RS6 Transmission issues?

[2TURBOV8]

Greetings,

It seems a lot of 2003 RS6's have had, or are having transmission issues. What is the best way to fix this? It seems even the bone stock ones are having issues eventually. Once you mod the car, and really increase the HP, what can you do to make sure the transmission holds up? Rebuild it? IPT or Level 10. What about transmission coolers? Has anyone tried that? What is the best way?

Eric Smith

[DHall1]

BND trans fluid
MTM TCU chip
Tozo trans upgrade

Take your pills and call me in the am


Greetings,

It seems a lot of 2003 RS6's have had, or are having transmission issues. What is the best way to fix this? It seems even the bone stock ones are having issues eventually. Once you mod the car, and really increase the HP, what can you do to make sure the transmission holds up? Rebuild it? IPT or Level 10. What about transmission coolers? Has anyone tried that? What is the best way?

Eric Smith

[snoopra]

+1. What he said:)

[V8weight]

BND trans fluid
MTM TCU chip
Tozo trans upgrade

Take your pills and call me in the am
Yep. I've put a lot of power through this trans. 85k miles and still on the original one. I have the MTM tcu chip, and run the BND trans fluid (changed every 20k miles).

[2TURBOV8]

I already have the APR ECU/TCU tune. How do I contact tozo. I have done a search with no luck. Where do I find the BND trans fluid? Can you possibly enclose links? Thanks a lot for the input guys!!

[V8weight]

I already have the APR ECU/TCU tune. How do I contact tozo. I have done a search with no luck. Where do I find the BND trans fluid? Can you possibly enclose links? Thanks a lot for the input guys!!
TozoM8 is a member of this forum, just shoot him a PM to contact him. For BND Quantum Blue pruducts, call Brian directly. It's worth your time for the education alone. Here's his website:
http://www.bndautomotive.com/page/page/929427.htm

[johnnie27]

Greetings,

It seems a lot of 2003 RS6's have had, or are having transmission issues. What is the best way to fix this? It seems even the bone stock ones are having issues eventually. Once you mod the car, and really increase the HP, what can you do to make sure the transmission holds up? Rebuild it? IPT or Level 10. What about transmission coolers? Has anyone tried that? What is the best way?

Eric Smith

Hi Eric come to oz we got upgraded Trannys on all the oz delivered cars here...6 years at 500+HP and still like new ! no just do what Mr Hall reccomends he is the guru ...or buy a benz.. sorry to be silly but we are about to head into spring!

[Aronis]

There is a problem with the TC design. A common issue with the TC in the 2002,2003 year range of A6 V8's as well as A8's. The seal leaks and that leads to TC clutch failure and occasionally transmission failure.

Audi has a bulliten sent to service centers on the issue. When the Torque Converter Failure code is found, the fix according to the bulletin is to replace the TC with a supposedly upgraded one.

Level10 will take your Torque Converter and upgrade if for about $300. (remove and install is on you!) or sell you a 'new' TC for about $500. They say the replace the parts at issue with 'better ones'. They also do a 'bullet proof' transmission upgrade ?$5000 or so...

I stumbled on my TC issue when my alternator failed at 102,000 miles, other than that I had a leak from the transmission seal at 70,000 miles or so and had the seal replaced, but no transmission trouble otherwise. The only real issue I have had is with the DRC. My car was on of the first two to have the DRC fail and after a 3 month ordeal it was put back to about 90% 'normal' and after the DRC recall "new" design last August it was about 91% of 'normal', thus NEVER NORMAL!

My car is in the shop waiting to hear from the Warranty company! they MAY be paying for a new TC. I paide $4500 for my extended warranty and so far I got $1000 back on the alternator, $200 on a cruise control control stock, $300 on a cooler sensor, so the $3500 for a TC will put me ahead a few hundred LOL...

Mike

[V8weight]

You too Mike? My alternator opened the flood gates back up as well. Mine's at the dealer having the engine pulled right now for two new EGT sensors. The code popped up not a week after having the alternator done.

[Aronis]

I usually scan the ECU every few months, because I found that if you identify a problem early you are better off.

I scanned when the alternator went and found a few codes, one being the torque converter code. The other was:

16406 - Bank 2: Camshaft A (Intake): Advance Setpoint not Reached (Over-Retarded)
P0022 - 001 - Upper Limit Exceeded - Intermittent

I showed this code to the service rep and he did not seem to be concerned!

The other code was:

17125 - Torque Converter Clutch: Stuck OFF / No Power being transferred
P0741 - 003 - Mechanical Failure


This is linked to an Audi Bulletin about replacing the TC.

God knows what else will be found if and when they pull the engine!

Mike

[Hy Octane]

Did we ever really verify that the TC was strengthened since all these problems arose? I remember Qisha saying a long time ago that they were exactly as first offered and nothing had been changed.. Curious..

[V8weight]

Did we ever really verify that the TC was strengthened since all these problems arose? I remember Qisha saying a long time ago that they were exactly as first offered and nothing had been changed.. Curious..
The TC's have not been strengthened per say, but they do have and updated stator and input seal design to prevent the internal leak that causes failures in the first place.

[2TURBOV8]

When you put in the BND trans fluid, are you just putting in the 4 quarts that you get out when you take out the drain plug? Audi told me that in order to get out all 9 1/2 quarts that are in the tranny and TC, you would have to take the tranny and TC off the car. So when putting in the Quantum blue, are you just putting in 4, or are you putting in 9 1/2 quarts? Can you flush out all 9 1/2, and replace without taking tranny and TC out of the car?

[V8weight]

When you put in the BND trans fluid, are you just putting in the 4 quarts that you get out when you take out the drain plug? Audi told me that in order to get out all 9 1/2 quarts that are in the tranny and TC, you would have to take the tranny and TC off the car. So when putting in the Quantum blue, are you just putting in 4, or are you putting in 9 1/2 quarts? Can you flush out all 9 1/2, and replace without taking tranny and TC out of the car?
I buy 3 gallons of BND fluid, and drain and fill it in two cycles. First I drain the fluid, and refill (it will take just under 6 quarts). Then drive the car for about 20 miles, and allow to cool overnight. Then I drain the fluid again, and replace the filter, then refill again, with about another 6 quarts of fluid. This will get most of the old fluid out of the torque converter, and even if there's trace amounts left, I'm doing it every 20k anyhow. I only replace the filter every 40k.

[2TURBOV8]

Another thing, can you replace the APR TCU flash with the MTM TCU flash, and keep the APR ECU flash, or do you have to do them together? Everyone seems to think the $125.00 MTM TCU flash is the way to go with the transmission.

[V8weight]

Another thing, can you replace the APR TCU flash with the MTM TCU flash, and keep the APR ECU flash, or do you have to do them together? Everyone seems to think the $125.00 MTM TCU flash is the way to go with the transmission.
The MTM tcu modification is just a soldered in E-Prom, just like the APR. There's no reason you couldn't stick with the APR ecu software and run the MTM tcu chip. That being said, I don't see any benefit from switching to the MTM chip. The only point in modifying the tcu is to raise the specified torque limits to prevent engine intervention after chipping the car. The technology is fairly limited, and I don't think there's much of a difference from brand to brand.

[hahnmgh63]

I'll say that I do get about 6 quarts out of the drain plug but I then pull the pan and clean the magnets and there is about 1/2 quart in the pan and by letting it drip overnight (oil cooler lines will somewhat drain as the cooler is above pan level) I get another 1/2 quart from draining overnight. Replace with a new filter (there cheap) and fill with about 7 quarts of fluid. I do this every 20K, I use Redline D4 ATF, 61K and tranny shifts fine but I hope it goes out in the next year before my warranty runs out.

[Aronis]

I was told the original transmission never needs to be replaced!!!

[2TURBOV8]

Did Audi tell you that? So what did THEY say? Upgrade your TC with a new stator and input seal and you should be fine? I bet they will charge out the ass for something like that!

[SiLRS6]

I have also found some fluid on the bottom of the trans. How much does it run to replace the seal. Cars seems to run fine.

[ben916]

I have also found some fluid on the bottom of the trans. How much does it run to replace the seal. Cars seems to run fine.

The rear main seal (engine) or the trans pan seal?

When I had the trans flushed/filled, there was a kit with the seal and trans fluid filter for like $120.
The cost of the fluid was nearly $20/quart = 6 quarts IIRC...

[SiLRS6]

Have not got under to see which one exactly looks like trans. I did find a kit on blauparts $115. Think I may do that.

It seems that this is a common thing that needs mainenance.

Thanks

[Robert Wendel]

29,000 miles
Original owner
Never tracked or modified
Now dealer tells me I need a new transmission. Slipping like crazy!
Very sad

[ben916]

29,000 miles
Original owner
Never tracked or modified
Now dealer tells me I need a new transmission. Slipping like crazy!
Very sad

are you getting codes?
slipping? can you describe?
have you drained, refilled, and filtered the fluid in there?

[kilian tuning]

i thought vagcom must be used to drain/refill the transmission fluid, because it has to be done at a certain temperature, i believe 35 degrees celsius...

[TozoM8]

Do you have warranty on the car?

29,000 miles
Original owner
Never tracked or modified
Now dealer tells me I need a new transmission. Slipping like crazy!
Very sad

[Robert Wendel]

No warranty.
I am an "end user" and take what the dealer says at face value. I actually have had the car to the two local Audi dealers. Both said that the transmission is "sealed" and does not typically require maintenance.
Never got any indication as far as warning lights etc.
Dealer says I didn't drive the car enough!

[hahnmgh63]

The transmission is not sealed. Audi claims the fluid is lifetime fluid but the manufacturer of the transmission gives a change interval. Audi seems to have a bad attitude towards the longevity of their cars nowadays. They just want them to last through the first 4yrs/50K miles until the warranty is out. Their is a filter in the transmission pan like most automatics and their is a fill procedure that is a little more in depth as their is no dipstick to check fluid level. The procedure has you filling the transmission without the car running until fluid drips out of a snorkel filling port, then you start the car, and as the transmission pump starts scavenging from the pan you start re-filling with more fluid. While this is going on you monitor the temp's with Vagcom and I would have to look at the exact wording but once it drips out you quit filling it with the engine running and let it drip as the temp increases (oil expands and should keep dripping as it warms), somewhere around 40'~45'C with it just dripping you re-install the fill plug. If you are going to do this your self you need, or should have the Vagcom (some have done it without and just run the car in idle for about 15 minutes).

[TozoM8]

Email me at tozoa8 at yahoo dot com and I will help you troubleshoot it.

No warranty.
I am an "end user" and take what the dealer says at face value. I actually have had the car to the two local Audi dealers. Both said that the transmission is "sealed" and does not typically require maintenance.
Never got any indication as far as warning lights etc.
Dealer says I didn't drive the car enough!

[Chung]

Is the process for replacing the transmission fluid a pretty common audi process? I had my transmission fluid replaced recently and really hope my shop did it correctly.

[hahnmgh63]

Most ZF automatic transmissions have the same procedure for changing the fluid so it should be fairly common. Whether it be an Audi, BMW, Jaguar, etc.. There are a lot of slightly different versions of our transmission out there and of course the 4 speed & 6 speed versions.

[marklar182]

Is the process for replacing the transmission fluid a pretty common audi process? I had my transmission fluid replaced recently and really hope my shop did it correctly.

If it was done correctly you probably had to leave it overnight as the trans needs to be at least room temp to get it filled correctly.

[Chung]

They had the car for two weeks but i assume they were not working on it the whole time.

[Elevens]

29,000 miles
Original owner
Never tracked or modified
Now dealer tells me I need a new transmission. Slipping like crazy!
Very sad


Wow! This is totally insane. Can't we get some kind of Class action Law suite against Audi. This Transmission failure issue is epidemic now. I was just over at RS246 over in the UK and all of their Trannys are failing also. Do we have any Lawyers amongst us? Let's get something going, Damn it.

[Chung]

http://www.nhtsa.gov/ worked for the gas tanks (and DRC I believe). Maybe we should be having those that have documents on the transmission failures send them to the NHTSA.

[JSRS6]

http://www.nhtsa.gov/ worked for the gas tanks (and DRC I believe). Maybe we should be having those that have documents on the transmission failures send them to the NHTSA.

I second that motion. I would LOVE a free trans when I get back. :hihi:

[ttboost]

Sign me up...

[TozoM8]

The fuel tank recall is a safety issue. A transmission failure on a 8 year old car is somewhat normal. Audi made a mistake using this trans on the RS6, but some failure was caused by low fluid level, and power upgrades. It is hard to win a case if the car has 2-3 owners already. CA lawsuit is only good for the lawyers.

[ttboost]

Tozo, I just got a 17095 code. I think that is putting me in limp mode. Do I have to change the trans temp sensor? Is that ON the trans or IN the trans? Drop the pan? Could it be something else? thanks...

[TozoM8]

The trans temp sensor is in the wiring harness in the trans right behind the pan. I would just clean the wiring harness connector on the front bottom of the trans.

[ttboost]

The big black roundish one that plugs into the front right corner of the pan?

[TozoM8]

It plugs into the trans case right above the pan.

[ttboost]

Gotcha thank you...Just put my converter back in a few weeks ago, maybe some gunk got in there......I'll unplug it and spray some contact cleaner in both ends...

[hoam skooled]

Trans issues! ..the rs6 burned me..searched high n low for one that was sorted..but the trans slipped..and i limped it around..now it has gone into limp mode..it starts back to normal when i turn it off..shop ran codes and they decided it needed a shift solenoid..but new solenoid didnt fix it . Mechanic is still thinking electrical ..as it gave an intermittant code and even drives ok at low throttle n shifts normal now n zen..whats the next option short of a new trans? ..he said there are a couple more electrical things that it could be.one internal, one external ..i have a level 10 TC i bought but havent installed yet..and had planned the bnd fluid n filter.i'm at a loss..found a used trans for 1400..on ebay with 90 day warranty..but was quoted 2200 labor...what else were these trans put in? ..maybe i can find one cheaper n local ..i'm pretty bummed and only have like 3k cash to fix it

[hoam skooled]

And i'm stranded out of town 200 miles from home

[CBeau]

And i'm stranded out of town 200 miles from home

I'd limp home 200 miles and deal with it then. Esp. if mostly highway cruising. Even if actually in trans limp mode I think it just stays in 4th which will do ok for reasonable highway speeds.

[JSRS6]

where are you located?

[hoam skooled]

where are you located?im in northern michigan..traverse city..if i limp it home i dont have many audi experts up thee..i DO know a guy that would replace a trans for half the cost of the specialty shop..i'd feel better having an audi expert do it though..but 2200 labor is a tad out of reach at the moment..i'm in love , this car has been awesome..i really think its electrical more than major trans..since limp clears when i shut it off n drives n shifts fine now n zen ..seems if it was total trans failure it wouldnt fix itself at random for a few miles at a time

[CBeau]

Mine did what your saying yours is doing (limp mode resetting after ignition off) and its not electrical. From expensive research and consultation it is most likely trans itself, could be TC but unlikely and if doing TC all that labor and age of car might as well do trans bc its coming. I'm not expert myself, so don't make decisions based on what I say, but I would say if its slipping and all that its toast.

[hoam skooled]

Mine did what your saying yours is doing (limp mode resetting after ignition off) and its not electrical. From expensive research and consultation it is most likely trans itself, could be TC but unlikely and if doing TC all that labor and age of car might as well do trans bc its coming. I'm not expert myself, so don't make decisions based on what I say, but I would say if its slipping and all that its toast.

Worried about that..i found a 70k mile trans from a guy that just did a 6spd swap..90 day warranty n 1200 delivered..may have to do that route :(

[lswing]

Yep, all too common of an issue, especially for cars that are a "good deal".

Make sure you take to a good mechanic, expect labor to be $2k for a well trained fast indy shop, and up to $4k depending on how long it really takes and the hourly rate.

Keep in mind, the most expensive part of it is the labor, so make sure you put a good trans in. I just saw that one in the for sale section, Tazo rebuilt, great price for only 35k miles.

If you really plan on keeping the car you should do other routine maintenance and upgrades once you have the engine out, oil cooler pipe is a big one, that's cheap.

[hoam skooled]

Yep, all too common of an issue, especially for cars that are a "good deal".

Make sure you take to a good mechanic, expect labor to be $2k for a well trained fast indy shop, and up to $4k depending on how long it really takes and the hourly rate.

Keep in mind, the most expensive part of it is the labor, so make sure you put a good trans in. I just saw that one in the for sale section, Tazo rebuilt, great price for only 35k miles.

If you really plan on keeping the car you should do other routine maintenance and upgrades once you have the engine out, oil cooler pipe is a big one, that's cheap.
..cool , yeah i was quoted 2k labor from a couple spots... i really want a manual but she failed before i could save enough, so i need another auto for a bandaid for now..i'm hoping installing my new level 10 TC in whatever trans i locate will buy me more time too ..well not new.. i bought it with 8k miles from someone that manual swapped it ..i will look for tazo's trans

the trans code was cleared and the CEL has stayed off..i drove it home today and it didnt go into limp mode..i felt it slip a couple times...one time i was at a light waiting to turn onto an on ramp to I-75..i had to feather it and drive slow till i felt it go into3rd or so and i gradually gave her more gas till up to speed..drove brilliant home, good MPG's at 75 mph ..when i use the paddles to down shift all the way to a stop and take off that way it seems to hold.. the one time it slipped i was on the phone and didnt downshift to a stop ..(duh) ..

the code is 00562. shop said it was a shift solenoid ..or as the bill says "range sensor" ..but it didnt fix it so they took it off and sent it back and still charged me 470 bux for 5.5 hrs of external diagnostics..kinda pissed about that ..i had to pay for a misdiagnosis ..i understand they had time in it.but i was quoted like 580 for the part n repair..they charged me to take the old one off and put it back on..kinda douchey ..so i'm already 500 in the hole on my repair ..i would have told them to let me keep the new part if i knew they were going to charge labor to take it back off and put the old one back on because they guessed wrong ..i spoke to another person about what its doing and the code and he thinks a bad vlave body..his shop could rebuild n replace it for 500 .. so many options so little funds..lol..i just dont want to keep spending on guesses , i just want it back to trouble free driver for a while ..i drive it nicely and dont plan on tracking it or dragging STi's and evo's on the wknds ..lol

but anyways.. cant be bitter...this car isnt an investment , i have already come to that conclusion , i knew the car was going to need attn throughout its life ..but i survived owning a VW Phaeton..lol ..i just need to find the right diagnosis and right part for now

[G2]

From what I've seen so far it's a combination of poor -- lack of -- maintenance and abusive driving. And/or a lack of TCU. My tuned trans was on it's deathbed when purchased in 2012. A couple of services with Amsoil ATF cleaned it out and shifting improved. After some tinkering now blend ATF to help match both the condition and driving style the trans is subjected to.

Performed the same service on several other RS6's. One owner said it shifted better than when he first bought it years ago, even after being serviced with another type of premium ATF.

There is already a FM trans cooler integrated into the external engine oil cooler. Still good to look at temps while driving. I'd put the cap at 220F...

[hoam skooled]

From what I've seen so far it's a combination of poor -- lack of -- maintenance and abusive driving. And/or a lack of TCU. My tuned trans was on it's deathbed when purchased in 2012. A couple of services with Amsoil ATF cleaned it out and shifting improved. After some tinkering now blend ATF to help match both the condition and driving style the trans is subjected to.

Performed the same service on several other RS6's. One owner said it shifted better than when he first bought it years ago, even after being serviced with another type of premium ATF.

There is already a FM trans cooler integrated into the external engine oil cooler. Still good to look at temps while driving. I'd put the cap at 220F...
that would be great if it could fixed so simply..i baby the car , i cant say about the prior owner but the car is like brand new in and out and the motor is smooth and no oil consumed ..from what i gather he was up to date with things ..i have looked into getting fluid and filter from BND quantum blue.. i read good results with that .. i just found someone that will ship me a 100k mile trans for 650 that works fine..instead of all the guessing i may just get it and put my level 10 TC in it and start it's life with fresh new fluids ..i dont know if it's electric.. shop i went to today was going to look at it more and do some research but the code sounds electrical he said.. i wonder about getting a cheap fluid like wolf head or sumtn and do a flush n fill with it and drain and then use amsoil or a top fluid ?..seems weird that it shifts and holds ok when i down shift to a stop manually with the paddles and take off using the paddles... but i still dont go more than 1/2 throttle anywhere..as you know the car doesnt need to be pushed hard to keep up with traffic..lol ..but i would like to be able to enjoy it a little more.. at least it keeps me from ragging on the car ..lol ..i think when its finally fixed i will try and drive it like it's not..lol

the car runs very cool..water gauge is fixed right in the middle all the time and the oil is always under the first line ..must be a lot of cooling going on to keep those numbers down with all the heat from the turbos and cramped spaces

[DHall1]

Anyone that quotes 2k to swap the trans.....may not know what up. Buyer beware

[ttboost]

Yeah, I wouldn't do it for that...and I've done it 3 or 4 times...

[hoam skooled]

Anyone that quotes 2k to swap the trans.....may not know what up. Buyer beware

not for a swap.. 2k for putting an auto back in

[lswing]

not for a swap.. 2k for putting an auto back in

That's what he meant, swapping in another auto box. I had a great Audi mechanic, worked $75 per hour, $3k for the swap, not counting all the extras. If you're shop says $2k, they are either very skilled and working for cheap, or have no idea what a headache they're about to have. Choose wisely or your car could be out of commission for a long time and lots of $$$.

[Bigglezworth]

Anyone that quotes 2k to swap the trans.....may not know what up. Buyer bewareWell stated.


not for a swap.. 2k for putting an auto back inNeed to also account for it coming out plus the actual work to swap also... :)

The amount is low, but plausible I suppose if you have someone that is well versed on the effort and everything goes as planned (yes, I used that statement on the RS6 forum - nothing never goes wrong right?? lol).

I've had the powerplants out on all three of my RS6's and even after doing it a total of 4 times wouldn't call myself an expert. I do well believe I have a good system that makes use of the time well, and as such it's a solid 5-6 hours of work to remove and a couple of hours more than that to install (more care required to install fluids, align things, double check your work, etc.). That equates to a nominal 12-14 hours of labour assuming skill, knowledge, and lack of problems.

These time frames don't include any work whatsoever to swap the tranny. Add another 2-3 hours to perform the swap simply because even with the engine out, you need to remove the downpiiipes (hoping the bolts to the turbo's unfasten OK), remove the passenger turbo, and other incidentals such as wiring to O2 sensors that are clipped to the tranny housing. Then add the time to decouple the TC and tranny themselves. This noted, I can't think of any shop that would only charge $2K to perform this work.

[hoam skooled]

his shop rate is 60 per hour..he was giving me a sympathy price ...also my bro in law n sis have had work done with him , so he's hooking me up.. he looked at it saying 35 hrs ..he said he would cap it 2k +fluid..hell i'll even help him if he'd let me..lol ..but you guys are scaring the shit out of me..i'm married to this car so i gotta get this sorted so i can move on ...lol...thanx for the heads up and warnings though ..maybe i'll still get lucky and find something easy n cheap to fix for now like a sensor or filter or valve body ?..then i can go back to saving for a manual

the code it's giving is 00562 ..oil temp sensor and sumtn ..both places have translated it to meaning it's electrical..but one shop said it could be a torn ring or collar and may be able to fix it by jumping something so high pressure is on full time?.but that was the first place that misdiagnosed it as a shift solenoid "range sensor". it's holds gears ok when i'm paddling to a stop and a start

[hoam skooled]

Yeah, I wouldn't do it for that...and I've done it 3 or 4 times...

what would you charge?..i'm up for a drive to CT..lol..i'm in michigan..but it would be fun..j/k

..in all seriousness ,like i said the trans shop capped it at 2k and saw that it called for 35 hrs and he was just like "i couldnt do that to you"..lol.."Yoopers"..people in the upper part of michigan are like friendly rednecks ..he's a skilled mechanic , they do things other than transmissions , but he's a trans specialist..but not an audi or VAG expert ..another option is a friend in my town that is semi retired mechanic (55 yrs old) and is a master tech ..he has floor lifts and the whole shop still on his property .. he did the timing belt, h20 pump , t-stat,pulley's ..etc etc.. on my phaeton and never had heard of a phaeton before , charged 400 labor and it worked perfect ..i talked to him today and gave him info on the car, he's going to look into the procedure and study whats needed and get back to me.. i wish i knew for sure what it is..is it a ripped seal inside or bad electrical or maybe a valve body?.. so frustrating..

but every time i drive it i'm instantly in a good mood again..i just need to fix it so i can drive it like it's meant to be driven and not granny shifted at 2k rpm's with the paddles ..lol

i am fine driving this mellow and doing lots of highway trips..maybe get on it a now and then to get a rush , but i dont have track intentions or picking fights at stop lights to rag on it..i like it as an enjoyable ,rare car.. i drag race snowmobiles and have a 400 HP ,5.7 ltr 4x4 chevy s-10 work truck i drive daily in the summer...and i race quads and other fast toys..so i'm not opposed to going fast .. i just love this car too much to beat on it ..it's such a beautiful car ..

[lswing]

Well, it seems like your mechanic has a good idea of the hours. Skilled and trusted is good, but it could still take a ton of time for someone not familiar with the Aud/VAG platform. As long as you can trust them to put it back together, eventually, and not leave you with a giant paperweight.

Example; they need to have VCDS/VAGCOM to be able to accurately fill the trans, very important. I have the manual online, just need to get my website fixed, it was hacked.

You could look into just replacing the valve body. Have you seen the trans fluid yet? Drain a bit out and see if it's filled with metal flakes from the clutches disintegrating.

The codes your getting may have nothing to do with the trans. Both of my blown trans never gave a code. Get ross-tech VCDS, clear codes, and monitor for what pops up and when, crucial software to owning this car.

[hoam skooled]

Well, it seems like your mechanic has a good idea of the hours. Skilled and trusted is good, but it could still take a ton of time for someone not familiar with the Aud/VAG platform. As long as you can trust them to put it back together, eventually, and not leave you with a giant paperweight.

Example; they need to have VCDS/VAGCOM to be able to accurately fill the trans, very important. I have the manual online, just need to get my website fixed, it was hacked.

You could look into just replacing the valve body. Have you seen the trans fluid yet? Drain a bit out and see if it's filled with metal flakes from the clutches disintegrating.

The codes your getting may have nothing to do with the trans. Both of my blown trans never gave a code. Get ross-tech VCDS, clear codes, and monitor for what pops up and when, crucial software to owning this car.

ty man .. the place that misdiagnosed it as a range sensor /shift solenoid said they looked at the fluid and it was full , wasnt burnt and didnt seem to have "shiny floaties" he said .i'm not sure how well inspected , he couldve just dipped his finger for all i know..lol.

the mechanic i may be working with here that said 2k seems cool enough to let me give him heads up on things .. i even said (using my hands as quotes) i read on the "internet" and was like i'm sure you hate hearing that and he laughed and said no he has to research shit online a lot too n scan forums incognito for tips .he did tell me that even to change the fluid he would need it a day to get to a certain temp ..which i knew from my phaeton ..so he has some VAG knowledge , but i will let em know about vag com specifics...he is lic/insured so maybe if he funked it up his ins could ship it to a dealership..lol ..the other option was the guy i know personally that said he would look into the procedure , i know him good enough i may be allowed to help him .he did the timing belt on my phaeton and i came at one point when it was torn down and i was like holy shit it will never go back together.. but i was driving it a few hrs later and it was done properly ..i'm going to drive over to his place in a bit , maybe we can put it on the lift and inspect the fluid in a little better detail

[hoam skooled]

on a side note ..lol .. i contacted ZF to ask what is failing in my transmission (lol) and asked why so many are going out in these cars and my sob story about just buying the car and they have actually been emailing with me back n forth , with an actual person ..lol

Dear stephen painter ,
for further processing of your request, we kindly ask for the following information:
What codes are storing when it goes into limp mode? What shifts are you feeling the slip in?.

Please reply to this mail using the “Reply” button of you mail client – DO NOT CHANGE THE E-MAIL SUBJECT.
For further questions or updates please contact ZF Services North America, LLC., telephone: +1 847 478 6868.
Always provide your request ID when contacting us regarding this request, please.

Kind regards

Your ZF Service Desk
ZF Friedrichshafen AG
88038 Friedrichshafen,Germany

that was the last email..i responded ..waiting for the next email..lol... maybe i can talk them into letting me guinea pig an 8 spd auto custom bolt up .lol .in a perfect world ..well in a perfect world the seller wouldntve lied about the cars mechanics ..lol

[hoam skooled]

what else used the rs6 trans?.. 12 cyl phaeton n 2 cyl audi... any others?.. what was the b5 s4 auto ?

[Bigglezworth]

what else used the rs6 trans?The RS6.....

[hoam skooled]

The RS6.....

lol.. cool ..and the b6 manual doesnt work right ? chain motor n belt motor different i guess..its too bad a 6-7 spd auto couldnt be fabbed up ..i prefer a stick but i wouldnt mind an auto if it could hold up ..stock n driven mellow i would like it to last a while if it was an auto.. i do a lot of highway driving and love traveling in it with cruise at 75 or so ..i'm still driving it but i have to use paddles to reduce the possibility of a slip .. grr

[HPO-DK]

what else used the rs6 trans?.. 12 cyl phaeton n 2 cyl audi... any others?.. what was the b5 s4 auto ?

Just go and Google 5hp24a Quattro A8,S8,A8L,A6c5,S6,RS6,Phaeton

5hp24 is non Quattro and is used in many different cars

[lswing]

Here's my website, fixed finally. This page has some helpful manuals and tech info for the transmission fluid fill.

http://audirssix.com/index.php/extras

[Bigglezworth]

Just go and Google 5hp24a Quattro A8,S8,A8L,A6c5,S6,RS6,Phaeton

5hp24 is non Quattro and is used in many different carsCorrect statement, but the ONLY 5hp24 that bolts up to the 4.2BCY engine in the RS6 is - yup you guessed it - the RS6 one.... There is a different bellhousing on the RS6 tranny for a larger torque convertor and as such it differs from all the others.


lol.. cool ..and the b6 manual doesnt work right ? chain motor n belt motor different i guess..its too bad a 6-7 spd auto couldnt be fabbed up ..i prefer a stick but i wouldnt mind an auto if it could hold up ..stock n driven mellow i would like it to last a while if it was an auto.. i do a lot of highway driving and love traveling in it with cruise at 75 or so ..i'm still driving it but i have to use paddles to reduce the possibility of a slip .. grr

You're not going to want to hear this, but you're extremely late to the party.... Search is your friend on this item I'm afraid as there are countless threads that discuss this item in detail and you will need to set aside a few hours to read through things to get yourself educated if you are going down this path yourself vs. paying someone in the know to do it.

[hoam skooled]

You're not going to want to hear this, but you're extremely late to the party.... Search is your friend on this item I'm afraid as there are countless threads that discuss this item in detail and you will need to set aside a few hours to read through things to get yourself educated if you are going down this path yourself vs. paying someone in the know to do it.[/QUOTE]

yeah i have researched a lot of these , pretty much to the point i learned too much and got reconfused all over again.lol..if that makes sense ?..just when i think i have it figured out i come across another variable or an anything is possible scenario

you mean though in regards to the item being converting to a manual or finding a newer 6-7 spd auto to work for it?.i saw someone try and line up a 5-19 or 26 or some auto and was sure he could right till the end..but i read that thread in its entirety ..all i can do up here in the sticks is read article and artcile and forum after forum of randomness.. i havent found many other auto swaps though ...

.at the moment i'm going to just try and fix mine with another time bomb auto slushbox and baby it till i save enough to buy a manual A6/ S4 and start tearing it down and getting ready to get a 3rd pedal in the Rs6

[hoam skooled]

[QUOTE=Bigglezworth;281765]Correct statement, but the ONLY 5hp24 that bolts up to the 4.2BCY engine in the RS6 is - yup you guessed it - the RS6 one.... There is a different bellhousing on the RS6 tranny for a larger torque convertor and as such it differs from all the others.


what differentiates an R trans from the rest "GAG" ?

[hahnmgh63]

From the RS6 Technical guide, mods for the RS6 5HP-24A:
The following modifications have been
made to the previous transmission:
• Reinforced transfer gear and
transmission housings
• Increased clutch pressure
• Brake “D” reinforced (one additional
coated disc)
• Reinforced spur gear drive splines
(modified material)

[hoam skooled]

those are factory mod differences ? ..wonder what mods 517 does with yours?..i am still interested BTW..if it's available ...just a few bux too poor for yours at the moment..which is the best trans option i see out there ..tax and plates was 800 bux , i had forgot about that ..lol ..ughh ..i needed my new car to break down in june when i start working again..lol... (i own a pest control biz) jun-november

[Bigglezworth]

you mean though in regards to the item being converting to a manual or finding a newer 6-7 spd auto to work for it?Yes & yes. Also with regards to repairs w/ OEM & aftermarket kits, shops, $$, etc. Everything Transmission has been discussed on this forum ad nauseam... Aside from the Gen1 DRC suspension, this item is the leading cause for heavy depreciation of the 2002-2004 RS6 model IMO.

[hoam skooled]

yeah , i had known of this cars weaknesses way before buying it and i knew what to look for and questions to ask ..i was straight up lied to though ...but good news is EVERYTHING else on the car is new and verified..and i have read all sorts of transmission conversations on here and they seem to go in circles of mind numbing redundancies , as i am aware..lol..seen many just replace and rebuild and swap with my symptoms ..also seen people with similar symptoms being fixed with anything from new filter n fluid to "new filter n fluid caused the issue"..lol..to being fixed with a TCU upgrade ..or new tcu or new valve body rebuild/replace ..or as i read it could be a torn seal or something internal..just not sure how to guess for free ..so best option is to replace it with an honest transmission and just enjoy the car as is as i put money aside to swap..i try and read as much as possible b4 asking old questions..lol..none of my friends are into cars and no one near me knows what an audi is..lol , so i tend to scour the net asking dumb questions ..lol

[LaserSVT]

Yeah these transmissions are not the strongest. On the 8th mine comes out to see what happened. Its one of two things. I either snapped the input shaft or its from the fluid. I trusted my "Audi" pro to do the trans fluid and filter change. He used OEM filter and gasket but used Valvoline fluid that his shop uses in all other Audis without issue. It may be fine for lower power Audis but I think its not right for the RS6. We will know for sure when it gets yanked.
I suspect input shaft as I lost all gears after a hard shift to second (3rd time car has done it although other times were 2nd to 3rd). Could be too thin of fluid and too high pressure. Dunno yet. At any rate I wont even risk it with the new trans and getting all BND stuff for it as BND has proven itself for my oil and fuel treatment.

FWI the car was making 443hp and 476tq on 93 octane but it had the power turned up to a 100 octane tune with the appropriate fuel so I would imagine it was making well over 450 at the wheels and 500+ TQ.

[lswing]

Yeah these transmissions are not the strongest. On the 8th mine comes out to see what happened. Its one of two things. I either snapped the input shaft or its from the fluid. I trusted my "Audi" pro to do the trans fluid and filter change. He used OEM filter and gasket but used Valvoline fluid that his shop uses in all other Audis without issue. It may be fine for lower power Audis but I think its not right for the RS6. We will know for sure when it gets yanked.
I suspect input shaft as I lost all gears after a hard shift to second (3rd time car has done it although other times were 2nd to 3rd). Could be too thin of fluid and too high pressure. Dunno yet. At any rate I wont even risk it with the new trans and getting all BND stuff for it as BND has proven itself for my oil and fuel treatment.

FWI the car was making 443hp and 476tq on 93 octane but it had the power turned up to a 100 octane tune with the appropriate fuel so I would imagine it was making well over 450 at the wheels and 500+ TQ.

No, it was not the fluid. It was because you are driving a highly tuned RS6, hard, on an old trans, that is inherently weak. Even with a new trans, and BND or the like, you will get the same result after "X" 0-120 takeoffs.

[hoam skooled]

yeah i'm hoping an "honest" used trans and an upgraded TC i should be ok if i stay stock and drive it kindly .. till i get the manual swap someday..lol ..i think my only mod i would do is gut my cats and play with the mufflers / exhaust until i get a manual ..we dont have inspections or emissions in michigan so i de-cat most things anyways, but i see it's a decent gain with just that alone on these ..i too am thinking of going with BND fluid and filter kit ...seen a few people that appear sold on them

[Bigglezworth]

Yeah these transmissions are not the strongest. On the 8th mine comes out to see what happened. Its one of two things. I either snapped the input shaft or its from the fluid. I trusted my "Audi" pro to do the trans fluid and filter change. He used OEM filter and gasket but used Valvoline fluid that his shop uses in all other Audis without issue. It may be fine for lower power Audis but I think its not right for the RS6. We will know for sure when it gets yanked.
I suspect input shaft as I lost all gears after a hard shift to second (3rd time car has done it although other times were 2nd to 3rd). Could be too thin of fluid and too high pressure. Dunno yet. At any rate I wont even risk it with the new trans and getting all BND stuff for it as BND has proven itself for my oil and fuel treatment.

FWI the car was making 443hp and 476tq on 93 octane but it had the power turned up to a 100 octane tune with the appropriate fuel so I would imagine it was making well over 450 at the wheels and 500+ TQ.Your power numbers are more than factory, but still nothing extra ordinary. As a reference, I lost all the gears on the tranny in my one ride a couple of years ago, and the input shaft was just fine. I had an F-Clutch failure coupled with a bad O-ring. Will be intersting to know what has failed on yours.

[TozoM8]

$2K is a reasonable price for the R&R. Thats what I charge.

[hoam skooled]

$2K is a reasonable price for the R&R. Thats what I charge.have any openings?..lol ..trying to decide which shop i'm the most comfy with..already gambling with a used trans i am hoping is honest and a used 8k mile 517 TC i picked up to add to new trans..someone had a used trans you built with low miles here for a good price but was scooped up before i could get it ..lol.. grrr ..i'm still driving it but it slips , does better if i come to a stop downshifting with paddles and taking off with paddles ...not sure the actual diagnosis , but i just want to stop guessing and get a trans slapped in so i can enjoy without , stressing every time i come to a stop light ..

[sweatnblood]

I know I'm late to this but...after reading I was hoping there would of been a few places mentioned that actually build stronger transmissions...maybe I missed it...if not is there a company that builds something to handle the extra hp that you get from tuning/exhaust...and then give you some confidence if you start thinking upgraded turbos/DP's...

[hoam skooled]

I know I'm late to this but...after reading I was hoping there would of been a few places mentioned that actually build stronger transmissions...maybe I missed it...if not is there a company that builds something to handle the extra hp that you get from tuning/exhaust...and then give you some confidence if you start thinking upgraded turbos/DP's...
yup TOZO on here can fix you up..there are after markey drums that are stronger and better aftermarket clutch n other parts in there that cam be improved over OEM ..and make sure you get a good torque converter after market as well .. there are also a couple other companies that "strengthen" these trannies but i'd rather have tozo get the business , has a good rep on here ..he's the one that posted a couple just above my last post here..i'd msg him if he doesnt reply

[lswing]

I know I'm late to this but...after reading I was hoping there would of been a few places mentioned that actually build stronger transmissions...maybe I missed it...if not is there a company that builds something to handle the extra hp that you get from tuning/exhaust...and then give you some confidence if you start thinking upgraded turbos/DP's...

Results seem to be mixed with the upgrade companies. They can make it stronger, how strong is in question. The transmission is inherently weak by design. Most of it comes down to how hard you drive the car and just how much power you are making...anything will break over time.

[CBeau]

There isn't much that can be done. I researched a lot and spoke to lots of in the know trans people including Tozo and he said himself he can do a few small strengthening upgrades but he still wouldn't go throwing any more power at it.... like as in he can strengthen some to make it less insufficient than it already was but its still on the limit with power #s as they came. And no - no other trans will fit excepting the manual swap which I know little about other than it is doable and to have found out enuf to know its more involved than anything I'd want to get involved in with this particular car and seems 90%+ of people who do it part with the car soon after. I think you're wasting your time if you think you might find some way to reliably push 100hp thru the trans.... which doesn't mean you might not be able to find someone who will take your $$ saying they can.

[CBeau]

There isn't much that can be done. I researched a lot and spoke to lots of in the know trans people including Tozo and he said himself he can do a few small strengthening upgrades but he still wouldn't go throwing any more power at it.... like as in he can strengthen some to make it less insufficient than it already was but its still on the limit with power #s as they came. And no - no other trans will fit excepting the manual swap which I know little about other than it is doable and to have found out enuf to know its more involved than anything I'd want to get involved in with this particular car and seems 90%+ of people who do it part with the car soon after. I think you're wasting your time if you think you might find some way to reliably push 100hp thru the trans.... which doesn't mean you might not be able to find someone who will take your $$ saying they can.

.... 100 extra hp that is.... or any more hp/tq reliably.... or the hp/tq it came with reliably!!

[kismetcapitan]

ok, something odd is happening with my transmission. If I manually select each gear and then pound the throttle, it pulls as it should (mightily!).

but if I have the car in D or S, from a standing start, if I drive away normally....no problems. Half-throttle....no problems. But starting in 1st gear and if I really give it the beans, it won't shift into 2nd very easily, and I get that dreaded RPMs climbing but little acceleration happening. It's like it's stuck or slipping between 1st and 2nd. Again, manually selecting 2nd before hitting the gas doesn't display any problems. It goes without saying that I don't keep the car in that state for very long - I lift off the throttle posthaste, and the transmission shifts happily.

what's really beginning to get my goat is that before I gave my car to a mechanic to fix the ABS module (yank it, send it out for a rebuild) and valve cover gaskets....I never really had transmission problems, as long as I didn't try to give it full power when the transmission was cold.

I ran my Rosstech software - zero transmission codes. A few general random codes (passenger seat reclining switch intermittent...?? but it works all the time!), but absolutely no codes from the transmission.

Torque converter dying? I'm hoping (praying) that my upcoming transmission fluid change w/filter will sort this out. Mostly praying :/

[s8prtotype]

Last time I had weird issues it was because of the cracked tranny filter, replaced it, fixed the issues for awhile (With new Redline D4 fluid) but then tranny just randomly started slipping when i was making a turn one day...

I now own the stevenken kit lol

Gathering all the other parts I need to swap to 6 speed now, bought a supercharged range rover for a daily and the RS6 has just been sitting pretty until I get time to do it. Business is crazy right now.

Won't risk another auto tranny failing.... sooo because racecar

Wife won't let me sell it... That's my recent update on my project ;)

[kismetcapitan]

thanks, I'm hoping my car is suffering from the same problem....because I've got the parts and swapping the transmission fluid isn't exactly the most labor-intensive job. I also like to solve weak points on cars with permanent solutions; it wasn't cheap, but it was how I got 700 reliable horsepower out of my old Skyline (it's long dead - the next owner totaled it within a week), which means going 6-speed manual.

with the effort (and MONEY) I've poured into the car to get it in perfect running order to sell........I'm now thinking I'll just keep it. The problem is that I just never drive it. It's very fast, I can hustle my car around some pretty improbably corners, but I think it's just slightly too far removed from the raw driving experience that makes a car make me want to drive it. It could very well be that simply putting in a manual transmission, and maybe bumping up power a bit by gutting the cats would be enough. I did notice that the final 5 feet or so of exhaust are slip-ons. A close friend of mine builds custom exhaust pipes - it would be simple to fabricate straight pipes (but keep the center resonators - drone on a highway will drive one insane) so I can hear just how mean the V-8 motor is....but be able to swap the stock mufflers back on easily at home.

But even then, it still wouldn't collect a lot of mileage. I work from home, so I don't commute. And unless it's a hurricane, snowstorm, or tornado, I ride a motorcycle. At least my bikes are still Audi products :P

[lswing]

ok, something odd is happening with my transmission. If I manually select each gear and then pound the throttle, it pulls as it should (mightily!).

but if I have the car in D or S, from a standing start, if I drive away normally....no problems. Half-throttle....no problems. But starting in 1st gear and if I really give it the beans, it won't shift into 2nd very easily, and I get that dreaded RPMs climbing but little acceleration happening. It's like it's stuck or slipping between 1st and 2nd. Again, manually selecting 2nd before hitting the gas doesn't display any problems. It goes without saying that I don't keep the car in that state for very long - I lift off the throttle posthaste, and the transmission shifts happily.

Torque converter dying? I'm hoping (praying) that my upcoming transmission fluid change w/filter will sort this out. Mostly praying :/

That's a tough one. Both of my trans fails were obvious, and the TC fail usually produces a code and symptoms are fairly obvious (slipping under load in 5th gear going 50mph).

I had noticeable slipping or involuntary shifting under WOT before my trans finally just started slamming and jumping gears, no clutch material left.

Maybe you have a gummed up valve body that's not actuating under soft load, take more load to get it to kick through the gears? Or a cracked filter causing pressure problems? Try the fluid/filter change and hope for the best. You could look into the VB rebuild/condition while the trans is open for fluid change, it's right there.

I'm also thinking that since you're driving and messing with your car more, after letting it rest for a while, issues are bound to pop up just from using it more. The transmissions only have so many lives in them...

[Jimmy312]

$2K is a reasonable price for the R&R. Thats what I charge.


I can personally attest to Tozo's ability. He replaced my Torque Converter 18 months ago for $2000, whereas any shop out there will charge 40 hours labor (engine out).

p.s. I have a TC core if anybody needs one.

[kismetcapitan]

That's a tough one. Both of my trans fails were obvious, and the TC fail usually produces a code and symptoms are fairly obvious (slipping under load in 5th gear going 50mph).

I had noticeable slipping or involuntary shifting under WOT before my trans finally just started slamming and jumping gears, no clutch material left.

Maybe you have a gummed up valve body that's not actuating under soft load, take more load to get it to kick through the gears? Or a cracked filter causing pressure problems? Try the fluid/filter change and hope for the best. You could look into the VB rebuild/condition while the trans is open for fluid change, it's right there.

I'm also thinking that since you're driving and messing with your car more, after letting it rest for a while, issues are bound to pop up just from using it more. The transmissions only have so many lives in them...

I'll have them look at the valve body while it's out. Mine was modified by Level 10, but it does seem to be a fluid pressure issue, using (optimistic?) reasoning. If there was a restrictor limiting the car to 50% throttle (which is actually plenty enough for driving mostly legally around town), you'd never, ever suspect the transmission to have any issues at all.