Looking for input/advice on auto transmission failure

Caddie

Active member
Joined
May 26, 2004
Location
Houston, Tx
TDI
Jetta GL, 2003, Silver
Hello. I was hoping that anyone who has suffered the automatic transmission failure on an mk4 will chime in. Simply put, I have read about the impending catastrophic doom awaiting my 2003 Tdi for a time now and was wondering if the failure is sudden or a gradual progression.
I'm sitting around 150k miles and nothing is really that bad except for the headliner and cloth door panels. Considering the older the car and the more maintenance required, just wondering if I should get rid of the car. The car is paid for just not sure how much money to put into an older car to keep it going vs buying a new one.
Advice appreciated, thanks
 

DieselZappa

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2012
Location
Enon, Louisiana
TDI
2001 Golf
From what i've seen, it's gradual. Starts out shifting hard, then a few months later it feels like somebody rearended you when it downshifts, not long after this...some trans. buck and or can't find gears/won't go. I've seen a lot of these fixed with new valve bodies. Also, I've seen a lot of cars never have trouble. FWIW, most failures seem to be on Beetles. Jettas...not so much.
 

JB05

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Location
Il.USA
TDI
Golf,2005,anthracite blue
Check out CoolAirVW's comments; he has alot of insight on all our transmissions.
 

ELM

Veteran Member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Location
Sutter Creek CA
TDI
2002 Beetle 5 speed swap
My original trans with 115,000 just lost all forward gears one day.:mad: I put in a used one and it's on a slow death. :( I'll put in a rebuilt one when I win the lotto.:D Or when it dies all the why.
 

turbocharged798

Veteran Member
Joined
May 21, 2009
Location
Ellenville, NY
TDI
99.5 black ALH Jetta;09 Gasser Jetta
Hello. I was hoping that anyone who has suffered the automatic transmission failure on an mk4 will chime in. Simply put, I have read about the impending catastrophic doom awaiting my 2003 Tdi for a time now and was wondering if the failure is sudden or a gradual progression.
I'm sitting around 150k miles and nothing is really that bad except for the headliner and cloth door panels. Considering the older the car and the more maintenance required, just wondering if I should get rid of the car. The car is paid for just not sure how much money to put into an older car to keep it going vs buying a new one.
Advice appreciated, thanks
Its always cheaper to maintain an old car vs. buying new. You can buy a heck lot of parts with $25+ grand .

Look up manual swap. Your car is still a baby at 150K.
 

CWI_TDI

Active member
Joined
Jul 26, 2008
Location
Hollister, CA
TDI
2003 Jetta ALH 01M
My 01M started giving me signs 50k miles ago at 136k...but today is not any worse than when it started doing that. I try to stay away from any hard shifting but do run it at 80-90 once in a while just to load it up a bit.
 

vwdieseling

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2012
Location
Lima Ohio
TDI
Beetle, more bugs
CoolairVW is one of the better experts. I swapped the valvebody in mine with an overbored unit from RevMax. Mine was slipping and surging going into 4th. After I swapped with the RevMax valvebody and replaced TC harness no problems. The key is getting in time before the clutchpacks and seals are destroyed. You still have time, a valvebody swap is easy and you might get another 120,000 miles out of the tranny.
 

steadyhand

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2008
Location
Fredericksburg, VA
TDI
Golf '05 GLS TDI
Like vwdieseling, I replaced all 9 of the solenoids (similar to replacing the valve body, which houses the 9 solenoids). Mine is an '05 BEW w/auto, and at just over 200k miles, it started to 'slip' between 3rd and 4th, then a bit here and there between the other gears, then no reverse from time to time, then no reverse at all.

After changing all 9 solenoids, it runs like new - after 20,000 miles post solenoid change, the auto trnas still runs like new. Evidently, the solenoids in the valve body have a lifespan and can wreck havoc when they go bad.
 
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