Audi A4 Multitronic Gearbox

[atom23545]

Help Please!
I have a 2003 A4 2.5 TDI with the 6 speed Multitronic Automatic Gearbox and just 37,000 miles. It has recently developed an alarming shudder when changing up gears from rest with the engine under 2000 rpm. This is most pronounced from 1st to 2nd and also happens from 2nd to 3rd but does not occur after that in the higher gears with higher rpm. The car performs fine the rest of the time although when accelerating hard in 3/4th gear etc the transmission tends to 'hunt' as though through intermittant pressure loss.

My local Audi dealer thinks it may be the oil pressure pump or the clutch or, or or!

He says the only definate answer is a new gearbox !!!

Can anybody suggest what this could be and what I should look for.

Many thanks

Adrian

[sebhar70]

I think you may have the same problem I had with my multitronic, the multitronic gear boxes on the early B6 chassis are prone to clutch slip a sign of this is a juddering sensation when pulling off, also when pulling off on a hill the car has a tendency to role back. To remedy it it requires a garage to do a 6 to 7 plate clutch conversion at a cost of £650-£900. Most of the cost is down to labour being that they have to take the gearbox out, they will probably have to change the oil as well, although I could be wrong on that part.
Audi or Audi specialist should be able diagnose the problem correctly. I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but another common fault on these gearboxes are the ECU failing, if that happens you are talking about spending anything upto £3500 for a new gearbox, usually to replace the ecu only your talking about a grand or thereabouts. The first signs of this fault are the PRND symbols on your DIS flashing intermittently.

[SAJ4D]

i feel for you mate. Had something very similar on mine just had the car back today after spending a whopping £4000 putting the gearbox right.

Heres the thread..

http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/showthr...on-Pump-Timing

[Gringo76]

Nightmare gearbox!

Got a 2004 A4 Avant, had the flashing gears on the dash, new ECU at 92k = £1000

The 8k later, the bearing in the pump in the gearbox failed, £1600 for a rebuild!
Apparently, only a few garages in UK can rebuild the multitronic, think it was A1 Gearboxes who did mine through warranty direct

Good luck, lets hope it's the clutch!!

[SAJ4D]

i just completed my first motorway trip with the reconditioned cvt box and new tcm on my a4 avant 2.5 tdi and even though it was painfully expensive to put right, the car really is driving like a dream. Shes pulling as good if not better than when i first got her on 60,000 miles. Even cruising along at 50 or 60 just felt so good.

My box failed on 113,000 miles which is pretty good going considering I never did change the gearbox oil after I got it (foolishly, I always thought it was a tiptronic without ever having that verified) and for the last few months I did drive it around as the judder that had at first appeared intermittently, gradually got worse until it became a permanent arrangement.

I think in hindsight, if I had had the car looked at when the judder first appeared, my bills would have been considerably less as would have been the damage to the trans, and definitely, if I had stuck to the service schedule vis-a-vis the transmission oil, then maybe I could have squeezed more life out of the box.

I did say I would get rid of auo and stick to manual after this, but that drive tonight has renewed my faith in this car and if I can get another 113,000 miles out of it before the gearbox fails again, you know what, I'd fork the money out all over again!!

[Mr_Meeks]

Help Please!
I have a 2003 A4 2.5 TDI with the 6 speed Multitronic Automatic Gearbox and just 37,000 miles. It has recently developed an alarming shudder when changing up gears from rest with the engine under 2000 rpm. This is most pronounced from 1st to 2nd and also happens from 2nd to 3rd but does not occur after that in the higher gears with higher rpm. The car performs fine the rest of the time although when accelerating hard in 3/4th gear etc the transmission tends to 'hunt' as though through intermittant pressure loss.

My local Audi dealer thinks it may be the oil pressure pump or the clutch or, or or!

He says the only definate answer is a new gearbox !!!

Can anybody suggest what this could be and what I should look for.

Many thanks

Adrian

1st and foremost have you done the Multitronic Oil change its due about now you may find that clears a lot of your problems????? It certainly made mine much smoother..

[atom23545]

Thank you to all of you that have spent time replying to my request.
Since I posted my original note, I have been continuing to drive the car and the juddering has got slightly worse. I only get it during pulling away from rest and in reverse plus the erratic running when accelerating hard at higher speeds.
I have now been to two of the large AUDI dealers in Coventry and Birmingham and both consider that the clutch is the problem. I have booked it in next Thursday for a full diagnosis test on the computer and I am assured this should identify the problem(s).
They warn me that a new gearbox is about £3500 plus fitting and replacing the clutch unit probably with the primary shaft can be at least half that! At £1.10 per hour I am not suprised !
One of you suggested changing the oil made a big difference and I am certainly tempted to try this first although I understand this is not a DIY operation because of the complex refilling procedure. Even after the clutch replacement it is recommended to do 5 oil changes by the dealer!!
I will keep you inforemed of developments.
Adrian