“Head to www.squarespac... to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code (savingsalvage).” In today's video its bad news, My salvage Audi RS3 8P has broken down! We take a look at the issue and look to resolve it.
Was going to suggest this as well, your theory about temp and oil affecting the D.S.G. controllers sounds bout right. Interesting you mention 2nd, 4th and 6th bars, as I believe these re controlled by one half of the system, and 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th by the other half of the control system. This is so that the gearbox is always ready to change up or down to the next gear . Hope this helps, so please check out the video from "Diagnose Dan"
VW & poss audi did have a recall for different spec of oil as the original oil was high in sulphur & too conductive when it runs over the circuit board inside the unit 😐
Owned a truly stunning TT 3.2, 2005 but only covered 18’000 miles. In 5 years of ownership had not one but two mechatronic units fail which were, at that time, over £2’000 each!
Have you checked oil levels in the box, if low change it out? The box works when cold that's when the oil is at its most viscous, as it warms up it thins if the level is low it will overheat and lose its properties. Worth a look.
I've got a S3 8P Sportback with the s-tronic DSG. Had it 3 months and started getting the same exact issue, was getting stuck in D1, wouldn't switch to reverse, would get stuck in P. Had to restart car to get it home - was an intermittent issue for 2-3 weeks before I put in a warranty claim. New Mechatronic unit + new clutch and labour = £££££££ Glad I had warranty still!
Audi's are a constant pain in the rear, nothing but trouble. You'd expect a premium brand wouldn't have as much issues, I wouldn't touch them again, new or old.
Have you looked at the overhaul kits? They are just over £100 on ebay. There are a lot of vids on youtube about these gearboxes. May be worth looking into it a bit more before splashing out for a new unit
Best to consider adding in a gearbox oil cooler or a DSG oil cooler to extend the life of the new mechatronics and other components inside, change the oil at one go. Save additional labour later.
I feel your pain 😬 My car has really tested my patience with transmissions calamities the last 3 years. Folk prob think im mad fixing it, but you get so far in that you cant back out. We have a love hate relationship - i love it but it hates my guts 😂
I've not taken one apart but if your getting a new one try taking the old one apart and seeing if the accident has caused a fracture on the board or solder joints/components, especially the connection socket? Worth a go maybe?
When the oil gets hot it gets thin and and particles in it can then flow around the box into the valve bodies. Only takes a little bit of debris to jam a valve or oil passage way
Hi. Im from Cape Town, South Africa. I can with 95% certainty tell you it's the mechatronics unit on the S-tronic gearbox. I drive a Audi Q5 3.0tdi. Same issue in the beginning of this year 2020. Audi dealerships sell a mechatronics repair kit (yup, that's how common the fault is on the s-tronic). In SA currency it cost me R40 000 to fix using the repair kit (no motorplan). A total replacement of the mechatronics unit will be more than double than. Good luck! Love your videos. I was especially following the RS4 rebuild. So sad it couldnt be salvaged.
Gonna be the mechatronics. Had exactly the same symptoms on my TTS. Fortunately a great Audi specialist repaired mine and still going strong now 30,000 miles on. Good luck with repair.
I don’t know how you keep motivated , as an earlier comment ... a lot to be said for 1.9tdi I’ve just clocked 335k miles on B6 Avant with the simplicity of servicing every 10k Keep it simple
im sure you are doing your research right now but if i remember correctly there was an early issue with the oil used in this gearbox that the sulphur content attacked the printed circuit over a long time and knackered the mechatronics, make sure you look for tsb regarding latest oils to use when refilling, and yes also the newton cradle effect of a bump can really affect electrical components , your best with the brand new unit especially on a car with such low mileage its worth it . good luck , sure it will be worth it in the end.
@@englishlaugh1680 3.0v6 tdi engine has to come out due to chain being at the bulkhead most of the cost was labour and that was an independent garage not a main stealer
@@landlordfortenants3256 my PFL has been trouble free for two years and 22k miles now (touch wood) For me running costs are not an issue, it’s the never ending modifications! 😂
There are plenty of videos on how to change out solenoids in DSG boxes. Nothing too difficult. And, by the way, the price of the mechatronics is not bad in the scheme of things. Ask around about how much any other auto gearbox costs to repair and in many cases replace is the only option. Pull it down while you wait, the fix could be a simple solenoid swap, and you can cancel the new one. Nothing to lose.
Recently fitted a 2nd hand mechatronics unit from a different car with different part numbers to a mates audi a6 3.0tdi all road and just used remapping equipment to clone the software from the faulty unit to the 2nd hand one and works flawlessly
I feel your pain! I have an N54 335i and I have just had to replace the waterpump both the low and high pressure fuel pumps and all 6 injectors all in one go :( total bill was over 5K! luckily I have an after market warranty and have paid about £1400 but still got to tackle the fuel injectors and the warranty company are being as you would expect
I replaced the mechatronics unit on mine by myself. Pretty easy job, but the replacement parts were pretty expensive! Was able to all the coding and calibration with vagcom no worries.
We had a similar problem with our Porsche tiptronic (I appreciate is an entirely different set up) and it was the multi plug that attaches the loom to the gearbox. Didnt look like anything was wrong with it but a new one fixed our problem and has been fine for over a year. May not help you but worth looking into. Sorry to see your woes. Good luck
Sorry to hear mate - been looking at a Polo GTI but the whole DSG thing has worried me - I think this has decided it. I've also seen the Diagnose Dan DSG Video - definitely worth a watch and he mentions the oil specification change I think too!?!?
Warm it up, plug out and flush out the fluid then refill, give that a try before you condemn it, as it may be the old grit that's causing the issue... if it still plays up after a flush and refill, then the electrical connectors are the problem once it's warmed up
Oh dear sorry to hear about the mech unit failure. In the 7 speed DSG 0am dq200 I’ve managed to straight swap and code without issue when converting a manual TFSI to DSG. Your troubles in newer gearboxes 2012+ is the component protection and if the vin is encoded into the mechatronic software. If you can have the software altered or mapped and adjusted then you could have fitted a used one. Best of luck though. Great vids as always 👍🏽👍🏽
Intermittent electrical fault. I'll bet you something wiring has worn through or overheated and shorted. It might be a pain to find, but I wouldn't expect it to be too challenging to resolve once you do.
Sounds like a bad connection that's gets worse with temperature, higher temp =higher resistance . Circuit boards are crap on cars due to vibration , damp , hot and cold cycling . As said diagnose dan has fixed cars with heat related issues , one was a no start when the engine was hot .
We had a new Golf with a DSG box about 7/8 years ago. There was a VW recall due to the wrong oil being in the gearbox. Spend a day at the dealer getting flushed and refilled with the correct oil. The original oil degraded the gearbox switches which "could leave you stranded with no gearbox". Sounds like yours could have suffered from oil rot.
Bummer dude 😥 Check out Diagnose Dan's channel. I vaguely remember him having a fault with a DSG and the seal of the control unit sitting inside the gearbox had failed so was letting fluid in when the oil was warm and thinner. Basically it fucks the circuit board inside the control unit. Fit a new unit and away it went. May be worthwhile having a look.
I had a similar problem with a 2012 Golf 1.6d. Luckily the vw dealer were really helpful ( the bill was going to be approx £2500) and secured help from VW and it cost me about £600. The car had done about 40,000 and always serviced by VW agent. I no longer have the car!!!
I had an Audi fail with a similar mental shifting.... put it to an auto gearbox specialist and they told me it needed an new box at £7k..... it needed a nee EGR valve, the exhaust gases made it not shift up and down correct... I drive it for another 7 years with no problem.
I have a 59 plate 3.0 v6 tai q5 and have recently had a mechatronic unit replacement. I had to get a new clutch pack as well and then had to be ripped off by Audi as they are the only ones that could code it. I feel your pain mate
I have just had a mechatronics unit repaired (last week) it had the same fault as yours. I watched my mechanic do the repair and it was surprisingly straightforward. It was a fraction of the price of a new one (£500+ VAT)
@@SavingSalvage fair enough, I was thinking you might be able to save yourself some money and make some content, it’s really simple to do and the parts aren’t very expensive, It took him 4 hours start to finish and only needed to buy the special tool for the clutch re-engagement.
To be fair they are not as complicated as people think. With the electronics removed it is simply two manual gearboxes tethered together. It is not that difficult to strip and repair the mechatronics unit either. I would suspect the impact has damaged a solenoid connecter (they are under the sump pan) or .. if it's just a sticking selector valve (there are only two) then that is an easy replacement. I reckon the guy who quoted a grand to fix was having your pants down!
Really feel for you Dean. This unfortunately is something you could never had foreseen but is the risk you take when buying a salvage car, and 99 times out of a 100 never happens. We know you don’t give in and you’ll fix it and move on. All the best mate. 👍🏽😎
I had a DQ200 mech blow up on me in January. Quite obviously needed a new one. Paid 1800€ for it. Expensive stuff but glad to have my A3 up and running with warranty now.
Maybe, if you strip down the old Mechatronix after fitting & testing the new; you can make yourself a niche fixing em for others when they fail. Often these ‘complicated things’ aren’t nearly as complicated as people suggest… and glad I'm not the only one that talks to the car !
I booked my s-tronic in for a service last week. 20K in 4 years, didn't fancy leaving it till the 40K as recommended as it would then be pushing 8 years. I feel your pain though!!
@Kris Nicholson I fully agree with you Kris fluid changes are extremely important engine oil transmission oil etc etc regards to you Mark from billericay 👍👍
Had a similar thing happen in a 1 year old Skoda Octavia - I was reduced to 1st gear only!!!! I'd only had it 3 weeks (was told it was ex-Skoda but in reality it was Enterprise) so I rejected it and got my money back - Skoda had a 30 day money back guarantee thank goodness.
Big shame this had to happen... my mate with a tts had the same issue and same symptoms took the mech out sent it off for diagnosis and it was completely fine, turned out there was allot of oil/dirt in the plug which when warmed up started doing all these issues. Maybe worth a try to have a good look at it, doubt that this could have been missed by the techs.
As I understand it there are two parts to the unit, the electronics board and the valve body, either or both can fail. It is often worth just changing the board first to see if that fixes it.
Check if some electrical cables in relation to the mechatronics unit is rubbing against some metal (maybe exhaust) causing short-circuits. The mechatronic unit itself is maybe just fine.
Really feel for you. These wizzy gearboxes are fine until they stop working. I am sure many a good car has gone to its maker because of a similar failure. It makes it worse that they cannot be repaired. If it was replaced at a main dealer I would imagine the bill would be heading towards 4K with VAT! Can be a manual box be fitted ?
Hi Dean, had the same issue with a Q3 gearbox, shortly after we bought the car. Luckily for us the garage paid for the repair under their guarantee. With the Labour the repair was £2400 a couple of years ago. I feel you pain, but the content will be interesting.
Sorry to see that thr RS3 gearbox has malfunctioned as it sounds expensive but the fault is intermittent which definitely looks like an electrical fault as it fails when it heats up, good luck 👍
With these salvage cars you’re giving yourself a shed load of work and even after all your fantastic efforts still more problems surface! I know it’s good content for viewers but this and the costs must grind you down. Sorry to hear of this mechatronics issue, gutted for you.
I feal your pain in this video, I've got a 18 plate VW Golf after having it for just over a year my start-stop system went on it so had to limp to my local supermarket as I was near to it but I was doing 20 mph then dropped to 10mph luckily made it to a parking space to be rescued by VW road assist.
Dude it is solenoid E, open the pan an replace this first, there relatively cheap, if it was your megatronics it would through other solenoid codes from a to d, check your plug and ground cable, change oil, if oil is to dirty it wont reduce the temp on the solenoids and create overheat, had this similar but from experience it should through code for all of them if it is the solenoid valve body. You should have tried the cheapest method first
My wifes car had an issue with the pcb for the mechatronics delaminating. Which created a similar peoblem. Just fyi we had same issue with jumpinf gears and found the fault began way before and was afecting pressure being applied to clutches. It then took one out (odd for us) which meant no 1 or 3 etc
most likely TCM check live temperature might be fluid circulation do a drain and fill and filter first. Disconnect battery check body grounds and connections.
There's a lot to be said about old cars with mechanical links, distributors and good old fashion carbs.... Probably more computerised components in modern cars than the space shuttle !
What about an oil pressure issue like a blocked strainer or something? Cooler oil higher pressure? Don’t know anything about gearboxes either! Got to be worth a shot!
Good content thank you, be aware the mechatronic may come with new software that will need flashing with ODIS (Offboard Diagnostic Information System software) via VAS 6154A interface or similar tool, main dealer or the gearbox specialists can do it . VCDS (vag com) can only do the coding and the dsg adaptation procedure
Look up slater’s garage in Nottinghamshire top lads there, they will properly have a mech unit on the shelf, they specialise in Dsg gearbox, supply & fitted you’ll be looking around £1500 includes diagnostic
I had the same exact issue with my DSG on my jetta it was a mechatronic fault it would work perfect until it hit 90 degrees then it would get locked into 2nd gear
Used to work in Dordon (Middlands) at CEVA warehouse (vw group) Saw countless gearboxes coming in every day.Some of them literally brand new. I spoke to one o the managers about it..he said ‘Scrap’ so neither vw will fuck around to get them fixed. Btw some days we would load and ship 50-60 thousands of parts (uk only) Good lack mate,great video
I find it strange that the coolant temp was -40C (this is a default map value). Also according to freeze frame data, the fault occurred at 0mph, in position P, engine speed around 1,600 rpm and throttle position 35% which is a little throttle blip at idle as far as I'm concerned.
I wouldn’t pay too much attention to the freeze frame data, it’s never that accurate. In my experience anyway. As proven by the fact it didn’t happen in P or at 1600 rpm or at 0mph 😂
Feel for you - It’s pretty obvious its really pissed you off and is something you didn’t need as we run up to Christmas. All the best fella - I am sure the content will be great (non consolation)
Not great, but again, a challenge for you since auto gearboxes are not your thing. Maybe you can break it apart and see what was went wrong and try to fix? Also... 1 request. Can you by any chance shed some light on how much Copart charges to deliver a car? Maybe according to distance according to the cars you had delivered so far.
That’s really unlucky. Agree it’s likely down to the impact. Does this mean the VRS has been promoted to daily driver? 🤩 Incidentally I have a badly behaved black 8P A3. Was out last week sorting out seized up brake callipers...
Sadly, that's the issue with running what were expensive cars when they get cheaper. The vehicles inevitably get cheaper due to the miles and depreciation, but the repairs almost never do, which leads to financial pain and, potentially, basically sound vehicles getting written off the road due to repair costs. To be honest, with the new part being £1,800 and the possible repair being £1,000 with absolutely no guarantee of success and the expert being highly dubious about it being successful then it really makes no sense to even think about trying the repair as it's quite likely to be just setting fire to a grand. Naturally, the required part would be on back order, that's just sod's law...
Feel for you mate, you will get it sorted it's just pain job. Had the same fault customer on Monday and didn't take the job 😂 Sounds like could be fluid issue, wrong one under or overfilled.
I was toying with the idea of buying myself an Audi A3 2.0 Tdi with a DSG transmission.... I've suddenly gone off the idea..... lol... Hope you get it sorted.....
Put a manual gearbox and be free of all the problems. The heat can cause the board to expand, and probably is a bad solder joint. A component dat sometimes makes contact when the board is cold.
the mechatronics is in a sealed box to protect from water ingress and if the case in miss sharpened one of the seals may have failed causing a ingress of water to cause a faulty connection ore the seal has failed out of age i ant Shure and your story is a good example of why i hate cars with a over reliance on electronics.
Sounds like one of the gear change solonoid valves is faulty. When you take the front cover off they are the two larger solonoids at the top of the mechatronics, about £80 each I think.