DTC P0735 in ZF 5HP-19

[mtroxel]

Long story short, had that tranny rebuilt 3 times now. '96 A4 Quattro with the 12V V6. Seems very good now. Shifts great, etc. However:

Now I put an OBD reader on it and it has this P0735 code in it...says "Gear 5 ratio is incorrect." As I understand it, that means the output shaft is spinning at the wrong speed for that ratio. I cannot clear the code. If I erase all codes, the OBD says the erase is successful. If I scan again, immediately, the P0735 is still there...or there again.

I see no problems driving and shifting. So, after having that tranny in & out 3 times, did some sensor just get killed or some wiring go wrong? Or do I have a real mechanical problem?

[MacDaddy]

when did the problem show up? after the first time the tranny was removed? why was the tranny removed the other two times?

[mtroxel]

The pump went bad in Sept. It banged up against the front seal and blew that......fluid everwhere. So I took it out, had it rebuilt, I put it back in. That lasted about 2 months. Then it fried on a 200 mile trip. Burnt up a sprauge gear set...whatever that is. They took it out, rebuilt it, they put it back in. This time I drove it two F-------g days and the torque converter went bad. They took it out again, tore it down but didn't really find a problem inside.......just a bad t-converter.

So.......I just found the P0735 code after all that drama. And since the code comes right back after I erase all codes, I can't help but wonder if a sensor is screwy after all those rebuilds. Or is there one inside they might have left unplugged?

[MacDaddy]

if its shifting fine I would look at a sensor issue. If you want to check the solenoids inside all you have to do it take off the transmission pan and everything is there for you to look at.

[mtroxel]

I have no idea what sensors to look at....but that's my gut too.