2002 Jetta 01M stuck in 3H

[Shenandoah]

Folks,

This is my daughter's 2002 Jetta with the 2.0l (gas) engine, 01M automatic, 197,000 miles. She came home from college the other day and said the car wouldn't shift in to the top gear and that the engine was running high rpms on the highway. I took it for a drive and sure enough, it was stuck in 3rd gear. Driving 60 mph the engine was turning 4200 rpm where it normally would be around 2700 rpm.

Scanned with VCDS: no engine codes; Transmission showed 00258, 00260, 00262, 00264, 00266, 00270 (solenoids 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7). I saved the codes, then cleared them. Started the car and no codes came back. I also did a Transmission reset: [Select] [02 – Auto Trans] [Basic Settings – 04] Set Group to “000” [Go!] Press accelerator pedal all the way to the floor and count out loud 3 seconds. [Done, Go Back] Release the accelerator pedal.

Drove the car around yesterday for 40 miles or so and everything seems to be working fine. I've got a filter/gasket/fluid coming from IDParts today and will change the filter and fluid. Also going to spray some contact cleaner on the round wiring harness connections.

Any ideas on anything else to check? Thanks.

Eric

 

[Tdijarhead]

Sounds like you’ve done the best you can. You might try Kansas City tdi website for an overview of the 01m. There are solenoids and a valve body that go bad that can be changed if the problem continues.

O1M FAQ | Kansas City TDI

 

[oilhammer]

Check the little round connector on top of the transmission, sort of under and back from the coolant flange on the head. When you have DTCs for multiple solenoids, I think a bad common ground, and that all goes through that connector. It could be corroded up, or the actual transmission harness (that goes from that plug, down across the top of the trans case under the cooler, down past the starter, into the case, and becomes a ribbon cable inside the trans that attaches to all the solenoids in the valve body). It is somewhat tedious to replace that harness, but not awful, and a whole heck of a lot cheaper and easier than a whole transmission.

 

[Shenandoah]

Oilhammer,

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm also going to wire brush/clean the ground on the transmission bolt and the one(s) under the batter tray. I've got the car for the week, so I'll drive it around and see if the problem comes back. If it it does, then I'll probably look in to replacing the solenoid wiring harness. Can that be done with the valvebody still attached to the transmission? Or do I need to remove the valvebody? Thanks.

Eric

 

[Shenandoah]

Tdijarhead,

Yes, KansascityTDI/coolairVW is excellent! Thanks.

Eric

 

[oilhammer]

The harness does not require valve body removal.

The abridged directions:

Remove the bracket on top of the trans where the plug sits (the one speed sensor has a plug there, too). Fish as much of the old harness loose as possible, it has a couple metal stays but you may not get the new one routed EXACTLY as the old one is, to do it perfectly you'd want to remove the ATF cooler and starter, which is not hard if you want to.

Remove the "bash guard" at the front of the transmission, drain the fluid and drop the pan.

From the front, underside, you'll see the bolt holding the pass-through portion of the harness, remove that bolt, and pull the upper part of the harness down through the hole. Then CAREFULLY unplug each solenoid and remove the ribbon portion of the harness.

You'll see, pretty self explanatory.

Lube the new o-ring on the pass-through when you install it going back together, and make certain that area stays CLEAN.

 

[Shenandoah]

Oilhammer,

Excellent! Thanks for the info. We'll see what happens this week after a fluid/filter change, cleaning the main transmission electrical connector and the grounds. Thanks.

Eric

 

[Shenandoah]

Folks,

Just an update: Changed the filter and the fluids (about 2.5 quarts); cleaned the round plug connector with contact cleaner. Drove the car 50 miles or so without any issues. Manually shifted it this morning and it got "stuck" in 3H with "intermittent" solenoid codes. Turned it off, then restarted it and it shifted fine. Drove another 70+ miles without any issues even with manually shifting it.

I might drain the transmission again and fill it back up to further dilute the "older" transmission fluid. This is my daughter's car and she's moving to St. Louis next month, so I want to make sure there aren't any problems (I'm in Viriginia).

Oilhammer: If she does have problems, I'm going to have her bring the car in to you since your in that area.

Eric

 

[jtinch]

Ever find the issue I have same problem on 98 beetle. Originaly had selinod 7 issuie Changed valve body and harness. Now it 5 intermittent.

 

[Shenandoah]

jtinch,

I replaced the solenoids in the o1m along with the ribbon cable (I found that it was worn through on one of the tabs that hold it next to the transmission). The car ran fine, but then just quit running when I was going to the store. I had it towed back to the house but couldn't scan the ECU with my VCDS cable. I swapped the ECU with a different one and could scan it fine with VCDS. I'm guess the ECU was fried? I bought the same ECU on ebay and had the immobilizer deleted. The car drove fine for 100 miles or so, then it wouldn't start again. Couldn't scan it with VCDS. Same problem as before: ECU couldn't be scanned.

I'm guessing the wiring is bad somewhere and shorts the ECU? Currently the car is added to my "parts car" collection.

Eric