Fluid Change On High Mile A4 = Problems?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 3,599
Likes: 622
From: Coldwater MI
Fluid Change On High Mile A4 = Problems?
Just bought a very nice 99K mile 98 coupe. Changed all fluids including the trans. Put about 60 miles on it and started having harsh 1-2 shifts. Shut it off then restarted---fine. Then on next trip noticed converter lock up acting funny. Set a P1870. There's a TSB that covers the whole scenario (01-07-30-023A/B), basically describing a worn bore in the valve body. Not 100% sure that's my problem---pulling the valve body tomorrow to confirm this, and to check out associated solenoids.
Anyhow my question to everyone here is if they have experienced problems after replacing very old fluid with new? My father has said for years that new fluid will dislodge sediments and varnishes that normally stay put and benign.
I'm thinking varnish took up the clearances in the worn valve bore -------and the new fluid flushed this away?
Anyhow my question to everyone here is if they have experienced problems after replacing very old fluid with new? My father has said for years that new fluid will dislodge sediments and varnishes that normally stay put and benign.
I'm thinking varnish took up the clearances in the worn valve bore -------and the new fluid flushed this away?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,898
Likes: 0
From: Oklahoma City Oklahoma
I think there is some truth to your father's analogy. We had an old beat to crap Grand Am that we couldn't kill for love or money. I used it for a work car. That beater had nearly 200K on the clock, the tranny had never been touched, and it shifted flawlessly. I decided to service the transmission to try to get a few more miles out of it. The transmission fluid looked like mud in that thing...it was nasty. After a full transmission service, within two weeks, the transmission went south on me.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 7,370
Likes: 8
From: Slave to the evil empire
Cruise-In V Veteran
St. Jude Donor '04
Originally Posted by Mike Mercury
how many quarts of tranny fluid did you put back in after draining ?
was the engine running - or off during the refill ?
was the engine running - or off during the refill ?
Servicing the A4 tranny has to be done in a specific manner, if not the fluid level won't be correct which will lead to shifting problems.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 23,283
Likes: 906
From: Lake Elsinore, CA
Originally Posted by FFR-Z06
Servicing the A4 tranny has to be done in a specific manner, if not the fluid level won't be correct which will lead to shifting problems.
Email me at edbon@insightbb.com and I'll send you all the relevant procedures on servicing the A4 tranny, including swapping the valve body and pressure switch (if necessary).
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 3,599
Likes: 622
From: Coldwater MI
Originally Posted by Mike Mercury
how many quarts of tranny fluid did you put back in after draining ?
was the engine running - or off during the refill ?
was the engine running - or off during the refill ?
Yeah, I followed the proceedure in the 98 shop manual. Boy that's a lot of fun with the thing running, on the hoist, warmed up and the fill/check hole a whopping 2" from the red hot exhaust.
Wish they would have used a conventional dipstick tube--going to an access panel behind the seat. I could deal with that.
Thanks for all the replies fellas!
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