You have an ABZ motor, would the CML box go in there anyone? And what else would need doing, brain and selector?

CML On ebay right now. I would even mind getting and keep it as a spare ! Well worth it on a car like this as could aim for 200K miles +

Infact loads of boxes

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/A8parts/Aud...&_sid=37490737

Just not DTD :(

Damn you DTD !

CLM is 4 speed, and seemed far more reliable.

I guess you'd change TCU, selector, rear diff at least. Possible front drive shafts, possibly prop shaft as lengths can vary.

Should be do-able though, ABZ ran with both the DTD and CML, so cant be *that* hard....

Cheapish fix if you're up for a bit of DIY......

Aim higher. I've seen a CML with 330K on the clock..... +++

Yeah come on i'm at 190 and i'm not finished with it yet

Hopefully some one whos done a DTD change out, will be here soon with a fix.
Will get gaskets, filter and oil this week. Test it for 100 Miles. If it ok drop the engine oil, filters and do rear pads.

A guide to doing it would be useful i can pass this to my guy who can follow it.

Hopefully just the oil change will be enough to hold it out for a few 10ks. Is no ill be back asking about changing the stereo and other bits. !

My DTD had done 150k when I sold the car on, did hunt and thump a bit as per the known issues, but was still silky smooth around that.

A how too guide can be found on Audipages +++

I have attached list of 5 speed boxes. I believe they should be physically the same and if you swap boxes with the same final drive ratios it should be only gearbox and TCU swap but might be OK with the original TCU. If different final drive ratio then matching rear diff also needed. I have heard of somebody having vibrations in car which were traced back to gearbox being changed to different without changing to matching rear diff. Don't know if TCU were changed as well.

You might start with checking fluid level and topping up if required and do a diagnostics scan to see if anything comes up.


Last time I checked it was about £130 for oil and parts and £200 including labour at local ZF specialist.

The problem is that if oil have not been changed for 100K+ miles it does not work properly and do not keep all the gunk in oil and it settles out. When you put fresh oil in it starts washing and lifting it all up again. If gunk dissolves slowly you are fine if it comes off in lumps you are in trouble. Theoretically you could take box apart, clean it and still be fine.

The problem is there is no manual box coding for 4.2 A8 as they never came with manual boxes, only S8. So it is either bodge job with TCU and other gobbins in place or custom software rewrite for ECU so that it can be coded for manual.

You can use gearbox from A6/Allroad TDI quattro, you can get them for less then £300 and also have longer gears for better economy

Mate your a supa dupa star.

My cars drives like as smooth silk too, im so anal about having the right bits done its is disturbing. I always like my cars to run mechanically perfect, marks on the body i can handle.

Then there the whole man hood aspect. Did the guy i got the car from try and **** me over ?

I cant be sure !

Buying a lemon is the worst, your hole family rips it out of you, then your more distant relatives followed by your friends.

Followed by a few random people that say ' if you asked me i would of told you not to buy it' or 'if i was there i would of told you to walk away' and the inevitable. 'why don't you just buy a simple car'



Please god don't let this one be a lemon !