dealer and pay through the nose.

When a car has over 100k miles and you drive it an extra ten miles, it's not going to be the death of the car.