DIY: CVT TCM replacement

[esamc2]

just took the car for a semi spirited drive (aka divining normally vs driving as if I'm scared to break the car) and soon as the car warmed up, the transmission started slipping. I'm starting to doubt that I have enough fluid. I immediately stopped the car. not sure what to do now besides drain and refill (or take to Indy for them to do it)

would low fluid cause slipping? that's one thing I didn't have an issue with before I changed the tcm.

Any codes pop up?

[y0itzflip]

Any codes pop up?

my laptop was dead so i didt check last night. they should be stored no? ill go check now.

[y0itzflip]

nope not codes, but the PRND did turn "solid" when it started slipping and i could barely move the car up the driveway. i havent started the car since im going to do a drain and fill and didnt want to do any damage if it IS low on fluid. i have a co worker who is going to give me a "better pump" for that type of fill hole supposedly.

i have some fluid on the way (i only have 3 quarts left here at the house) that should arrive this weekend and ill give that another shot. if the drain fill doesnt work i am done lol. the junkers can have it.

[y0itzflip]

I am planning on doing this next week. This is a great write up. Any more details on putting it back together, refilling the transmission etc??

how's yours go?

[esamc2]

[QUOTE=y0itzflip;11028849]how's yours go?[/QUOTE
Have not received mine yet...will be getting it this week.. Will update once I put it in...

[y0itzflip]

[QUOTE=esamc2;11032444]

how's yours go?[/QUOTE
Have not received mine yet...will be getting it this week.. Will update once I put it in...

sounds good. i am going to drain and fill my transmission this weekend. my co worker brought his pump and it was the same thing lol.

i was going to order this CLICK (i found a cheaper one on my ipad for about 120, just cant find the link on this computer)

however, being the frugal (aka cheap) guy that i am, i figured the only thing i need is this CLICK and i can DIY connect it to one of the fluid pumps i have here at the house. its pretty much the same as the vag tool used by the dealer. seems as if it will be less messy and make it a tad bit easier for the one man job (my girl is pregnant and is useless right now lol.)

here is a pic of what gave me the idea to look for this piece.





so for any future DIY for about 40 bucks (depending on the pump setup you use) you can basically have the vag filling tool (giggidy)

again, just trying to spread a little more info about this crazy transmission.

[prinler]

Im excited for you to get your car back up and going man! I have the same trans @ 100k and its starting to give issues with jerking and such between 1-2k rpm. Im watching this like a hawk!

[y0itzflip]

well good news and bad news. that part was not the right size. it was a tad too big for whatever reason, even though it said audi/vw. guess i need the smaller one. sucks because it fit the harbor freight pump perfectly. almost had an alternative to the oem VAG tool. i will still try to figure that out

goodnews is, i was able to fill the tranny with just the harbor freight pump after using a little tape around the hose (since the harbor freight pump is damn near the size of the fill hole) to stop fluid from leaking everywhere. pumped in a few quarts started the car, did the vag com precedure listed here to check the temp and fluid and i believe i did everything right. fluid was still coming out when it hit 40* so i closed her up, let the car down and took it around the neighborhood for a good 5-10 minutes and it seemed fine. tranny shifted smooth, tip ran through all the gears and car reversed without hesitation. so while im still doubtful (mainly because all of the horror stories) i think im done trying to "fix" it. gonna let it cool down while i clean up and take it for one more drive to walgreens and see how it acts. will report back.

[customa4]

Just make sure you take it easy on it for a few miles. Don't push it right away just because it feels ok. Glad to hear you're confident with the job. Flushing twice is much better off anyways because now you have pretty much all of the contaminated fluid out.

[y0itzflip]

Just make sure you take it easy on it for a few miles. Don't push it right away just because it feels ok. Glad to hear you're confident with the job. Flushing twice is much better off anyways because now you have pretty much all of the contaminated fluid out.

lol yea i am a pretty laid bak driver anyway. ran to walgreens and to subway before they closed and everything seems fine. im content for now lol.

[esamc2]

lol yea i am a pretty laid bak driver anyway. ran to walgreens and to subway before they closed and everything seems fine. im content for now lol.

Did any of you do the Trans adaptation procedure?. Google TCM adaptation and you will find a couple links from Ross Tech and others that show the procedure. It involves going into the controller and running ADP, then driving 70mts and braking 10 sec. Than reverse 70mts and braking 10 secs. Repeat this about 5-10 times until ADP says ok. I will paste the link here when I am close to my pc.

Is this required?

[esamc2]

Did any of you do the Trans adaptation procedure?. Google TCM adaptation and you will find a couple links from Ross Tech and others that show the procedure. It involves going into the controller and running ADP, then driving 70mts and braking 10 sec. Than reverse 70mts and braking 10 secs. Repeat this about 5-10 times until ADP says ok. I will paste the link here when I am close to my pc.

Is this required?

http://europeantransmissions.com/CVT...talliation.htm

[y0itzflip]

i did not do it, but i think i will do that now while im working on the car.

[esamc2]

i did not do it, but i think i will do that now while im working on the car.

Just wanted to update everyone here.
Stuff:
8 lts (bottles) of CVT transmission fluid G 052 180 A2.
12 Transmission cover bolts
1 Transmission cover gasket
1 TCM oil seal to cover gasket
2 oil o-rings (between transmission and TCM)
1 Repaired TCM ( Module pro - ebay)
1 Harbor Freight pump



I installed my TCM back. Here are the concluding steps in case it helps any one else. Taking apart is pretty well documented. These are the steps for putting it back together.

1. I used Module Pro from ebay ($239). Service was pretty good. From shipping to receiving back the module was about a week.
2. Once I got the TCM I cleaned it pretty clean using a paper napkin
3. Installed the TCM carefully back in the transmission. Torque three TCM bolts to 10NM.
4. It is recommended to replace the two oil o-rings that sit on the top right of the TCM ( you will see them on the transmission tucked in two small holes that mate with two holes on the TCM). I did not do it as I could not wait until next week to buy them from the Dealer. If you have a chance, do replace them.
5. Once the TCM is installed, install the new oil seal that will seal the TCM connector with Transmission back cover. The wide mouth of the seal stays towards the cover side.
6. Place the new transmission cover gasket over the transmission periphery being careful not to pinch or bend it.
7. Carefully place the transmission back cover back on without damaging the gasket. Be very careful, there is not enough space. Start by hand tightening all 12 bolts (new) and then torque them to 15NM + 90deg alternatively. Using old bolts is not recommended, heard they were stretch bolts. I ordered mine from ECS tuning along with everything else.
8. Install the transmission mount using the 4 triple square bolts. I am not sure about the torque spec. I just tightened them good and snug.
9. Transmission does ease up if you don't support it. I supported it using a scissor jack and a 2x4 and it still eased up a little bit. Its difficult to put the cross arm back with transmission mount installed. I jacked up the cross member using a floor jack just enough to get the bolts in. Aligned the cross member using a mallet to center on the transmission mount. Tighten 3 19mm bolts on both sides of the cross member. Again I didn't have torque specks. tightened it nice and snug.
10. That's it. Time to re-fill the transmission.
11. When I drained the transmission, about 5lts of sludge drained out. It was nasty. I thought it was supposed to be red but its not. the new transmission fluid is clean golden. My car has just 53K miles on it and the fluid was disgusting!!
12. Tighten the drain hole to 24NM
13. Use the fill hole to re-fill the transmission with fresh fluid. I used the harbor freight pump with electrical tape. Worked great. no waste whatsoever. I pumped about 5 lts (bottles) in and then pulled the tube out. Some of the fluid drained back out as expected.
14. Turned on the Car. Connected VCDS and turned Transmission 02 -> Measuring block 08 -> 10.
15. While holding the brake paddle, rotate between P R N D S holding each for about 10secs. I did this a couple of times. I could feel the shifts getting smoother.
16. Let the car idle and monitor transmission temp until it reaches 35deg C. At this point, open the fill plug. In my case nothing drained out indicating under-fill. I inserted the harbor freight tube again with the car running and pumped about 1 litre in. As soon as I removed the tube again, some fluid drained out and slowly stopped. The transmission temp was about 38. Just be careful not to exceed 40 deg C.
15. That's it. Tighten the fill plug to 30NM. If you open the fill plug after turning the car off, a lot of fluid will drain out and you will have to re-fill it and repeat the procedure. Dont ask how I know.
16. All in all, I used about 7.5lts of fluid with some wasteful drain.
17. Not sure if its required, but I also did the TCM adaptation procedure mentioned earlier. Link above.

That's it.. Drove it for about 45 minutes at varying speeds and seems all good. Transmission has never been this smooth since I bought the car about a year back. I will take it for a long spirited drive tomorrow and check if everything stays ok. Thanks for all the help with this. If anyone has any questions about the procedure or needs pictures, let me know. I took a bunch of pictures and there is a good chance I will find what you are looking for.

Cheers!

[y0itzflip]

sounds like you went thru something similar to me when it comes to opening the fill plug when the car is off. lol

going to do the adaption tonight, roads should be pretty empty on a sunday evening.

quick question, do you need the laptop connected while doing the adaption? my battery is pretty bad and dies in like 5 minutes (ordered a new one this weekend) so it needs to be plugged in. or do you do the adaption, park the car then check vagcom?

[customa4]

Get one of these. Click Don't have to worry about your battery dying again.

[esamc2]

sounds like you went thru something similar to me when it comes to opening the fill plug when the car is off. lol

going to do the adaption tonight, roads should be pretty empty on a sunday evening.

quick question, do you need the laptop connected while doing the adaption? my battery is pretty bad and dies in like 5 minutes (ordered a new one this weekend) so it needs to be plugged in. or do you do the adaption, park the car then check vagcom?

I did it while connected. Not sure if it has to. I would think it would work either way. Mine did not take much. ADP went ok right away. Probably because we have original TCMs.

Lol.. Yes about the fluid..I am glad it happened though. What came out was nasty. And I had 8 bottles which I was pretty sure not going to return back to ECS ;).

[y0itzflip]

Get one of these. Click Don't have to worry about your battery dying again.

haha forgot about these. just got one

[y0itzflip]

tranny was geting PRND lit up solid today and i couldnt move the car. checked the codes (thank god for the power inverter) i got a code 18159/P1751. clearing codes wont fix anything. not really sure what to do now. b4 this happened car seemed to drive fine, been driving it to work and to run errands here and there. casually cruising and boom it just started coasting. no loud bang or grinds or anything.

[brandonbruyette]

Hoping someone can help in this thread just to reconfirm my suspicions.

I recently bought my 2006 Audi A4 2.0T knowing that it had a bit of a tranny issue, but the deal was a good one with the amount of miles the car has.
Audi put in a new TCM last year in December for previous owner, it fixed the problem for 2 months or so and then the problem came back. Getting solid lit PRND in park, gears 1-3, 4/5 are clear.
When you let your foot off the gas quickly, thats when you noticed the lerch or slip or whatever youd like to call it. Being that the part was under service warranty, I brought it to Audi to see about having that part replaced, the refused INSISTING I'd need a totally new tranny. I believe that to be incorrect. I

The codes I'm getting are:

17101 P0717 Transmission Input Speed Sensor NO SIGNAL
17110 P0726 RPM Signal from ECU Implausible Signal - Intermittent

The car runs great other wise, even in "limp mode tranny" she gets up and goes, its decelerating that seems to be the problem.

Firmly believe still that it's the TCM causing this and looking to have it redone as my first option rather then the 4-5k for a new tranny.

Any thoughts on this?

[y0itzflip]

sounds like it COULD be the tcm, however maybe you should check the wiring as well. thats weird that you get PRND in park and then it works in other gears, when i get solid PRND it isnt going anywhere lol

[brandonbruyette]

Yeah, it's definitely solid RED PRND until I step on the gas and it gets through 1 and 2. Whether I'm in Sport or Drive or using the Tiptronic.

Just seems very very unlikely to me that it's the entire transmission.

[y0itzflip]

Yeah, it's definitely solid RED PRND until I step on the gas and it gets through 1 and 2. Whether I'm in Sport or Drive or using the Tiptronic.

Just seems very very unlikely to me that it's the entire transmission.

did a quick google search and found

01196 - Engine-Transmission Data Bus: No Signal/Communication

Couldn't find 17101, the closest I can find
17100/P0716/001814 - Transmission Input Speed Sensor (G182): Implausible Signal
P0717 Input Speed Sensor Circuit No Signal
01044 - Control Module Incorrectly Coded
00526 - Brake Light Switch (F): Circuit Malfunction

From all of these sounds like your trans harness has come loose and the ECU is not getting the speed sensor readings. Without the speed sensor
the engine won't run, it needs it to establish timing.

[brandonbruyette]

Interesting.

My first guy thought it was honestly just wiring and then before digging into it too far he called and told me the TCM was still under repair warranty with Audi and to check with them.

Maybe I'll get back with him and compare notes.

Any luck getting yours sorted out?

[customa4]

tranny was geting PRND lit up solid today and i couldnt move the car. checked the codes (thank god for the power inverter) i got a code 18159/P1751. clearing codes wont fix anything. not really sure what to do now. b4 this happened car seemed to drive fine, been driving it to work and to run errands here and there. casually cruising and boom it just started coasting. no loud bang or grinds or anything.

I really wish I could help you more with your problem but I just have no insight on this problem. At this point if you plan on dropping big money, my only suggestion is to just pony up, bring it to the dealer and have them diagnose the problem. You may end up spending $100 to fix the problem or $2,000. Don't have them fix it but have them tell you what's wrong with it and take it out of there to see what your options are. IMO it's worth dropping the ~$100 to have it diagnosed and see if you could save money in the long run.

[y0itzflip]

I really wish I could help you more with your problem but I just have no insight on this problem. At this point if you plan on dropping big money, my only suggestion is to just pony up, bring it to the dealer and have them diagnose the problem. You may end up spending $100 to fix the problem or $2,000. Don't have them fix it but have them tell you what's wrong with it and take it out of there to see what your options are. IMO it's worth dropping the ~$100 to have it diagnosed and see if you could save money in the long run.

I may take it by Audi if I can make the time. im giving it another week or so while I search for parts and double check wiring and such before I start picking up swap parts.

what's crazy is if I let the car sit over night I can drive it just fine. it's not until I'm driving for a while does it happen.

[esamc2]

Hoping someone can help in this thread just to reconfirm my suspicions.

I recently bought my 2006 Audi A4 2.0T knowing that it had a bit of a tranny issue, but the deal was a good one with the amount of miles the car has.
Audi put in a new TCM last year in December for previous owner, it fixed the problem for 2 months or so and then the problem came back. Getting solid lit PRND in park, gears 1-3, 4/5 are clear.
When you let your foot off the gas quickly, thats when you noticed the lerch or slip or whatever youd like to call it. Being that the part was under service warranty, I brought it to Audi to see about having that part replaced, the refused INSISTING I'd need a totally new tranny. I believe that to be incorrect. I

The codes I'm getting are:

17101 P0717 Transmission Input Speed Sensor NO SIGNAL
17110 P0726 RPM Signal from ECU Implausible Signal - Intermittent

The car runs great other wise, even in "limp mode tranny" she gets up and goes, its decelerating that seems to be the problem.

Firmly believe still that it's the TCM causing this and looking to have it redone as my first option rather then the 4-5k for a new tranny.

Any thoughts on this?

Call your local dealer and let them know that TCM was fixed while within the warranty period and it has issues. I think the lawsuit MIGHT covers your case since it was taken care of by Audi dealer. If they are not helpful I would call Audi America direct line and give them your VIN. If your car is maintained ( have some receipts from dealer) they should be able to trace it back and help out if at all. I would definitely start there.

[esamc2]

For what its worth, my car behaved the same way. I got PRNDS in park but drove just fine. Sometimes it would stay lit or sometimes it would just fix itself with minor slipping and jerking on starts.. Its all good not after TCM replacement. I have driven about 250 or so miles including highway speeds tons of steep hills here in Portland and its been working great (so far!)

[esamc2]

Also check that silver cable that attaches to top right ( passenger side) of the transmission cover. I read somewhere that it carries the speed signals. I have no idea where it goes or how you would check it but give it a try and see if you find anything wrong there..

[brandonbruyette]

For what its worth, my car behaved the same way. I got PRNDS in park but drove just fine. Sometimes it would stay lit or sometimes it would just fix itself with minor slipping and jerking on starts.. Its all good not after TCM replacement. I have driven about 250 or so miles including highway speeds tons of steep hills here in Portland and its been working great (so far!)

Reached out to Audi America directly who basically told me that because all the techs have looked again at servicing the TCM and found that the entire transmission is "the issue", they won't touch it and because all Audi dealers are owned separately, they couldn't force Audi Minneapolis to replace the TCM free of charge again. Kind of sounds like a crock of crap to me.

You replaced your TCM and solved your problems, or did NOT solve your problems? "Its all good not after TCM replacement" throws me off a bit.

[Justab6guy]

I'm having similar issues on my 03 a4 fwd. Pulled tcm out sent it out to be repaired. Got it back pretty quick installed it and filled it back up. It drives and shifts smoothly, tiptronic works.

Now blinking PRND again but car drives fine. I can hook up my scanner and clear the 2 codes and it will stop blinking until car is started.

Just read about the "procedure" after installing tcm. Anyone have results with that? Have appt at the shop the 1599th but would like to save the money. They say could be a static code my scanner won't clear.

Thoughts?

[customa4]

A solid PRND light might be a static code. I doubt that a flashing PRND is something that just "won't clear."

[y0itzflip]

I'm having similar issues on my 03 a4 fwd. Pulled tcm out sent it out to be repaired. Got it back pretty quick installed it and filled it back up. It drives and shifts smoothly, tiptronic works.

Now blinking PRND again but car drives fine. I can hook up my scanner and clear the 2 codes and it will stop blinking until car is started.

Just read about the "procedure" after installing tcm. Anyone have results with that? Have appt at the shop the 1599th but would like to save the money. They say could be a static code my scanner won't clear.

Thoughts?

well i did the adaption before but i was never sure if it really worked as my laptop always died lol (ive since bought a new battery and an in car adaptor to charge the laptop)

acutally did the adaption last night as the street in front of my house was empty due to construction, and took a chance and drove the car to and from work today (about 30 miles round trip) and havent had an issue. however thats only about a 20-25 minute drive each way, i usually start having issues after an hour or so. going to take a longer drive in a bit just to see what happens (id rather break down on an empty highway in the evening, rather than rush hour in miami in the blazing sun lol) will report back.

A solid PRND light might be a static code. I doubt that a flashing PRND is something that just "won't clear."

by static code, what do you mean? also flashing PRND is 99% tcm, if you replaced it, it is possible that the repair was done incorrectly (ive seen it on other forums where people have gotten their tcm back, installed, just to find it wasnt repaired right and had to send it back out to be corrected) what code does it give you when the tcm is flashing?

[customa4]

Lol I dunno, was just going with what he posted. What I was thinking by it is it's something that has to be cleared with VCDS, not like a battery reset or whatever.

[y0itzflip]

just an update, gave it a test (was taking a 60 mile RT drive and solid PRND before i even turned around. went away for a few minutes before i was able to pull over, then went solid again and stayed that way. tried to use VCDS to clear codes and see if anything looked strange and didnt find anything. waited 2 hours with the car off (luckily it was cool tonight and i have loads of games on my phone lol) turned it back on and still solid. gave in and called AAA lol. so now its either do the passat FWD manual swap or dump the car.

already looking at bmws again (had an e90 before i picked this car up, gave it to my little sister)

[Justab6guy]

P0706 tranmission range sensor. I can clear it out but when I start the car it comes right back with blinking prnd again

[SJorge3442]

just an update, gave it a test (was taking a 60 mile RT drive and solid PRND before i even turned around. went away for a few minutes before i was able to pull over, then went solid again and stayed that way. tried to use VCDS to clear codes and see if anything looked strange and didnt find anything. waited 2 hours with the car off (luckily it was cool tonight and i have loads of games on my phone lol) turned it back on and still solid. gave in and called AAA lol. so now its either do the passat FWD manual swap or dump the car.

already looking at bmws again (had an e90 before i picked this car up, gave it to my little sister)

Don't be upset at the b6. You're the one that bought a CVT. Get yourself a 5 or 6 speed and

[y0itzflip]

P0706 tranmission range sensor. I can clear it out but when I start the car it comes right back with blinking prnd again

99% sure that is the TCM would need replacing, as the transmission range sensor is part of the tcm

[y0itzflip]

Don't be upset at the b6. You're the one that bought a CVT. Get yourself a 5 or 6 speed and

lol a 5 speed swap is still a thought. i wish i did more research before i purchased the car, went to look at one car and just came across the deal and did a quick smartphone research and make the purchase as it was super cheap. now i know why it was so cheap lol.


i have a lot of aftermarket/cosmetic stuff sitting in the house, so thats the main reason i dont want to dump it lol. i had a vision and im THIS close to finishing, IF the car ran right lol. no point of having a car that looks good, but cant leave the driveway

by the way, this is what the car does when the PRND is solid.

[esamc2]

Reached out to Audi America directly who basically told me that because all the techs have looked again at servicing the TCM and found that the entire transmission is "the issue", they won't touch it and because all Audi dealers are owned separately, they couldn't force Audi Minneapolis to replace the TCM free of charge again. Kind of sounds like a crock of crap to me.

You replaced your TCM and solved your problems, or did NOT solve your problems? "Its all good not after TCM replacement" throws me off a bit.

Sorry that was a typo. It did solve my problem.. I have about 300miles on it with all kinds of driving including pushing it through Hills and it is holding up just fine. Hope it stays that way..