Slammo

Hello all,
I have a 2011 Q7 3.0T Prestige that I have owned for about 3 years. It has been running flawlessly until today when I parked it, I got back in a few hours later started it up, put it in drive…doesn’t move. I tried all of the gears and I’m getting nothing. I’m thinking it’s either the TCU or the valve body. Any thoughts or suggestions? I ran the VCDS and I’m not finding anything out of the ordinary, definitely no transmission faults or codes.

'10Q7TDI_Prestige'

There are archival threads of similar issues, including one that was posted in just the last several weeks on here.

Are there any fault codes showing up in VCDS at all? Did it rain while you were out of the car? Are any carpets wet inside the car? What's the mileage on it? Have you ever serviced the transmission fluid since buying the car?

Slammo

I purchased the Q7 with 68K miles and I’m currently at 118,000 miles. I have changed the shocks, springs, brake lining, thermostat, supercharger oil, gaskets, belts, MMI updates as well as regular oil/filter changes since I purchased it, doing the work myself. The transmission oil and filter has not been changed since I owned it. I did look at the archives, which led me to check the passenger floor for dampness as well as wire separation in the harness in that area, no issues. I also reset the transmission control module. As mentioned, I found no fault codes related to the trans or engine using VCDS. It did not rain, nor was it run through a carwash prior to the issue. At 66 years of age, I’m more familiar with pre-TCU transmissions. So, I had it towed to a reputable local import shop here in Myrtle Beach yesterday, still waiting to hear back from them.

2.7bt Fan

I'm having similar issues, was it the valve body?

Hope the problem was resolved.

Slammo

Yes, it ended up being low on trans fluid. The shop changed the trans filter and oil, all is good now. From an owners standpoint, there is no warning light or a trans dipstick to check the fluid level, how would we know?

'10Q7TDI_Prestige'

Well, perhaps the real question you should be asking is why did Audi decide to claim the entire driveline as being 'sealed units' and 'lifetime lubricated', which means nobody has ever changed any of the driveline fluids on these cars as part of their normal and required maintenance intervals, as these items are excluded, etc.

The driveline components aren't 'sealed' and they don't contain any magic lubricant...just normal synthetic gear oil/transfer case fluid/ATF, etc., which all have to be changed out periodically to keep things in good working order. I've actually had shops look up my car and straight up tell me their online guide indicates no service is required/sealed system, which is utter nonsense. Just go look up the transmission directly and see what Aisin has to say about their recommended trans fluid change intervals to keep the transmission working as designed. Same goes for rest of the driveline.

To be fair, Mercedes Benz and other high-end nameplates were also advertising low maintenance costs during the same time period the Q7 was launched by claiming lifetime fluids and 'sealed systems', and so the issue of intentional maintenance-neglect is not just with Audi's used vehicles.

Buyer beware; the first thing I do with any used car is change ALL of the lubricants/fluids/filters in the car. That's my reset button, and then I can begin a normal servicing schedule based on how I drive the vehicle, etc.

Change all the driveline lubricants on this car...it's full-time AWD for Pete's sake, so everything is linked together and is turning and churning all the time, which causes lubricants to break down. The diffs and transfer case only hold about a liter of lubricant each, and have normal fill and drain plugs on each, so doesn't get much easier than that.

Very glad to hear the basic trans fluid/filter service resolved your issue, as many owners aren't quite so fortunate. It is important you note whether the shop doing the work did a full transmission flush using a machine, or if they just did a normal, manual pan-drop type of fluid change, which only nets about 2/3 of the old fluid being removed from the system, etc., as this can help you plan the next trans fluid service interval most appropriately.

Good luck!