£10k gbox bill on 4yr old Audi. Was it ever fit for purpose?

£10k gbox bill on 4yr old Audi. Was it ever fit for purpose?

Author
Discussion

dfen5

2,398 posts

212 months

Saturday 18th February 2017
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Out of interest, what's the car's value? I'm guessing 15-16k? 10k to fix - ouch.


Crazy that these boxes on modern cars seem so prone to the bork.

Otispunkmeyer

12,596 posts

155 months

Saturday 18th February 2017
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jhonn said:
I'd be confirming that it had the correct oil and to the correct level before committing to any remedial work. (Even to the extent of having it drained/refilled by someone you can trust).

A friend of mine has a Jag and ended up with the same symptoms after changing his gearbox oil - he went to great lengths (and expense) to get the right oil but screwed up on the refill/level check process. It was fine for a short while then rapidly deteriorated.

He got it back on the ramp, filled it to the correct level (it's a complex, messy procedure) and the car is fine now.

I know the 'boxes are completely different - however, it's always worth checking the simple (cheap) things first before replacing major components.

It's unlikely that the whole box is beyond repair - that's just what Audi would do.

Absolutely worth making sure the correct oil was used and it was filled to the right point. Probably get it to an reputable indy to do this. Cost you a little money, but worth it if it solves the issue.

Having it remapped doesn't help mind. Basically running the car outside its reliable spec. But given it ran fine until the oil change, I'd be looking at that first. It's the simplest answer.

DanielSan

18,799 posts

167 months

Saturday 18th February 2017
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MrJuice said:
The vast majority of people who get lung cancer are smokers. You have smoked by remapping the car. Your car has cancer. Now you are suggesting despite smoking your car's cancer is not related to the smoking

Good luck man.
Your mind is a truly scary place if that's how your thought process works.

MrJuice

3,366 posts

156 months

Saturday 18th February 2017
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DanielSan said:
Your mind is a truly scary place if that's how your thought process works.
I'm a doctor. We spend a lot of time looking for causes of disease

Thanks though

BigLion

1,497 posts

99 months

Saturday 18th February 2017
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Remapped? No chance - find an Indy who does gearbox repairs.

DanSkoda

155 posts

94 months

Saturday 18th February 2017
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The remap will have been logged online so Audi will be able to see it. Any other Audi dealer will also be able to see it. And it's the ultimate get out clause for a dealer or Audi UK to palm off any notion of a goodwill contribution. Dealer can file off a goodwill request, Audi UK will see TD1/2/23 and come back with no contribution.
As for the dealers only replace the whole lot, I know on the transverse DSG/Stronic boxes the only items available to order via the manufacturers part catalogue/parts ordering system are the clutches, the mechatronics unit or the whole box. No separate internal parts are listed as being available to order.

EazyDuz

2,013 posts

108 months

Saturday 18th February 2017
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A remap will stress the gearbox way beyond any stress tests during production, so its your own fault.

LocoBlade

7,622 posts

256 months

Saturday 18th February 2017
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EazyDuz said:
A remap will stress the gearbox way beyond any stress tests during production, so its your own fault.
Thats a rather simplistic view, a remap could damage mechanical parts like gears and shafts that take power but isn't going to overstress gearbox electronics or hydraulics that do the shifting etc, which is what fails on these boxes.

Heaveho

5,288 posts

174 months

Sunday 19th February 2017
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EazyDuz said:
A remap will stress the gearbox way beyond any stress tests during production, so its your own fault.
Lol. I better not say that in front of my 13 year old Evo that's been running about 110 brake and 80 lbs/ft more torque than standard for half it's life, the original, standard, unmodified gearbox might blow up if it finds out! Doubt it though.

Rich_W

12,548 posts

212 months

Sunday 19th February 2017
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J4CKO said:
9 and 15 grand for gearboxes, has the world gone mental ?

The whole car only costs like what 40 something, I know they arent a charity but that is ripping the arse out of it big time, think I would have to find a s/h one and get busy with the spanner, based on the assumption that if I paid £1500 for a box that lease me a hell of a lot for tools and my time, have had engines and boxes out before, suspect it would be quite a job but I just couldnt pay that much for a bloody gearbox.

Whats a 2012 A6 worth anyway, 18 grand ?
Well given it's one of 3 major parts of the car (engine and body being the other) I'm not surprised it's a major cost comparable to the car. laugh

Bear in mind that will be a retail price. So it's not like the dealer in question has much control over the price Audi charge. Especially when the box probably only costs £2K (guesstimate) to Audi in Germany anyway...


Heaveho said:
EazyDuz said:
A remap will stress the gearbox way beyond any stress tests during production, so its your own fault.
Lol. I better not say that in front of my 13 year old Evo that's been running about 110 brake and 80 lbs/ft more torque than standard for half it's life, the original, standard, unmodified gearbox might blow up if it finds out! Doubt it though.
Id suggest that an Evo has a lot of "spare capacity" for mods built in. Whereas a diesel saloon made to a price is probably more a case of "just enough"


EazyDuz

2,013 posts

108 months

Sunday 19th February 2017
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Heaveho said:
Lol. I better not say that in front of my 13 year old Evo that's been running about 110 brake and 80 lbs/ft more torque than standard for half it's life, the original, standard, unmodified gearbox might blow up if it finds out! Doubt it though.
So because it hasn't happened to you, that then applies to all makes and models? Lol. I suppose next you'll claim your grandad lived to 110 having been chain smoking since he was 13, so lung cancer is a myth.

OldGermanHeaps

3,837 posts

178 months

Sunday 19th February 2017
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I'd start phoning around breakers and gearbox specialists. I can thouroughly recommend clutch and gearbox express in baillieston, but i'm not sure if they do s-tronic, doesn't hurt to ask though.

jamoor

14,506 posts

215 months

Sunday 19th February 2017
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J4CKO said:
9 and 15 grand for gearboxes, has the world gone mental ?

The whole car only costs like what 40 something, I know they arent a charity but that is ripping the arse out of it big time, think I would have to find a s/h one and get busy with the spanner, based on the assumption that if I paid £1500 for a box that lease me a hell of a lot for tools and my time, have had engines and boxes out before, suspect it would be quite a job but I just couldnt pay that much for a bloody gearbox.

Whats a 2012 A6 worth anyway, 18 grand ?

Edited by J4CKO on Saturday 18th February 17:57
This, the quote for the work is just insane. You can have it reconditioned for thousands upon thousands less, and I'm willing to bet if they did the work they'd also recondition it for £1500 making that alot of profit in their pocket.

Bunfighter

37,148 posts

211 months

Sunday 19th February 2017
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£10,000? How can people say that's the solution and sleep at night.

Motorrad

6,811 posts

187 months

Sunday 19th February 2017
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We buy any car and then a non vag car with a manual box/ traditional auto is another possible option.

Blaster72

10,842 posts

197 months

Sunday 19th February 2017
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I know they're a long way from you but it's well worth giving these guys a call and talk over the fault you have.

I had my DSG box fixed there after several misdiagnoses and outrageous prices from other places, they did mine while I waited (Mk5 Golf GTi) and they repair Audi s-tronic in house too.

http://www.bristolgearboxcentre.com/our-services/

They're a good bunch and specialise in VW DSG and Audi S-Tronics etc

Bunfighter

37,148 posts

211 months

Sunday 19th February 2017
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Paddy_N_Murphy said:
As above. Gearboxs are sealed units fro an OEM perspective. The service department will therefore not crack them open and fix them. Just replace them.

Crackers, but tis the way the laboratories of modern main dealer workshops.
No. The owner of the dealer knows a diagnosis and fix can bring them peanuts and you have to train, employ and retain good staff. Plug and play isn't your problem' it's big rewards for no risk or staffing headaches.


Audemars

507 posts

98 months

Sunday 19th February 2017
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I have only seen such bills and issues on German cars especially Audis and Porsches.

A gearbox should last the lifetime of a car and in excess of 200k miles as it does on most cars.

cayman-black

12,648 posts

216 months

Sunday 19th February 2017
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nickfrog said:
Agent XXX said:
Must be that excellent German superior quality and reliability that people go on about.

Very reasonable repair prices too. rolleyes
Another superbly balanced contribution after that recent classic:

Agent XXX said:
People that think german cars are of a 'superior quality' to others are deluded t*ats
He has a point though and is probably right.

Bunfighter

37,148 posts

211 months

Sunday 19th February 2017
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Agree. However how can a remap destroy a gearbox? Unless the OP was aiming for 100% extra power and monster torque.

That's the part that's crap- the gearbox had a fault of its own. Sometimes something like a map can help reveal a existing issue.

The problem with ALL modern complex cars are that they have masses of electronics now. Electronics that in a Consumer environment would only have 1-2yrs warranty in a shop.