AARGH!!! Surely not the gearbox!
 

Okay, ONE day after starting using the S8 as my daily driver and ONE day after it being my only car (XF went back at 5pm last night!), I've encountered my first gearbox problem. Bummer.

This is what happened. Sat in traffic lights, all well. Lights changed, press the throttle to find it just revved up, no movement. Then the dreaded 'clunk' into something and off we went. Sadly it was traffic all the way home so I couldn't really ascertain what gears I had and having the kids with me I didn't have time to mess about with it when I got it home but first gear is definitely absent as it's languid off the mark.

All the gear selector options were illuminated on the dash and I noticed the engine got a little hotter than normal (in that it actually went past the 90) but came down okay? Car is now sitting outside and I want to cry!

Here's the kicker though. The box and torque converter was reconditioned at Driver Transmissions in Birmingham just over 2 years and 6000 miles ago (have a near £2k bill for this) and apparentlky the F125 switch was replaced early last year (but I don't have a bill for this?)

I am going to Sussex with my son in 4 days time so I have a quandary now whether I actually have a functioning car to go there in! Oh dear :(

Oh dear. :(
First thing to do is to get a VCDS scan and see what errors are recorded.
That's "Limp mode" which IIRC is 3rd gear. It will indeed be slow off the mark.
The clunk as it goes into that I believe is pretty usual; it's the underlying cause that needs to be found.

Not good, and hopefully not the gearbox, given that it was reconditioned. What sort of warranty did they give you? Mackies gives 3 years/100k, which might be a good point of reference, if you have to get into discussions with Driver Transmissions. ;)

That's no good to hear. :( I hope it's nothing too serious. Perhaps it's just got too hot though with the weather like it is and sitting in traffic? Just a guess though.

Thanks chaps, the previous owner got it done and I have the bill. Sadly a 12 month/50000 warranty so out of that in April 2017. It's done 6000 since.

Further sadly is I don't have VCDS and living on the isle of wight I don't have many options for decent indies (none, actually!). I know a garage in Ryde that can scan it but I don't know when they can get me in. Might have more options in Sussex but probably not the best idea to drive it over there in limp mode!

Bugger

Mackies do warrant the box, but only if you get it serviced by them (annually I think?)

Most places do 12 months. Audi does 24.

Slipping, then slamming into third isn't a very good sign. Not sure why the engine is overheating - The D2 commonly suffers from a failed electric fan so many of them might overheat if you're sat in traffic a long time. It might be you're using the car in heavier traffic than usual, and its just the first time you've seen it. I suspect the overheat is an unrelated symptom, and not a difficult fix either.

It sure isn't. I agree on the overheating, it only went half way up, just never seen it do that before but came back down okay. I guess I was just in full panic mode by then!

Booked in for a scan, on Wednesday sadly, they can't even squeeze me in before and I suspect that even after they have done it they won't really know what it's telling them! Looks like Sussex on the train for us! Can't pretend I'm not worried, I love living here but it makes these things rather tricky when they happen.

Hmm :-(

Time to invest a couple of hundred quid then: https://www.gendan.co.uk/product_VCV23.html Order now, ship today. +++

Though if you could get hold of a cheap cable and download (free) VCDS-Lite it will probably tell you what you need to know.
(Assuming in both cases you have or can borrow a Windows laptop)

Correct, sort of: the warranty does only apply if you get it serviced there (every 2 yrs in my case, @ c. £155 per service), and their warranty is for a year longer than Audi, as it's for 3 years, with the Mackie's refurb costing ~ half the price of an Audi refurb.

So, the latest.

After it sitting for a few hours I went to run it around the block and it immediately went into limp mode. It's parked up now and going nowhere until I can find out more so at least it's safe.

I have managed to find a mobile mechanic who has VCDS and he's coming Monday morning so I guess we will know more then. Dammit. 26 hours ago I had two perfectly working cars, now I have none! You have to laugh in all honesty, otherwise you'd go bonkers!

So the wait begins to discover whether the car will swallow £5000 of gearbox work in 6000 miles, assuming Mackies is what, £3k, at least? Plus I wonder how much it will cost me to get it up there?! I dunno how I will even manage that?!

I really do like to hope for the best but I have found, especially with cars, it's better to prepare for the worst!

Weekend plans all cancelled, Sussex trip will be humping suitcases and children on various trains with a potential £3k+ bill straight after.

Double dammit. There will be beer tonight, methinks! :pint: