Compilation of Transmission Related Failures

[Aronis]

Hello All,

I have looked at prior posts about RS6 transmission issues but there is not a concise compilation of issues.

I have been lucky, knock on wood, and did have a new torque converter installed at 102,000 miles due to failure to lock up. I only found it by doing monthly Vag Scans. Otherwise I have not had any issues with the transmission. Some say that the torque converter seal failure is the cause of failure of the transmission but I would like to know more.

For those who have modified their engines for more output and have had a transmission failure, what was your experience with the cause of the actual failure?

I have been under the impression that with the new torque converter and non-abussive driving of the car, that I would not likely have a problem. My current repair also includes new seals on the input and output of the transmission, and once the engine/transmission is back in the car, my mechanic is going to do the routine transmission service, seal, fluid, etc.

So what has the experience been of failures?

Thank you for your input.

Mike

[nene]

I'm at 64K miles and no tranny failure. I am also still on stock ECU and TCU.

Recently I bought on the forum an MTM TCU but have yet to install it. In the past I was also looking for an MTM ECU, but the folks down in Florida never answered my replies.
I may put on the MTM TCU this Summer.

Around 32K miles I noticed that a couple of times where the tranny would fail to engage as it changed gears, 2-3rd for example, as I was giving the car gas, but there was not response in car movement. Never under heavy load as I was not mashing the pedal down, just during regular driving.
The CEL came on the 2nd time I noticed this and brought the car to the shop. The car was just 3 years old and had exactly 32250 miles on the odometer.
They changed the torque converter, bunch of seals, gaskets, clips and washers, along with tranny oil change.

I have done the tranny oil change a couple more times since then and so far the car has appeared very strong and stable. Never experienced the same failure to engage as I had done then.
VIN's last five: 904574.

I've inquired with Tozo about bringing the car in to get the tranny looked at and fortified a little bit for long term security. Just not there yet.
I truly enjoy driving this car, even though the mile count may not seem to show it. I don't abuse it while driving, but now how to enjoy it.

[lswing]

Bought mine with standard tune, already failed TC, 86k miles. Replaced TC for $5k. Upgraded tune, added water meth. Trans failed at 92k, replaced for $8k. Trans failed again at 95k, partly due to hard driving, replaced for $5k.

Needless to say, my driving habits have mellowed. It's that 1-2 and 2-3 shift under WOT that will tear apart any auto box.

Above costs reflect slight variables in labor time and extra parts. You know you're f'd when you consider $1-2k a slight variable

Speaking of costs...$4k power steering rack, $4k cam adjusters. She's almost good as new now though!!!

[gregoryindiana]

I am at around 75K miles. I had one of the O2 sensors fail that required the engine out for repair. While that was being done I paid the extra money to have the torque convertor removed, shipped away, and rebuilt and reinstalled even though there were no problems with it at that time. That was at about 40K miles. I don't flog the car, but I do drive it year round now, though the mileage wouldn't appear to show it, we have 5 vehicles to spread the mileage around! I am still on that original torque convertor rebuild. Hope this is the sort of reply you were looking for.

[Aronis]

Thanks for the input....

Mike

[Other_Erik]

VIN 905530 here, and thanking my lucky stars...

Previous owner was a Service Writer at an Audi dealership in the PDX area. Creative writing 101 gave him an under-CPO-warranty new TC and Transmission at 97k miles.

Currently at 136k miles and getting top end of the engine re-buttoned, plus checking on the Turbo's and associated piping. Hopefully many more happy miles to come!

O_E

[Bigglezworth]

My one ride had the TC changed at 100k. Tranny performed fine for many more thousands of miles after that

[CBeau]

My one ride had the TC changed at 100k. Tranny performed fine for many more thousands of miles after that

How did you definitively ascertain that it was the TC and not the trans? I'm in this quandary right now. Seems like consensus after reading around here and collecting various info./opinions that a car with miles like mine = 93k, if going thru the pain of changing TC might as well do whole trans bc it isn't going to be long after and you'll be back to the same nightmare labor routine. When mine first went klaboom it went limp mode and threw codes the whole deal and I got codes but I don't even recall what they were bc I resolved to myself that I was faced with full trans job. Car sat all winter (I started etc. to keep healthy) then recently I drove it maybe 100 miles very gingerly / softly spread across maybe 15 trips / starts and trans acted totally normal for at least first 50 miles or so but it has clunked a few times in the last 50 or so miles, but nothing like the first time when it really went into implosion mode.

I did thread several months ago after first implosion, stating I am second owner, car had 84k mi.s when I got about 3 years ago and even though I know orig. owner and know car was maintained well and have some maintenance records don't know if TC was ever replaced (VIN = 905122). Trans always worked fine for me and even tho didn't drive car a lot I drove it reasonably hard some of the time with semi-aggressive paddle shifts etc. and never a problem. Then my dumb a-s too stupid to leave well enough alone decided to change trans fluid (with very $$$ but I believe legit. BND fluid) bc I know everything and am so cautiously proactive and mechanically prophetic and now my latest thinking is that that was a BIG mistake. I tried to convince myself for a long time it wasn't a mistake and was just coincidence that about 500 mi.s after changing fluid the trans (? maybe TC) let loose. But after researching, reading, talking to peeps incl. Tozo I am of the school of thought now that its change fluid regularly from birth or not at all esp. on car with some miles. As explained to me the clutch packs etc. will experience some wear as trans ages and it will produce some particulate debris etc. and typically it will settle in crevices / nooks and crannies in case or wherever and not nec. cause issues bc fluid is aging along with and everything is kumbayah and in zen harmony and then 12 years on and 90k mi.s later you shock the system and screw up the ying and yang with new fluid that has the full strength of the detergents etc. in fresh fluid and it dislodges those previously benign particulate deposits and they start floating around and clog up one or some of the many pin-hole size passages that are critical to functionality of the unit. If it ain't broke don't fix it!! Or even try and preventatively help it out. My painfully learned two-cents on the topic. But I would still like to know if it could just be TC, but I'd still opt to just do it all at this point. I'm about to buy done up unit from Tozo, pull engine, do laundry list of engine out things while at it and button it back up.... maybe throw a very moderate tune on it maybe TCU to help out and hopefully get some more years of fun out of it.... as it gracefully ages into a highly sought after super rare classic bringing six figures at Mecum and Barret-Jackson.... then I woke up.

[Aronis]

I have had the transmission fluid changes at least two times. Once at about 68,000 miles due to leak from the pan seal and the second time at 102,000 miles when the TC was replaced. Now I am at 140,000 and I have having the transmission fluid change along with front and rear seals and inner filter etc.

I am curious about the story of new fluid doing what you describe. As the system is a closed system, unlike the brakes system and Engine oil system, water moisture should not be a factor in transmission fluid breakdown, but it does breakdown and new fluid sounds like a good idea. From what I can find the suggested interval is at 60 to 100 k miles!

I am just hoping that the new version of the TC put in my car was 1. truly a new version and 2. not like DRC mark Two which FAILED 2 miles after the 12k warrantee...D'ooh.

Mike

[nene]

This whole conversation about tranny failures, what is the best fluid to use, and how often to change it if at all ... reminds me of an episode of Wheeler Dealers when they had a Porsche Boxster S that had minor tranny issues.
Because of it they were able to buy the car very cheap, because the buyer convinced the owner that if the tranny was toast it would take a lot of money to fix it.
Well, low and behold, they took the car to the garage after purchase, and all they really needed was to change the oil in the tranny, and the car was working as good as new, and there was nothing wrong with the tranny after all.

I really enjoy watching the show because you get to learn quite a bit. And in this case it was quite useful in the topic at hand.
Obviously I think there are lots of schools of thought with regards to transmission and mechanics, and I for one am no expert. But I would think that given all those metal pieces working at high temperatures would occasionally need a refresh in the fluids that help keep it all together.
I did not get BND fluid for any of my updates, and have heard many good things on the board about this product. I simply just decided to go with what the stock unit called for instead.

Ultimately I think how much we abuse these cars has more to do with the transmission lasting than changing the fluid at all. I think we all know the transmission has been a weak point on this car all along, and that is not because of the fluid that circulates internally in the unit itself.

[CBeau]

I'm just relaying my experience and what real trans experts told me.... and they had nothing to gain from telling me what and how they did. I'd say if trans is working and no prob.s and has some mileage (it has 12 yr.+ age regardless) and if you haven't been changing regularly I would leave it alone. Audi says its lifetime fluid, I know ZF says different but still.

RE Boxster S, unless its a newer car in which case really shouldn't be having trans issues whether tip or stick, way more likely than not car is a stick = whole different trans beast when it comes to longevity and fluid change sensitivity etc. IMO. I didn't see that episode, but I do like that show too. The one guy buys all the dogs on a flyer and other dude deals with the nightmares.... gotta love it.

[lswing]

The TC issue is mostly just a softer throttle and engage feel when it fails, it's a silent killer of your trans though. Slipping, clunking, jolting types of behavior are 90% trans failure related, most specifically the clutches are shot.

As mentioned, don't mess with an old trans fluid as it more often than not causes issues. Either clogged filter, valve body, or the old fluid was so viscous that it helped to hold the clutches as opposed to a new smooth fluid.

[Aronis]

So, the question is what does Audi consider the Lifetime of the transmission should be? .....100,000 miles? More?

Mike

[lswing]

So, the question is what does Audi consider the Lifetime of the transmission should be? .....100,000 miles? More?

Mike

I like to think of it like this. You could put the car in 5th gear and drive 100k, no damage. I could do 0-100 WOT a few hundred times and break the clutches, 2k miles, broken trans.

But, I'd assume with normal driving, and not tuned ~150k seems reasonable, as long as your TC doesn't fail and unknowingly cook your trans.

[6172crew]

I got a wacky code the othe rday, saying the ECU and wasnt talking to the transmission. Anyone seen that one? Sorry, dont have the code with me but ross tech said it could be one of 8 things.

[Bigglezworth]

So, the question is what does Audi consider the Lifetime of the transmission should be? .....100,000 miles? More?

Impossible to know. I can tell you that the one RS6 I had here for 5 years was on the tranny it came with from the factory and was still working without fail at 246000 miles. It did have the TC replaced at 100K, but no other work aside from mileage related fluid/filter changes.

Of the other two beasts, the first one in the stable had it's tranny fail at 130000 +/- miles which came a full 40000miles after initiallly throwing a TC code. The second one has 120K and is on the original tranny, but had it's TC replaced at 60000 +/- miles.