Help - car won't reverse!

#1 23rd May 2010, 04:03 PM

Hi, I have a problem with my A8 1999 4.2 Quattro Sport. It worked just fine till yesterday when the problems started:

I set the car to R and when pressed the accelerator the car was shaking like I would have been pressing the brakes on and off very quickly.

Ok, and now the car has stopped totally going backwards. When I shift to reverse, it goes backwards a little bit, but if I touch the accelator - it's like having the car on NEUTRAL! Nothing! No response.

What's wrong? Is this fixable or do I need a new gearbox? Any ideas?

Thanks for your help.

Singh · #2 23rd May 2010, 04:08 PM

I'm afraid you will need a new box/rebuild buddy.

Singh · #3 23rd May 2010, 04:11 PM

http://forums.quattroworld.com/a8/msgs/25523.phtml

#4 23rd May 2010, 04:26 PM

Thanks already for the info. What do you recommend

to try to find a shop that fix this gear box

or just to get a new one from a8parts and install it???

PsYcHe · #5 23rd May 2010, 05:54 PM

I'd go for a rebuild (I guess your F seal has gone, at least I think it's that one).

Whilst you might get 100k from one at A8Parts, by the time you pay for it and get it fitted, you'd be getting on for a full refurb with a warranty,etc.

Architex_mA8tey · #6 23rd May 2010, 07:58 PM

I agree with psyche - go for a rebuild unless of course a8 parts have got a suitable one thats not got too many miles on it (im sure they can tell you if theyve got anything at all suitable). a rebuild even at £1500+ will give you a guarantee and probably at least 120k miles of no gearbox issues, especially if you have the oil changed at say 40k intervals max

Singh · #7 23rd May 2010, 08:11 PM

Ben (www.avperformance.co.uk) charged me £250 to remove and refit my old gearbox and did a professional job. Add another £100 for Audi fluid and filters and if you can get one from A8 Parts that has history of a rebuild which is possible so that may be a viable option, then sell your old one for a few bob? However I don't think its worth buying one that hasn't been rebuilt as that will probably go again and you will be back to square one. Sometimes taking the cheap option works out the most expensive. I ended up going for a full rebuild and that cost me about £1500 in the end.

#8 24th May 2010, 06:53 PM

Yep, thanks for all your advice!

I compared the options and decided to do the rebuild. Found very professional firm to do it, and I will get a 12 months warranty from there for the rebuilt box.

The A8 parts had a spare gear box, but with the needed ECU device and the shipping to Finland + the work removing the old one + fitting the new one would have been very close to the costs of the rebuild. So I decided to fix it. Atleast I should have now clean and working gear box for the next 12 months

The costs will be around 2500 - 3000 euros (in Finland). They said also that it's the clutch, and it wouldn't be too hard to replace but it is needed to take apart and clean + maintenance the whole gear box since otherwise there might be some crap from the broken clutch which would cause damage.

By the way, someone mentioned that the gear box is reseted by pushing the kick-down button under the accelerator for 30 seconds before starting the car? Is this right?

In my Audi the kick-down function doesn't work when you use the tiptronic function, can I fix this by adjusting the switch? Have someone done it?

IT · #9 24th May 2010, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by a8_sport

In my Audi the kick-down function doesn't work when you use the tiptronic function, can I fix this by adjusting the switch? Have someone done it?

There is a known problem where many of the facelift cars left the factory with the kickdown switch disabled.....

If youre car doesnt kick down when in tiptronic, then kick down is NOT working. It will move down a gear or two, but this is not kick down. Kick down should take you to the lowest possible gear without redlining. You can test this by driving along in tiptronic and moving to the highest gear, eg 4 or 5th. Then, accelerate to the floor, it will change up gears. Then, try and manully change up another gear, if you can do it manually, and it didnt with your foot on the floor, then again, your car didnt kick down, it just responded to demand.

Under the throttle peddle on the facelift is a black button, this is the kickdown switch, and it can be turned clockwise and anti-clockwise. I forget which way is which, but when you turn it 'on' you can hear a slight metalic noise like you are engaging a switch. Anyway, turn it 'the other way' and you should find your kickdown now works properly, and be warned, your car will suddenly feel way faster !!

(when the gearbox is fixed that is... !)