Big transmission problems with my Audi S4

[B5SilverS4]

I have a B5 S4 with around 103K miles on her. I have owned the car for over 4 years now it has basic modifications. I purchased an extended warranty on the car this past July and then directly after the 30 day/1000 mile break in period for the warranty my 1st and 2nd gear start giving me issues. All the other gears are fine so I thought there must be some sort of synco issue or something. I also thought, "boy and I glad I bought that warranty". When I called them on it they sent me to the local Audi dealership who were great. They looked over the car and determined that the transmission would need to be replaced which is cheaper than repairing due to the complexity of this unit. The warranty company demanded to know what the cause of the problem was which required a tear down that I had to authorize. This costs $3300 if the warranty company decides not to cover my claim.
The dealership does the tear down and requests that the warranty company authorize the claim. They send someone out to view the damage and immediately see the BBS wheels, the StopTech breaks, the APR exhaust, the DVs, the turbo timer, and the boost gauge and say "the car is modified, denied". They also say that there is no way this problem just surfaced, it most have been pre-existent. If there was a problem I didn't know about it and now I have to pay Audi for absolutely nothing. The money I pay to them won't get me any closer to having a drivable car again.
Now I am left to pay Audi this money (they worked out a deal for me and lowered the $3300 price down to $2250 seeing that I didn't want them to put the broken tranny back in the car) and I still have to find a used transmission to put in my car. I will have to do the work myself because Audi wants $10K for the complete job. This is just not my week so I had to post this.
If anyone has any advice on where I can pick up a transmission at a decent price please let me know. I am in the Northern VA area but will travel or deal with shipping if need be.

[lotusgardener]

You should fight them on that and get a lawyer involved. They will change their tune very very soon. Brakes, wheels, and exhaust does not affect the transmission. they should read the magnuson warranty Act and realize they can not do that denial based on that.

[dla79]

You should fight them on that and get a lawyer involved. They will change their tune very very soon. Brakes, wheels, and exhaust does not affect the transmission. they should read the magnuson warranty Act and realize they can not do that denial based on that.

You should listen to him. I know for a fact that he denied you based on false pretense and they are way out of line. Go find a lawyer or threaten you have one and trust me they will be flipping the bill as they should.

[bps4]

You should fight them on that and get a lawyer involved. They will change their tune very very soon. Brakes, wheels, and exhaust does not affect the transmission. they should read the magnuson warranty Act and realize they can not do that denial based on that.

The "warranty" in this case could be a vehicle service contract for which the magnuson act doesn't apply. Usually it is truly only a warranty if the manufacturer provides it.

OP: What company is it? Have you read the terms of the contract?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnuso...s_Warranty_Act

A "service contract" is different from a warranty because service contracts do not affirm the quality or workmanship of a consumer product. A service contract is a written instrument in which a supplier agrees to perform, over a fixed period of time or for a specified duration, services relating to the maintenance or repair, or both, of a consumer product. Agreements that meet the statutory definition of service contracts, but are sold and regulated under state law as contracts of insurance, do not come under the Act's provisions.

[drkenan]

I'd still contact a lawyer for that amount of money. Minimum, you're looking at $1k for a used tranny, $2250 to the dealer and then whatever tools you'd have to buy to install it.

[KNaudi]

$10K from Audi? Holy shit!!!! I knew their rates were outrageous but that is beyond crazy! good luck

[Scotty@Advanced]

I'd still contact a lawyer for that amount of money. Minimum, you're looking at $1k for a used tranny, $2250 to the dealer and then whatever tools you'd have to buy to install it.

$1995.00 for a strengthened and fully updated, re-manufactured transmission.

We also have the parts to overhaul it if the shop decides to take on the job themselves.

A tear down would be just additional labor considering the failure rate of the 1-2 collar.

[Turbo Nerd]

10k does that come with k04s fueling intercoolers that's fucking trash. I would personally have a lawyer look over the agreement and see what he says before you dish out any money.

[Scotty@Advanced]

$10K from Audi? Holy shit!!!! I knew their rates were outrageous but that is beyond crazy! good luck

Audi suggested retail price on an S4 transmission is $6,000. Knowing dealers they probably have an additional 30% markup on retail price.

[drkenan]

$1995.00 for a strengthened and fully updated, re-manufactured transmission.

We also have the parts to overhaul it if the shop decides to take on the job themselves.

A tear down would be just additional labor considering the failure rate of the 1-2 collar.

Ding ding!

[belinko]

You should fight them on that and get a lawyer involved. They will change their tune very very soon. Brakes, wheels, and exhaust does not affect the transmission. they should read the magnuson warranty Act and realize they can not do that denial based on that.

Yes, Magnuson warranty act is applicable in this case, but it's not as cut and dry as you may think.
1.) The car does have modifications. Brakes, exhaust, DV, Boost Gauge, etc. are pointless. The ECU modification is what is in question.

He would have to prove without a reasonable doubt (every retard in the world) that the ECU in no way damaged the transmission. Well guess what the ECU interfaces with the motor and the motor is connected to the transmission via the clutch.

I think everyone knows that the synchros are the weak link in that transmission, but this type of failure is most commonly due to "agressive" driving, i.e. launching the car and that in my book is normal wear and tear of a luxury sports sedan. The problem is the trans now has deal with higher load, since the modified ECU.

Either way these third party warranty companies have BS coverage. He would have been better off not purchasing the third party warranty, therefore not going to the Stealership and saving the money for times like this, where an independent shop could have diagnosed the problem and repaired it in the most cost effective and efficient manner. $.02

[Scotty@Advanced]

Yes, Magnuson warranty act is applicable in this case, but it's not as cut and dry as you may think.
1.) The car does have modifications. Brakes, exhaust, DV, Boost Gauge, etc. are pointless. The ECU modification is what is in question.

He would have to prove without a reasonable doubt (every retard in the world) that the ECU in no way damaged the transmission. Well guess what the ECU interfaces with the motor and the motor is connected to the transmission via the clutch.

Either way these third party warranty companies have BS coverage. He would have been better off not purchasing the third party warranty, therefore not going to the Stealership and saving the money for times like this, where an independent shop could have diagnosed the problem and repaired it in the most cost effective and efficient manner. $.02

It's possible the act may apply it just depends on the wording of the contract and if it's considered a "Service Contract" or an extension of the factory warranty.

However most every service/warranty contract I've read in the past has an exclusionary clause about vehicle alterations or modification, so I'd read the contract.

But in the event it is indeed a warranty covered by the MWA the burden of proof for the denial of a claim based on an altered component falls on the company issuing the warranty. They cannot deny a claim on a transmission because you have an aftermarket stereo unless they can prove that the stereo caused the failure etc... however if you have a short shifter or non stock clutch they have good grounds to deny a claim on transmission problems. There may also be state laws that govern service contracts, insurance and warranties so you might want to invest a hundred and see a lawyer for an hour.

Belinko is also right most of those contracts would be better served cutting into strips and using it as toilet paper.

[belinko]

Thanks for the back up Scotty.

I also think that if it was the AoA dealer extended warranty it wouldn't an issue.

[B5SilverS4]

Thanks for all the information guys. This is an extended warranty I purchased from Fidelity. They are a huge company that I thought would take care of me if I ever had an issue. The main issue besides the mods to them is they think my problem was there before I purchased the warranty from this. There is no way for me to prove that fact so I am SOL. The car never had this problem before and then all of a sudden one day 1st and 2nd gear just started being difficult to engage.
Any way, I am happy to hear about the pricing from you Scott. I may contact you soon. I have had one person PM me with a used tranny so I plan to look at that option too.
Audi has their "book" rates which for our area is high due to the labor rates. They charge $3300 just to remove the tranny, tear it down and reinstall it. Add the $6K for another tranny, misc parts and some tax and you are at $10K. Sucks to be me but I am not paying that.
Here is a question for anyone who has done this job before, on a scale from 1-10 what is the difficulty level to put in the transmission seeing that mine is out of the car now? I have good skills (but not a certified tech) access to a lift and all the tools I should need plus a couple of friends to help out.

[julex]

Thanks for all the information guys. This is an extended warranty I purchased from Fidelity. They are a huge company that I thought would take care of me if I ever had an issue. The main issue besides the mods to them is they think my problem was there before I purchased the warranty from this. There is no way for me to prove that fact so I am SOL. The car never had this problem before and then all of a sudden one day 1st and 2nd gear just started being difficult to engage.
Any way, I am happy to hear about the pricing from you Scott. I may contact you soon. I have had one person PM me with a used tranny so I plan to look at that option too.
Audi has their "book" rates which for our area is high due to the labor rates. They charge $3300 just to remove the tranny, tear it down and reinstall it. Add the $6K for another tranny, misc parts and some tax and you are at $10K. Sucks to be me but I am not paying that.
Here is a question for anyone who has done this job before, on a scale from 1-10 what is the difficulty level to put in the transmission seeing that mine is out of the car now? I have good skills (but not a certified tech) access to a lift and all the tools I should need plus a couple of friends to help out.

Fairly easy. The hard part is maneuvering the casing around for which you will need transmission jack. Then reconnect some stuff.

What should be very helpful are engine removal DIYs which you can find by googling. Normal engine removal involves removing tranny along with engine so whatever the writeups say you need to disconnect on tranny side and to detach the tranny from engine later on, that's what you'd have to reconnect when putting things back together.

There are really no sensitive or tricky things in bolting the thing up so so long you observe proper torque ratings for bolts, you should be golden.

S4 repair manual which should give you an idea:

http://www.socals4.com/repair/AudiB5Manual.rar

[B5SilverS4]

Thanks for the info julex. I will download the manual and look it over. I guess for $2250 I did get the trans removed for me so all I need to do is put the new one in. Still, I feel like I am taking that money out of my wallet and burning it

Fairly easy. The hard part is maneuvering the casing around for which you will need transmission jack. Then reconnect some stuff.

What should be very helpful are engine removal DIYs which you can find by googling. Normal engine removal involves removing tranny along with engine so whatever the writeups say you need to disconnect on tranny side and to detach the tranny from engine later on, that's what you'd have to reconnect when putting things back together.

There are really no sensitive or tricky things in bolting the thing up so so long you observe proper torque ratings for bolts, you should be golden.

S4 repair manual which should give you an idea:

http://www.socals4.com/repair/AudiB5Manual.rar

[b00sted4v]

wtf!! $2250 to take a trans out of the car. Did downpipes-clutch and flywheel in 8 hours and that was fucking around to. Would definly get a lawyer involved and not have the stealership working on the car if its not thru warrenty

[B5SilverS4]

I agree man, now that th warranty company is not paying for my claim I will do the replacement myself but I have to pay the dealership the $2250 just to get my car back.

wtf!! $2250 to take a trans out of the car. Did downpipes-clutch and flywheel in 8 hours and that was fucking around to. Would definly get a lawyer involved and not have the stealership working on the car if its not thru warrenty

[bigern45]

3 things.
1) aftermarket warranty companies are the biggest thieves ever. they can manipulate even the fine print in their manuals to benefit them and their needs/wants. i ran a shop for three years, and i saw more screwing done by them than i have in my entire life watching porno. for example, not replacing a catalytic converter because the guy had a dent on his muffler, so in theory, he could have damaged the converter whenever he hit the speed bump or whatever he hit.. a serious joke.
2) of course the dealership knocked it down to 2250 to remove your tranny!!! that means at 100 an hour, that tech got paid 22 hours to remove your transmission, a job that took me and a buddy 4 hours in my garage with just jack stands and no power tools!!! thats ridiculous .. absurd ...
3) scotty has the deal, and yes, i think you can do it yourself with some jackstands. get that oem trans from him, hell, pay 500 more or so and get the TDI trans with the longer 6th cog and earn some money back by saving gas. id rather pay 1100 more for the rebuilt trans than just get the kit and have some labor to do yourself as far as rebuilding it, and then if you do have another problem, you wont have to catch it. scotty will when he rebuilds your core to sell it..

[B5SilverS4]

Yeah, I know they suck and I won't ever buy one again after this experience.
I certainly can do the job and having a friend with a lift at his house won't hurt either. We should be able to knock all this out over a weekend with no problem. I just wanted to be sure there were no surprises with this install. I plan on talking to Scott for sure about his units.
Thanks

3 things.
1) aftermarket warranty companies are the biggest thieves ever. they can manipulate even the fine print in their manuals to benefit them and their needs/wants. i ran a shop for three years, and i saw more screwing done by them than i have in my entire life watching porno. for example, not replacing a catalytic converter because the guy had a dent on his muffler, so in theory, he could have damaged the converter whenever he hit the speed bump or whatever he hit.. a serious joke.
2) of course the dealership knocked it down to 2250 to remove your tranny!!! that means at 100 an hour, that tech got paid 22 hours to remove your transmission, a job that took me and a buddy 4 hours in my garage with just jack stands and no power tools!!! thats ridiculous .. absurd ...
3) scotty has the deal, and yes, i think you can do it yourself with some jackstands. get that oem trans from him, hell, pay 500 more or so and get the TDI trans with the longer 6th cog and earn some money back by saving gas. id rather pay 1100 more for the rebuilt trans than just get the kit and have some labor to do yourself as far as rebuilding it, and then if you do have another problem, you wont have to catch it. scotty will when he rebuilds your core to sell it..

[B5SilverS4]

I am slowly working on options for the replacement transmission. I at least have a few to pick from right now.

[B5SilverS4]

It’s all over, I got the call today to tell me to come and pick up my car. Audi of Chantilly made me a pretty good offer and due to my schedule I opted to have them put my new transmission in my S4 rather than try to find time to do it myself. They have been really fair and helpful so now I will just keep my fingers crossed that everything went back together right. I have faith in them, it’s just my luck some times.

The car should feel like new I hope. It will to me anyway, they have had it since September 18th! I am getting it back with a completely rebuilt transmission from Scotty at Advanced Automotive in TX and an RS4 clutch. By the way, if you own an Audi and need anything transmission related I highly recommend Scotty. He was really helpful and great to work with.

[xccess]

It’s all over, I got the call today to tell me to come and pick up my car. Audi of Chantilly made me a pretty good offer and due to my schedule I opted to have them put my new transmission in my S4 rather than try to find time to do it myself. They have been really fair and helpful so now I will just keep my fingers crossed that everything went back together right. I have faith in them, it’s just my luck some times.

The car should feel like new I hope. It will to me anyway, they have had it since September 18th! I am getting it back with a completely rebuilt transmission from Scotty at Advanced Automotive in TX and an RS4 clutch. By the way, if you own an Audi and need anything transmission related I highly recommend Scotty. He was really helpful and great to work with.

which is what you should of done in the first place:) I am still tempting for that TDI, unless Scott will give a deal like he did last year 2600 for tdi out the door with zero core charge :)

[B5SilverS4]

I have the car back now but there is an odd noise. It sounds sort of like an exhaust leak. I plan on taking the car back to the dealer on Thursday to let them hear it. It could just be something loose. It won't be driven until them. The shifting was find and everything else seemed smooth.

[Scotty@Advanced]

which is what you should of done in the first place:) I am still tempting for that TDI, unless Scott will give a deal like he did last year 2600 for tdi out the door with zero core charge :)

I'm core poor at the moment.. I might consider this!

[802noggyBlue]

I'm core poor at the moment.. I might consider this!

Need cores? I'll sell you mine with 1-2 lock up if you need them.

[Scotty@Advanced]

Need cores? I'll sell you mine with 1-2 lock up if you need them.

I've got to many of them at the moment but thanks.

[julex]

What am I hearing here? I am still contemplating getting full tranny it is just even though the price is great, it is a bit too steep but if the core charge was waived....

[Scotty@Advanced]

Pm sent and replied and sent again!