95-97 A6q 4sp AT - maintenance interval

[Kneale Brownson]

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At 09:50 AM 11/15/2001 -0500, MCTXR4 at aol.com wrote:

>If it's like the auto tranny on my '97 A4, there is NO service possible
>until it fails. These are sealed units. If you look carefully you'll find
>that there isn't even a dipstick to check fluid levels.
>
>It's inconceivable to me that we cannot service these transmissions to
>give us a chance at lengthening the service life. VW/Audi is so bloody
>confident of their engineering that they will not even give any reference
>to outside repair facilities on how to rebuild the transmission if it
>fails. It has to be replaced in toto with an entirely new unit.
>UNBELIEVABLE. I've checked cost on this as well, over $3k for the new unit
>plus labor.
>
>This is absolutely the last Audi I'll ever own.
>
>Mike Torio

While I was waiting at the parts counter of my local dealer (to find out
they didn't have the $40 relay I bought elsewhere for half that), I
overheard the service manager talking to what sounded like an outside
repair shop about the VW tranny he said the outsiders apparently have
ruined by disassembling despite VW's warning to leave it intact for factory
rebuilding.  He was saying the reassembly (apparently it needed one new
gear that is "not a replacement part" so they were just trying to close it
back up and now nothing works right) involves tolerances that require a
bunch of special jigs and gauges that are impossible to avoid using.
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