Issue with DSG Transmisson making a clunk noise when shifting between D and N.

[220013047]

Hello,

My 2010 Audi S4 has an issue with the DSG and it makes a loud clunk noise when shifting between D and N and back to D which you can feel in the car. The car is jerking when going in small speed forward and backwards. Also, when you come to a stop, there is a major movement before the transmission goes back to zero gear while in drive position. I have a video on the phone, but I could not upload up on this post. The car did this once before and then the symptoms disappeared and now it is doing this again.

Would you please let me know what can cause this problem.

Thank you.

[drob23]

Sounds like a textbook mechatronic unit failure. Search about s-tronic problems within this forum, you'll find lots of info and first hand accounts. Definitely sucks.

[Atzek333]

http://www.vidup.de/v/5QU7G/ u mean this ?

[220013047]

Wow, this is exactly the issue I have. The car has an existing warranty. Would this be covered?

Thank you again for the fast replies.

[Atzek333]

my car is now in the garage and i become an new Clutch kit and Mechatronik 100%paid by audi

[mrmomo313]

Mine has started to make a very small clunking noise similar to in the video... looks like mine needs to be replaced as well, was hoping to get that mech unit changed before I tuned her! Worked out perfectly I guess

[220013047]

I will post an update from the dealer once the car goes in service. Thank you again for the direction. This is very helpful.

[220013047]

Of course, today I don’t have this issue anymore. Luckily I took a video and had the audi service person witnessed the clunking noise several days ago (they were too busy to get the car inspected that day). I did send the audi service person an e-mail with my video, the provided link from Atzek333 and also I mentioned the Mechatronik failure unit.
I am just concerned that when I bring the car to the dealer next week (dealer is booked for week and a half), it may not have the symptoms and then it would be hard to fight a case for a Mechatronik unit replacement under the existing Audi warranty. Also, there is no engine light or messages on the dash board related to this issue. I read that in some cases a message will appear saying transmission failure and you need a code to prove your issue.
Any advice how to handle this issue with the dealer would be much appreciated.
Thanks.

[SwankPeRFection]

As long as the service advisor isn't a jerk and witnessed it, he can attest to it. Once this problem starts, it'll continue to do it. There are also very good chances that once this starts, some faults are recorded within the logs of the TCU when it happens. The trans will usually do this when temps get a bit hot with the fluid. Flog it a bit before you reach the dealer and there shouldn't be any issues duplicating the problem once they start it back up after it's off for a min while you go in and talk to them.

[MailmanOdd]

Same exact problem I started having, then my mechatronics failed and I was only able to shift between R/2/4/6. Audi replaced the mechatronics but it took several weeks because it had to ship from Germany to USA.

[AudiSoccer123]

Ya same here but I haven't had a chance to takenitnin when it's doing it..is it for sure the mechatronics?

[SwankPeRFection]

Ya same here but I haven't had a chance to takenitnin when it's doing it..is it for sure the mechatronics?

Yes, you better take it in before it does more damage to the clutch packs or gears. Don't be lazy you lazy ass!

[riegeraudi]

This seems like a normal problem. This is just damn stupid to have this happen. This transmission costs an arm and leg and Audi had a similiar system in the GTI and had the mech problems there also. It boggles the mind how they can put this transmission in this car without providing a 10year warrranty on this tranny since failure seems normal and the transmission is $7-10K.

I think anyone who has this problem should notify the NHTSA and have them look into it so that maybe they can pressure Audi to provide free extended warranty on this piece of junk.

[220013047]

Great point. I may do that. I just got a call from the dealer confirming that the problem is with the mechatronic unit. They ordered a new one and the car should be ready by the end of the week. The service advisor said that once they release the car, I will have to drive it for a little while and let them know if there are any other issues with the transmission. One may think that once the unit is replaced, there shouldn't be anymore issues. It just tells you that Audi does not know how to fix this problem and they are only putting a bandaid with the new part. Should I keep or should I sell the car? Do they warranty the new part for another 3 years? I will hate to have the same issue once the warranty runs out next year.

[SwankPeRFection]

New parts that go on the car are warrantied for 12 months/12000 miles, whichever comes first or if your base or CPO warranty is longer than that, that will cover it. Sounds to me like it'll be the part warranty in this case if your base warranty is due to expire next year (i.e. less than 12 months away). Either way, the major issue with the initial mech units in the 2010's were circuit boards/cables getting eaten up by the trans fluid around them. Audi made a dumbass mistake on their part with that. The other issue was also a temp problem where the original units were solid metal and some believe that conducted too much heat into the brains of the units and cased issues with the electronics because of that. The new mech unit should be the new ones which are all plastic cased and the connectors are all different supposedly. To my knowledge, there's been very few that have had recurring issues with the DSG once this was done, unless it wasn't caught fast enough or if too much damage was done to the trans before the mech was replaced (i.e. owner fucked around too much before taking it in and dealing with it). In those cases, multiple mech replacements didn't fix the issue and it took a new tranny install to fix it (i.e. replacing the entire thing). After that, the car was quiet and the owner never complained again supposedly.

[220013047]

So I looked around and found this tread regarding the DSG tranny http://www.euroaddiction.net/forum/b...are-b8-s4.html

I am not sure at what stage the mechtronic unit started acting up and if there is any other damage except the mechatronic unit. The dealer said that along with the unit they are replacing some kind of a cable and the oil. Is there anything else I should be discussing to be addressed before I receive the car back? What other parts can be affected based on this issue?

Thank you.

[SwankPeRFection]

Have them replace the filter in there as well. Should be a big rectangular one that looks like it has a snorkel on one end. They have it all apart, might as well replace it. It's a no brainer really.

[220013047]

Below is a list of what was replaced in case anyone else is interested for the detail (UNDER WARRANTY). There is still a small clunking noise between D and P when the car is parked and engine is warm, but I will drive for a while and determine if needs to be addressed. Please let me know your opinions on this job. Thank you.

RAN GFF AND NO CODES. CHECKED FLUID LEVEL AND IT WAS 0.5 LTR LOW. CALLED TAC 1154316 AND SAID REPLACED MECH UNIT. FILLED FLUID AND SET BASIC SETTING ALSO REPLACED FILTER DUE TO LEAK AT REAR OF IT. TEST DROVE AND NOW SHIFTING SMOOTH

G052529A2 GEAR OIL QUANTITY 8
06E103547H TRIM QUANTITY 1
8K1927156AD MECHATRONIC UNIT QUANTITY 1
0B5321371E GASKET QUANTITY 1
N0138271 WASHER QUANTITY 1
0B5315105TA OIL PIPE QUANTITY 1
0B5315105TC OIL PIPE QUANTITY 1
079129717B GASKET QUANTITY 6
079129717D GASKET QUANTITY 6
06E103213 TUBE QUANTITY 1
06E998907D REPAIR KIT QUANTITY 6
8K0317823B LINE QUANTITY 1

REMOVED SUPER CHARGER AND REPLACED BREATHER SYSTEM AND PERFORMED SVM UPDATE

N90316802 SEAL QUANTITY 1
G013A8J1G COOL.ADD QUANTITY 1

[220013047]

The transmission is still making the same noise, but now it is more quiet and better than before. The clunk noise is between D and R and before was between D and N. Any suggestion would be really appreciated. Should I take the car back to the dealer and have them look at it again. I can just see them beeing upset with me.

I drove a 2013 loaner s4 and there was no noise what so ever.
Thank you.

[SwankPeRFection]

Take it back and show them. If the banging was severe enough and prolonged enough before the mech unit was replaced, it would have cause further damage to the trans. If that is the case... new trans will need to be installed. Sorry, but better safe now than sorry later... new trans is 15k. You don't want that out of warranty.

If they give you the BS response of... "it's normal"... take them for a ride in the 2013... because it's not!

[220013047]

I just talked to the service manager and he witnessed the clunking noise between D and P. The master technician also witnessed the noise and said it was normal after they replaced the mechatronic unit. He pulled another S5 2011 and it had the same clunking issue as mine which is a 2010 but less noisy. He said that they cannot put a 2013 transmission into my 2010 because they are not the same units and it will require a lot of adjustments to the software. S4 and S5 2010, 2011 and 2012 use the same DSG units and the 2013 is a different one. Instead, he offered an extended warranty for 2 years on the drive power train. Below are the transmission part numbers from mine 2010 and the one I drove 2013. Also, he said that if I call the regional Audi person who is an engineer, it may void the service manager offer for the extended power train warranty because the regional guy may say that there is not a problem.

2010 Audi S4 Transmission Part Number 0b5300057hx002
2013 Audi S4 Transmission Part Number 0b5300056c003

Can someone PLEASE help me fix this problem? Can someone please let me know if they had a 2013 transmission installed by a dealer on a 2010, 2011 and 2013 S4? Thank you.

[drob23]

I'd guess it's more than software to stick a b8.5 DSG on a B8, for one, the B8.5's have a completely different center differential.

[SwankPeRFection]

There should be no clunking noise man. NONE! You will feel the car load the drivetrain, but no clank will be heard. Something's still not right. I know because mine was swapped and it's smooth as butter. Make sure they installed the latest TCM software on it after replacement.

Like I said before, if a mech replacement doesn't fix the issue entirely, Audi TAC has been known to call for a complete transmission replacement, but you won't get a 2013+ trans. Those are slightly different, like different (taller) gearing. What's probably happened is that you let the old mech unit screw over your trans so much that other things got damaged.

[220013047]

thanks. What year was your car and did you have any codes on the dashboard? Mine just has the noise, but no codes.

[SwankPeRFection]

Pretty much all 2010's will have this issue one way or another. Seems like it's a 50/50 chance and the noise is enough to diagnose and replace. Let me put it this way. If the problems caused by a bad mech unit or a noisy trans keeps Audi from approving a car for CPO, you're getting the runaround from your dealer. These things aren't supposed to make a clanking noise when they shift. You will feel the shift/clutch engagement sometimes depending on conditions (like a manual), but there isn't supposed to be any clanking during the process. If there is, the gears are banging into place or the clutch packs are smacking around either engaging or disengaging. Not normal.

[EuroA4]

How much would this cost to repair if out of warranty?

[Atzek333]

my bill was around 3500€ but i also was getting a new clutch pack

[SwankPeRFection]

How much would this cost to repair if out of warranty?

People have reported $6k for mech replacement and $15k for complete transmission replacement. Of course, those are the inflated prices from Audi. Someone else this past week reported about $8k or so for a trans replacement or something along those lines. It's not cheap... hence why it's important to nip the problem in the butt as quickly as possible under warranty.

[220013047]

I just had a lovely 20 minute conversation with the service manager. He is scheduling to have the regional service rep Raymond Pope and an engineer to come and discuss this issue with me. He said that I will not get a new transmission based on this problem. After I showed the actual noise to the service rep and send him the video, the service manager had the audacity to tell me that the mechanic who replaced my mechatronic unit did not hear the clunking noise. Then I asked him, why the dealer proceeded to replace the unit without calling me so I can re-enact the noise. He said that because there are no fault codes, there is not issue.

What to do now?

[220013047]

And my video is not worth anything.

[SwankPeRFection]

Can you shoot another video of what it does now and post it? It sounds like you just have an idiot dealership who's not seen a similar issue, so in their mind there's no problem because they don't know what to look for in terms of behavior to diagnose a known problem. It's called "not having enough experience".

[220013047]

I may be idiot myself. How do you upload a video from your phone. It is asking me for a link and dont have one.

[220013047]

DSG Clunking noise after repair http://youtu.be/DizQe-5-4xA
DSG Clunking noise before repair http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWO8Vo5ogmU

[220013047]

The sevice director has set-up a meeting with the audi regional representative. Below are some of the dealer comments regarding my problem. How can a back lash in this intensity be normal? How can a back lash still exist after replacement of the mechatronic unit?

The second visit concerning transmission was September 20, 2013, invoice 393333. The customer had same concern, but recorded noise on video on the shift between drive and neutral while sitting still. Technician ran GFF no codes. He also started Tac case 1154316. They advised to replace Mechatronic unit in transmission and reset basic adaptations. This eliminated noise between drive and neutral.

The noise he is hearing is between reverse and neutral setting still. It clicks, this is back lash which is normal. We compared to like mode with same power train set up. This vehicle had same click in transmission when shifting into reverse to neutral and back to reverse. This is normal condition.
wanted to relieve the customer of concern with this transmission failing that I offered to ask Audi for and extended component coverage on this unit for an additional 2 years or 24,000 miles.
The customer declined offer. The customer would like to have a Audi field representitive to listen to his noise.

[SwankPeRFection]

Nope, that doesn't sound normal. It's basically the same problem you had initially only now it doesn't jerk the drivetrain as it did before I think. I don't know how long you had the mech issue before you took it in, but it's possible the problem going on a while took its toll on the trans. I'd push Audi to get the trans replaced if possible or extend it's warranty to far beyond the 2 year 24k miles they want to push for.

Also, when you talk to the regional rep, make sure you state to them that you didn't decline the warranty extension, you indicated that you still wanted to talk to a regional rep because the way the service advisor had positioned the warranty extension, they basically gave you an ultimatum. Take the warranty extension and pretend you don't have a problem or escalate the issue so that someone else can take a look into it.

Like I said before, I have a hard time believing that other S4's on the lot that aren't 2010-2011 with questionable mechs/trans make this same noise. I'll have to listen to mine, but I'm pretty sure I would have heard it by now if it was to have happened and I sometimes drop it into N when I'm waiting in line at drive-throughs when it takes forever to move up and get your food.

[jamesj2k]

I know this sounds crazy but go in there and any time you speak with someone take your phone out and record the conversation and tell them you will be doing that. Its hard to deny anything when its recorded! I had my fair share of problems with dealers (luckily my Audi's have stayed out of trouble). If its not written or recorded it WILL be denied at one point or another.

[SwankPeRFection]

I know this sounds crazy but go in there and any time you speak with someone take your phone out and record the conversation and tell them you will be doing that. Its hard to deny anything when its recorded! I had my fair share of problems with dealers (luckily my Audi's have stayed out of trouble). If its not written or recorded it WILL be denied at one point or another.

I agree. In some states it's not even necessary to let the other parties know they're being recorded. The law is written so that as long as one party knows it's happening, the recording is legal, despite the fact that the party doing the recording is the party that knows it's happening. Check your local laws. BTW, EVERY cop that pulls you over is recording you and him/her during the stop. They're not notifying you of that happening each time you get pulled over... are they?

[jamesj2k]

From my understanding person to person recordings, there is no requirement to let the the other party know.

Over the phone is another story.
Theses state require consent of both parties when recording over the phone:

California
Connecticut
Florida
Hawaii
Illinois
Marylan
Massachusetts
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire
Pennsylvania
Washington

BUT if you let him know you are recording then I bet you he will be more likely to tell you the truth and not f around with you.

[vpr80]

All these threads are making me very anxious about my 2014 on order....is this an issue with the older 2010 models or still could be a problem with the newer cars as well?

[220013047]

A member from Audizine stated that Audi Canada will not even look at the same problem because there are no error lights on the dashboard. How in the heck is this possible, when you can clearly hear that the transmission will fall off and still no error codes show on the dashboard? The dealer tells you that everything is electronically driven that even a small deviation from the normal is detected, an error code will come on. Why would this problem not be detected if this is the case?
I drove the 2013 S4 and there was not clunking noise. However, who is there to say that this may not be the issue when that car has over 30K miles like mine. Supposedly, everyone here is stating that the DSG was improved, but I don’t buy it.
Unless, Audi shows me their manufacture technical explanation that this clunking noise is normal, they can tell us anything they want to get out of fixing the cars properly.