2004 A6 3.0 Quattro-automatic transmission issues (somewhat long)

[William Magliocco]

Hello folks:

It has been awhile since I have rattled your collective cages <grin>.  I have been working in Detroit for about 18 months while my wife & daughter remain in Atlanta.

I had to dispose of my trusty 1993 100 sedan last month...too many (little to intermediate) things wrong with it over time-the "final straw" was that the catalytic converters failed during its last GA smog test in 2011 (they held up for 10 years, no complaints there) and I decided a 20 year old car is beyond what I want to deal with these days.  It served me well for about a decade, sigh.  At least my picayune neighbors won't be calling the "lawn police" (code enforcement) about it any longer.

But the Audi gods are asking me to come back...you know, it's like leaving the Mafia <grin>.

This morning, I was minding my own business at an "O'Really's" auto parts store for a couple things for my Jetta TDI.  A gentleman comes in looking for ATF on his 2004 A6Q.  Doesn't realize he really should be buying something from the Pentosin boys...which O'Really's doesn't sell (at least THAT store).  Seems his A/T is starting to slip and the independent mechanic quoted him mucho dinero to fix it.  

So the man is either going to give the car away for a tax credit or perhaps sell it to the enterprising middle aged man whose current ride has the transmission pulled anyway (clutch job on that '98 Jetta).

I ask those "in the know" what are the weak points on the A/T on this vehicle...my luck with the A/T on that 1993 100 is that ZF made a decent slushbox, far better than those found on the 1986 5K Turbos (made by VW).

Perhaps he has simply not changed the fluid out (as he thought the car had a dipstick, which it does not).  Maybe VCDS will help me get lucky and find out it is something like a bad solenoid pack (which I could replace).  The man does not appear to be a wrench given he believed the car had an ATF dipstick tube accesible up top.  I had to explain Audi took them out about 10 years prior.

Does this car have the problem of ATF/differential oil mixing like those horrid 5K transmissions did?

The vehicle has about 138K on the clock...what should I offer if I decide I like it?

Thanks a bunch.