Should I have my gearbox serviced?
 

Hi all
I have a 2000 2.8 Sport 2WD, 102k miles with a full service history, although there is nothing to specifically say the gearbox itself has been serviced. I read somewhere that if a gearbox has done over 100k and not been serviced it's better to just leave it as it is? Is that really the case? Or should I have it serviced? If so, am I right in thinking it should be serviced every 20k miles? Thanks for any advice :-)

Personally I would say try and get it done as soon as possible
I bought my D2 at 112K and left it and the gearbox failed at about 120K
I would say every 30,000 miles would be a good mileage to get it re-serviced

Thanks for the advice! :-)

Yeah definitely get the oil and filter changed, by someone who has done it before +++ Make sure whoever sources the parts gets a genuine filter from Audi or TPS and supplies the VIN as there are two versions of the filter.

Several of the problem areas in these gearboxes are lubrication-related so clean fresh oil will definitely prolong its life. The myth about changing oil dislodging deposits is precisely that IMO - these gearboxes are normally spotless inside.

Though my personal experience was different - oil and gearbox service (At Chester Transmissions) made the gearbox much worse, when it had never been serviced before, and the guys said they "found a bit of debris in the tray" when the old oil was drained. Full rebuild undertaken (at Mackies) shortly after. Mileage about 110k, from memory...

Did Mackies mention what was wrong with yours?

I can't argue that there are cases such as yours where changing the oil has apparently led to failure, however I do not believe the cause is deposits. Any debris will collect in the sump as it is supposed to while the solvent effect of the circulating oil keeps everything else clean. I would be interested in a teardown of one in such a state to figure out what the underlying cause really is. I'm sure there is something else going on. It would be interesting to get Chester Autos or Mackies opinions on this actually.

2WD 2.8 is 5HP19 correct?
So not the same problem areas as 5HP24A necessarily.

My basic premise when it comes to gearbox servicing is that "filled for life" is total BS. "Filled for warranty" is more accurate.
ATF contains friction modifiers, corrosion inhibitors, and other sacrificial elements. All of it is consumable.
Heat and stress cycles will break down the oil viscosity over time, particularly once the consumables are all used up.

I am convinced that regular oil changes will prolong the life of any transmission - provided you get to it early enough.
My interval is 40-50,000km - so 25-30,000 miles.

Thank you very much for the informative replies, much appreciated :-)

Probably...but I can't remember. Sorry! ;)