trannies

[Bernie Benz]

Brett,
 
First, please accept my deepest sympathies for your problem.

IMO and from many others, apparently the 016 is one of Audi's more bullet
proof tranies of its decade.  So, I would go used.  I assume that you have
looked as well as advertised for them on Audifans clasified.  Have you tried
the es@ List?  Many there having bought wrecked 200s for the 3B to mate it
with the CQ's 01A tranny.  5KQ and 200Q trannies may also be
interchangeable?  Having yours rebuilt was worth about $1K 6 years ago.  The
best being German Transaxle in Bend Oregon. (PO paid on my 01A in the
90Q-20V) Talk to them.

Not to chastise you in your hour of pain, but for the consideration and
possible benefit of others, additional Qs.

You've known that you have had a shaft seal leak for how long, and what had
you done to correct it?  If nothing, why had you not added 1/2 can of engine
seal restorer when first discovered, and an especially easy task having just
changed fluid.  If this seal treatment doesn't do the job in 1K miles the
seal's broke!  Replace it!

Why did you change fluid?

Is your normal parking spot on a smooth pad where you can easily and often
monitor for fluid leaks of all kinds?

Further comment below.
 
> From: Brett Dikeman <brett at cloud9.net>
> 
> The tranny leak on my car apparently went from a slow drip to a near
> flood in the days proceeding a planned trip down to Lime Rock for a
> photo shoot of a friend's car on-track.  It wasn't until I got home
> that I noticed the huge spot of oil on the floor of the garage(it was
> in the garage temporarily, almost always outside); the fluid was just
> changed barely a month or two ago, and of course I had the chance a
> few months ago to buy a used tranny for about $500, and passed on it.
> 
> I never made it to the track.  An hour and a half into the trip,
> precisely half-way there and 20 miles past what AAA covers, the car
> lurched like someone firmly pressed the brakes 3 times, and then it
> was continuous- I put the clutch in quickly and brought the car over
> to the breakdown lane.  From the side of the mass pike I found I
> couldn't shift out of whatever gear it's stuck in now. The car rolls,
> somewhat, with the clutch in.  No noises(not even during the
> failure), no warning.
A seal leak implying low fluid level is a great early warning!
> It had been making a whine in 4th for months
> that hadn't changed; all other gears were silent.  I would have
> expected a transmission failure to be much more dramatic.
What more do you want?  And you haven't even felt it in the wallet yet!
> 
> Speaking with a cornerworker(I did eventually make it to the track)
> who happened to also have a 200q20v and works with Greg Haymann(well
> known Audi mechanic in northwest CT/nearby NY), he mentioned the
> right front seal is a common failure due to heat from the downpipe,
> and recommended I send my downpipe out for jethot coating inside+out
> to prevent it from happening again.  "The heat shield is not enough".
A clean heat shield is enough, and it is there primarily to protect the CV
joint, not the tranny seal.  The tranny seal should be well cooled by the
circulating tranny fluid, if any.  "jethot coating" is best used on fat
wallets, not your current problem.
 > 
> What is the current situation with transmissions for our cars?
> Here's what I understand-I know Audi doesn't offer them rebuilt or
> new.  I remember there was a guy in Germany who kept "discovering"
> small quantities of new 200q20v transmissions, although weren't the
> prices outrageous, and didn't include shipping from Germany?  Another
> option is possibly a rebuild, although I have no idea how bad things
> are inside; it might be shot to hell and back, especially the center
> diff.  A tranny from a wreck is a total unknown, with absolutely no
> way(that I know of) to check it out, no guarantees, no nothing.  I
> could spend a huge amount of money on labor only to drive the car
> 1000 yards, hear all sorts of lovely noises and be right back where I
> started and an empty bank account and two dead transmissions.  I'm
> slightly less than thrilled about that option.
> 
> I also remember some discussion at one point about how the 01E
> 6-speed from the biturbo S4's might fit- according to Charlie, the
> resident Audifans 013/016 tranny expert, the input shaft splines are
> different, but he thinks it "should work" with the right clutch and
> such.  I have no idea what the S4 01E units run these days, so I
> don't have the slightest clue as to whether this is an option, but
> S4tt owners seem to be extremely talented at smacking their cars into
> various things and one would think there would be plenty used units
> with rather low miles, at least compared to our cars.  New I know
> they had a dealer-cost of about $12k back in '99/'00....
> 
> Any opinions?
Find another broken one and DIY two into one.

Bernie
> 
>POOR Brett
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