tranny problems
03-01-2005, 03:59 AM
#5
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Well, my dealer is here in Chicago, Fletcher Jones and they just replaced the whole trans and then
the ECU because the original ECU wasn't "communicating" properly with the new trans. No modding done to my car though and they are NOT a mod friendly retailer.
Mine was slipping between shifts. Revs would shoot up in between 1st and 2nd, 2nd and 3rd, etc...
Mine was slipping between shifts. Revs would shoot up in between 1st and 2nd, 2nd and 3rd, etc...
03-01-2005, 04:28 AM
#6
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How many rpms was the tranny slipping between shifts DaveyKid??
I have noticed the same phenomena on my RS6, but I'm getting the sense that mine is a very mild slippage...say 500 rpms or so. How many rpms was yours slipping, and what did you say to the dealer/AoA to get them to repair/replace the faulty parts? What was replaced, exactly? Thanks, CW
03-01-2005, 05:31 AM
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It would jump maybe 500 RPM's as you described, but your natural reaction is to let off the gas when
that happens. If I had kept my foot at maybe 3/4ths throttle between shifts, it would spike up to redline, as the tech did when he test drove it.
As it was described to me, and I'm sure everyone has a theory, the clutch discs in the transmission can't handle the transition of power from gear to gear. The software mapping from Audi is such that it was developed to have a smooth shift. What that does is put greater amounts of stress on the clutch discs while in that "transition" period between gears. You never hear about chipped gears, stripped gears, etc... because that part of the transmission is strong. It's the soft programming of the shifts and the resulting stress on the clutch discs. This is why chipping will invariably lead to failure unless they also chip the transmission to produce quicker, tighter shifts. My tech mentioned that the typical american Audi buyer doesn't want a "hard" shifting car. Given the fact that this was a $90,000 car, I don't think we are drawing from the same client base as say a WRX STi or Evo buyer. Maybe we expect something smoother.
They told me Audi would not fix the "problem" until they saw enough transmission problems, but the problem with only 1200+/- cars is that you can't make a great enough impact with the sheer numbers alone. He also told me the Euro mapping software for the RS6 and the RS6+ was much tighter and they practically had a zero failure rate.
I mentioned there were a number of aftermarket tuners out there that could essentially perform the same function as the Euro RS6's and of course the response was, "you'll void your warranty".
There you have it. That's what I know, which isn't much.
And BTW, they read these forums so it doesn't make any sense to discuss in a public forum about how you might have chipped your car. (I'm not saying you did, just be careful!) The trans is not a cheap thing!
As it was described to me, and I'm sure everyone has a theory, the clutch discs in the transmission can't handle the transition of power from gear to gear. The software mapping from Audi is such that it was developed to have a smooth shift. What that does is put greater amounts of stress on the clutch discs while in that "transition" period between gears. You never hear about chipped gears, stripped gears, etc... because that part of the transmission is strong. It's the soft programming of the shifts and the resulting stress on the clutch discs. This is why chipping will invariably lead to failure unless they also chip the transmission to produce quicker, tighter shifts. My tech mentioned that the typical american Audi buyer doesn't want a "hard" shifting car. Given the fact that this was a $90,000 car, I don't think we are drawing from the same client base as say a WRX STi or Evo buyer. Maybe we expect something smoother.
They told me Audi would not fix the "problem" until they saw enough transmission problems, but the problem with only 1200+/- cars is that you can't make a great enough impact with the sheer numbers alone. He also told me the Euro mapping software for the RS6 and the RS6+ was much tighter and they practically had a zero failure rate.
I mentioned there were a number of aftermarket tuners out there that could essentially perform the same function as the Euro RS6's and of course the response was, "you'll void your warranty".
There you have it. That's what I know, which isn't much.
And BTW, they read these forums so it doesn't make any sense to discuss in a public forum about how you might have chipped your car. (I'm not saying you did, just be careful!) The trans is not a cheap thing!
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03-01-2005, 07:24 AM
#9
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Yes, tranny relies on the main ECU (aka ECM)
In my case, trannie issues were accompanied by sporadic subpar performance. Replaced ECM, problems disappeared -- then returned. Later replaced wiring harness -- problems now gone for good, I think, after 14K miles.
That's just my case; doesn't mean yours is the same. But in resolving it, which required many weeks and a pre-arranged dealer tech call to a factory tech in Germany, I was told that the main ECM, and I'm not speaking of the tranny ECU, affects an incredible number of functions -- including the tranny.
And the ECM can malfunction due an errant wiring harness. My harness was "shorting out" in some of its communication with the ECM.
Sounds like your fix works fine, and it certainly was thorough! How long ago was it, in miles?
That's just my case; doesn't mean yours is the same. But in resolving it, which required many weeks and a pre-arranged dealer tech call to a factory tech in Germany, I was told that the main ECM, and I'm not speaking of the tranny ECU, affects an incredible number of functions -- including the tranny.
And the ECM can malfunction due an errant wiring harness. My harness was "shorting out" in some of its communication with the ECM.
Sounds like your fix works fine, and it certainly was thorough! How long ago was it, in miles?
03-01-2005, 07:43 AM
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Wow, very revealing, esp re US vs Europe tranny settings. Thanks!
But I gotta ask: Is AoA really as dumb as they seem here? They have a solution to an expensive problem, but aren't willing to share it?
By that I mean, if the tighter Euro shift settings are problem-free, why not offer that as an option at the time of replacing a US tranny?
Meantime, if you dare to find a program that will enable the tranny to work better, Audi says no cuz their name is not on it & they void related warranty claims. So you stay stock, the tranny goes, and AoA is out a bundle of money.
Isn't that dumb?
Maybe not, since they probably want to maintain uniformity among US cars. But that is their wish; if I was an owner needing a new tranny, I might wish otherwise.
By that I mean, if the tighter Euro shift settings are problem-free, why not offer that as an option at the time of replacing a US tranny?
Meantime, if you dare to find a program that will enable the tranny to work better, Audi says no cuz their name is not on it & they void related warranty claims. So you stay stock, the tranny goes, and AoA is out a bundle of money.
Isn't that dumb?
Maybe not, since they probably want to maintain uniformity among US cars. But that is their wish; if I was an owner needing a new tranny, I might wish otherwise.