[A4] A4 Tip Trans (long)

[Scott Simmons]

Also, I've heard of folks "over filling" the trans (generally pretty 
hard because gravity works) without much trouble.  They do what I think 
someone on here mentioned:  raise the rear of the car and pump in more 
ATF.  In the end, though, I think the "over fill" amount is well below 
damage level.  I know some GM transmissions can take up to a quart over 
the "max" line and still be OK.

On the topic of fluid, there are a few camps:

1) Folks who say OEM Audi bottle ONLY!!
2) Folks who say OEM Audi Bottle or Pentosin fluid (IMO, the same crap 
in both bottles)
3) Folks who say anything approved for ZF transmissions (LT something or 
other)

On the Passat forums, the folks who did do it had great things to say 
about the Vavoline MaxLife ATF.  "Really?" I thought to myself.  The 
Pentosin stuff is $15/qt (yowza!  Average fluid change would run you 
$100 just in fluid), the Mobil 1 syn ATF (ZF approved) is $7/qt.... 
MaxLife ATF is $5/qt.  Surely that's not good enough, eh?

But I got 8 bottles in my garage to take to the shop when they do my 
fluid.  *shrug*  I'm gonna try it.

~Scott S.

Richard Andrews wrote:
> It warns up to the specified temp fast also I have found putting it in drive and filling it helps if you've exceeded the temperature threshold
>
> Rich
> Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Scott Simmons <indischrot at gmail.com>
> Date: Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:34:36 
> To: Sean Coriaty<scoriaty at gmail.com>
> Cc: <a4 at audifans.com>
> Subject: Re: [A4] A4 Tip Trans (long)
>
> IIRC, the "fill, drive, fill, drive, fill" is the non-VAG-COM way of 
> filling.  You're supposed to monitor transmission temperature until it 
> reaches a certain degree.  You can let it idle and then check (and add) 
> or drive around.  *shrug*
>
>
> Sean Coriaty wrote:
>   
>> I've recently endured over a year of tiptronic trans issues in my 99
>> (B5) A4 1.8tqa.  Not exactly consistent with the current thread, but I
>> thought worth disseminating.
>> Started last winter- frost heave (Northern New England) put hole in
>> trans pan.  Car was driven 0.5 to 1 mile (fluid still leaking heavily
>> when car was stopped), then towed to local wrench.  Pan and fluid
>> replaced, got it back with minor issues- occasional slipping from
>> start, took 2-3 seconds to get in gear once gear selected, slight
>> slipping while accelerating around sharp turns.  Assumed trans was
>> damaged by driving it a short distance w/ fluid leaking.
>> Then it happened again- frost heave, hole in tranny pan (think it was
>> due to weak sidewalls on old Hakkepelita 1 snow tires w/ 32 psi paired
>> with massive frost heaves on these rural back roads).  This time,
>> stopped car immediately and towed to different wrench.  Got it back,
>> and the symptoms described above were more severe- especially slipping
>> while accelerating around turns.  Learned to drive it differently to
>> minimize slipping and assumed Trans was on way out.  Put 20k miles on
>> it in this condition (became unfun to drive it).  Then a brain bulb
>> lit up.
>> Researched how to repalce fluid.  Appears one must pump fluid in w/
>> car level (not easy in back yard) until it begins to leak out, plug
>> it, drive it a bit, pump more fluid in, plug it, drive it...etc. until
>> no more fluid will go in.  Bought the blau kit w/ pump, followed their
>> directions EXCEPT part about hooking up vag-com and monitoring fluid
>> temp (not recalling exact procedural details).
>> No change- same symptoms.  Then I decided that slipping while
>> accelerating around turns would seem to indicate low fluid and decided
>> to force-feed it.  Parked facing downhill over a drainage culvert and
>> pumped another 1.5 quarts in (already had about 2.5 quarts in via Blau
>> method).  Trans has worked like new since (a miracle, given what it's
>> been through).
>> Note that I believe I force-fed it too much.  Should have tried half
>> quart, then another half if no change, etc. instead of pumping another
>> 1.5 quarts.  Why do I believe it has too much?  Because it accelerates
>> more slowly from a stop so I think it possible that excess fluid is
>> causing excessive friction in the trans.
>> Audi now has 270k w/ original trans working fine (at least, no
>> slipping and normal gear changes in auto or manual mode).
>> Sean
>> Freedom, NH
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>>     
>
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