I inherited a 2001 Audi A6 with 148,000 miles. I was told it needed “transmission work” and had a small oil leak. I don’t know–it drives fine except when it’s cold, then it runs a bit rough until it warms up. I’ve not driven her above 40 mph, so don’t know if transmission is needed or not. What should it cost to repair, and is it worth putting money into?
Is the automatic transmission shifting fine at all times?
Or is it slipping when cold, and then it shifts okay after it warms up?
Why have you never driven the car above 40mph?
Because you’ve only driven on city streets?
Or because the car actually can’t operate above 40mph?
The automatic transmission is slipping, but not consistently. When the car is cold, the engine seems to miss and want to die, but that only last a couple of minutes and then the shuddering stops and it runs smoothly… I’ve never driven it above 40 mph because I’ve only had it a couple of weeks and have only driven it on city streets. I believe it operates above 40 mph, but unsure of that. Once I drove it about 45 and it seemed to want to not shift automatically, so I slowed down.
Has the automatic transmission EVER been serviced . . . filter and fluid replaced?
I suspect it’s either been quite awhile, or it’s never been done
Drive the car for a few miles to get the fluids up to operating temperature and leave it idling
If the automatic transmission has a dipstick, remove it and look at the fluid. What’s the color?
Bright red?
Black and crispy?
If it’s dark and smells burnt, there is a chance that servicing the fluid and filter will improve the situation, but I wouldn’t necessarily count on it.
Based on the mileage, and the fact that I suspect the transmission has not been serviced appropriately, I wouldn’t be surprised if an overhaul is in your future
Unless the car is in otherwise immaculate condition, an overhaul wouldn’t make financial sense
Thank you. I suspect that the transmission has never been serviced, too. The car has not been taken care of in the past and is hardly in immaculate condition.
Since you inherited it, that implies family member . . . any access to service records?
It would be money well spent to pay a reputable independent shop to check out the vehicle, to make sure the car is even structurally sound, and if it’s worth sinking any money into
This inspection should include a thorough test drive on surface streets and highway, retrieval of any fault codes, plus putting the car on a hoist and performing an extensive visual inspection
The family member doesn’t have any service records at all…I wish I could say that person was very responsible and careful, but just the opposite. I will have it thoroughly checked out. Again, thank you.