[V6-12v] Any Automatic Transmission BTDT??? '92 100S

[Steven B]

Greetings V6-12V members!

I tried getting info from the beeg list a few weeks back on this and none was forthcoming ... so I decided to scrubside to this group to see if perhaps I could get something I can move forward with.  I checked back a year or so in the archives and didn't see anything relating to automatic tranny troubleshooting ... 

My sister-in-law has a 1992 100S FWD automatic.  A few weeks back we met for a family gathering, and since I'm the "Audi guy" they asked me if I could help.  The problem was that as the car was accelerated from a stop it would behave as expected, until the transmission shifted ... I think it was into 3rd gear, but it might have been 2nd.  At this point the transmission was slipping badly ... the car would continue to accelerate slowly, but as you pushed the accelerator the engine would rev almost as if it were in neutral.  Eventually the transmission would shift into the next gear and it was back to normal operation.  I had my nephew try using the sport mode of the transmission, which didn't seem to make much difference.  We checked the ATF level, which seemed a bit low, so we added maybe 1/2 quart.  It appeared that the fluid level was in the proper operating range on the dipstick.  

I didn't have my PDA with ProDiag with me so they followed me home.  We found the diagnostic connectors in the underhood fuse box.  ProDiag showed that I should be able to talk to the engine, the tranny and the A/C system.  I was able to connect to the engine and the A/C, but not the transmission.  

I got an e-mail from my sister in law, apparently the car will no longer move the car at all.  Is there anyone on the group who can provide a little bit of AT troubleshooting support?  All my Audis are quattros with manual trannies.  The troubles as I see them seem to indicate some sort of internal problem, but perhaps it has something to do with the computer, an electrical connection or a computer controlled valve ... 

Secondarily ... does anyone have a shop they would recommend to work on this car ... preferably somewhere in the area around Oakland, CA?  

Thirdarily ... anyone have any ideas where a replacement transmission could be obtained for a fairly reasonable cost?

Thanks!
Steve Buchholz
San Jose, CA (USA)