97 A8. Seller says it is leaking. But it drives fine. Pan has “standpipe” design. U remove fill plug and add fluid thru bottom with U shaped tube. With motor running the trans is circulating about 2 qts. If u shut off motor, the 2 qts will dump out the fill port. Interesting procedure. Top off fluid with motor running. Should I add fluid to determine current level or drop pan and change filter too? Audi says it is lifetime fluid. And pricey.
I would drop the pan and change the filter. I like going from the unknown to the known when it comes to mechanical things. Besides…I don’t believe in “lifetime” transmission fluid.
An 18 year old Audi is a bad bet. Add a problem transmission on the most complex car they made at the time? I’d pass.
Edit- or are you just trying to top it off for somebody else? I’m confused.
Since you said “seller”, I assume you might buy this car. Can you determine where the transmission is leaking? I suppose it is possible that when you remove the pan and replace the pan gasket, the leak will be solved. He is the procedure:
http://www.audipages.com/Tech_Articles/auto_transmission/autotranservicing.html
Might buy it. I am doing a trans fluid change on my 01 taurus. I used a fluid transfer pump to draw out 5-6 qts. It says merc 5 on dipstick. I wiped off my hands and they were very sticky? Is merc 5 syn fluid? I assume the Audi stuff might be. Think someone might have put in a trans additive to the taurus fluid? I thought trans fluid was the slipperiest fluid on earth? Dex stuff sure is. Never felt sticky fluid before.
OK, so you’re thinking of buying. This car rates only slightly better than the 1990 Jaguar we’ve been discussing. I’d run away.
I would bet that the “sticky” fluid is because of an additive or two that was added to the Taurus transmission.
+1 on texases comment above. I’d be leery about buying this vehicle.
Hmm, so the 06 Range Rover with a bad trans is out too? Gotta get something to play with.
Buying this vehicle is akin to marrying someone with a drug and alcohol habit.
A '97 A8 with a leaky tranny?
This is a really, really, really bad gamble. Unless you’ve won the lottery since we last talked, keep looking.
An ‘06 Rangie with a bum tranny is a really, really, really bad bet too. As a matter of fact, a 2016 Rangie brand new would even be a bad bet. Range Rovers have a really, really, really poor reliability reputation and a really, really, really high cost-of-ownership. A few years ago I saw a Consumer Reports comparison of the various makes’ reliabilities, and Range Rover was literally in a class by itself… too poor to be included with any other makes.
Even with that lousy reputation, Land Rovers have the shortest shelf life on the dealer’s lot of all automobiles. I was amazed when I read that.
Land Rovers are status cars, good to lease while under warranty and then return/repeat.This is if you have to be SEEN in a LR.
The cars the OP is looking at are just trouble. They are good as a hobby, spend the whole week fixing them and then drive around the block on the weekend while you have AAA on rapid dial.
looked at a 01 S8 with bad trans too. Could not find a single used trans nationwide. Don’t even talk about a rebuild cost. That really kills the all in cost to get it running.
Good idea, the GS300 or GS350 is pretty nice, a Lexus version of the BMW 530i.
I will also add an IS, the older version with a stick.