Q5 Stronic Gearbox

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Innes

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Hi.

Would like to know if anybody experienced a similar problem with the S tronic gearbox fitted to a 2017 Q5 TDI. Car has covered 60K and has full service.
When slowing down and almost stopping to turn off the main onto a a side road, and the gearbox is in 2nd, when the accelerator is gently pushed, the car will give a severe jolt causing the occupants to dive forwards towards the seat belts. Feels like the gearbox hasn't got a clue what it is doing for a second or so before returning to normal and everything is fine again. Doesn't do it all the time and after a while, you think the problem has gone, then it does it again. There are no malfunction lights on the dash and the OBD 11 gives a clean bill of health.
Was told to try switching off the stop/start and see if that made any difference but still the same.
Any ideas friends??
 
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Mech and/or clutches on their way out. Newer stuff is junk, definitely not built the same.
 
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Innes said:
Hi.

Would like to know if anybody experienced a similar problem with the S tronic gearbox fitted to a 2017 Q5 TDI. Car has covered 60K and has full service.
When slowing down and almost stopping to turn off the main onto a a side road, and the gearbox is in 2nd, when the accelerator is gently pushed, the car will give a severe jolt causing the occupants to dive forwards towards the seat belts. Feels like the gearbox hasn't got a clue what it is doing for a second or so before returning to normal and everything is fine again. Doesn't do it all the time and after a while, you think the problem has gone, then it does it again. There are no malfunction lights on the dash and the OBD 11 gives a clean bill of health.
Was told to try switching off the stop/start and see if that made any difference but still the same.
Any ideas friends??
Click to expand...
When you say the car has a full service record., does that specifically include evidence that the transmission fluid has been changed? That is a saeparate requirement of the service schedule, and if my memory servies me correectly, it needs be done at maximum 38,000 mile intervals.
 
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jdp1962 said:
When you say the car has a full service record., does that specifically include evidence that the transmission fluid has been changed? That is a saeparate requirement of the service schedule, and if my memory servies me correectly, it needs be done at maximum 38,000 mile intervals.
Click to expand...
Hello and thanks for response. Yes, gearbox had full service at 41k
 
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Innes said:
Hi.

Would like to know if anybody experienced a similar problem with the S tronic gearbox fitted to a 2017 Q5 TDI. Car has covered 60K and has full service.
When slowing down and almost stopping to turn off the main onto a a side road, and the gearbox is in 2nd, when the accelerator is gently pushed, the car will give a severe jolt causing the occupants to dive forwards towards the seat belts. Feels like the gearbox hasn't got a clue what it is doing for a second or so before returning to normal and everything is fine again. Doesn't do it all the time and after a while, you think the problem has gone, then it does it again. There are no malfunction lights on the dash and the OBD 11 gives a clean bill of health.
Was told to try switching off the stop/start and see if that made any difference but still the same.
Any ideas friends??
Click to expand...
Does it make a banging noise when it does the jolt?

My dad had similar symptoms in a mk6 Golf with the DSG box, but that was a dry clutch system. I'd assume yours is a wet clutch system as you've had the gearbox oil changed.

In his case, it was the Mechatronic unit that failed, it got replaced under warranty then it started again about a year later so we got rid.
 
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alps26 said:
Does it make a banging noise when it does the jolt?

My dad had similar symptoms in a mk6 Golf with the DSG box, but that was a dry clutch system. I'd assume yours is a wet clutch system as you've had the gearbox oil changed.

In his case, it was the Mechatronic unit that failed, it got replaced under warranty then it started again about a year later so we got rid.
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Hi.
No. No horrible noises at all. Car will behave for a while and just when you forget about the problem, you get the jolt which lasts for a second and then everything is normal again. I think the car seems to be selecting 2 gears at the same time giving the severe jolt.
 
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jdp1962 said:
When you say the car has a full service record., does that specifically include evidence that the transmission fluid has been changed? That is a saeparate requirement of the service schedule, and if my memory servies me correectly, it needs be done at maximum 38,000 mile intervals.
Click to expand...
yes if it's not been serviced twice this could be simply a dirty filter and new oil needed... but if it's the clutches that need replacing, it's going to be expensive... the part itself costs about 500 pounds... that is the cheapest at the moment (and isn't even a decent brand) a good branded pattern one will be around 1000 and the oem one will see closer to 1500...

hence the reason why if it's the clutch acting up people tend to exchange the car... if it's young enough. But when they are the first models they either sell them off as spares or repairs, or DIY the job.. not the easy but it can be done, note the clutch isn't the only cost you'll have if you DIY you'll need to buy the oil and the filter too, plus a pump to fill the gearbox oil in from the bottom. and the oil is expensive, cheapest DSG oil cost 225 pounds... so do the math and see if it's worth at DIY or repair. ( i've seen young cars sold for this exact reason, to expensive to repair in the owners eyes)
 
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northpole said:
yes if it's not been serviced twice this could be simply a dirty filter and new oil needed... but if it's the clutches that need replacing, it's going to be expensive... the part itself costs about 500 pounds... that is the cheapest at the moment (and isn't even a decent brand) a good branded pattern one will be around 1000 and the oem one will see closer to 1500...

hence the reason why if it's the clutch acting up people tend to exchange the car... if it's young enough. But when they are the first models they either sell them off as spares or repairs, or DIY the job.. not the easy but it can be done, note the clutch isn't the only cost you'll have if you DIY you'll need to buy the oil and the filter too, plus a pump to fill the gearbox oil in from the bottom. and the oil is expensive, cheapest DSG oil cost 225 pounds... so do the math and see if it's worth at DIY or repair. ( i've seen young cars sold for this exact reason, to expensive to repair in the owners eyes)
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Hello.

Just an update to my problem with Stronic Gearbox. So far, the best quote I have to remove, overhaul and replace the box is around £2500. Will get a 1 year warranty on the repair. This is to replace the clutches, service exchange the mechatronics, new oil, filters, programming etc. The car will need to go to central England so there will be transport or fuel costs. In the meantime, I took advice from others and booked the car in to have the gearbox oil and filters changed again. The garage kept the oil and filters to show me. Firstly, he found the correct amount of oil in the box. However, both the oil and filters were black in colour. However, there was no sludge or metal particles in the sump pan. Also, there was no burnt oil smell from the oil. He said it was probably one of the blackest oils he has found and has done many of these gearbox oil changes. He is questioning the fact that this oil has never been changed before despite assurances that it has been done previously. We have the car back now for about three weeks and has not done the jolt again. However, we are not convinced and waiting for it to happen again. If it doesn't, we will change the oil and filters again in about 6 months time to remove any further contamination. Its not nice driving the car waiting for it to happen again!!

Cheers

Logan
 
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If the oil was black and the filter too they skipped more than 1 or 2 gearbox oil changes... so you did the right thing to change oil and filter first...

And if it has been fine for 2 days... the problem is sorted. No need to replace the oil or filter in 6 months time. The oil will last another 40k. I suggest you change at around 30k


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northpole said:
If the oil was black and the filter too they skipped more than 1 or 2 gearbox oil changes... so you did the right thing to change oil and filter first...

And if it has been fine for 2 days... the problem is sorted. No need to replace the oil or filter in 6 months time. The oil will last another 40k. I suggest you change at around 30k


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Good Morning

Many thanks for taking the time to respond. I sure hope you are correct and the problem is solved. The reason I thought it would be a good idea to change the oil again after 6months is the garage I use does not have the facility to flush the gearbox so there might be contamination within the box. Another change would hopefully continue to remove any residue and reduce further problems in the future.
In another google thread, I was told the black contamination would most likely be the clutches failing and would continue to give problems. Hope this is not the case. The car has covered around 600miles without jolting and gear changes are far better than before.
Something else I would like to ask of fellow members. This 2017, Q5 is one of the last of the MK1 models but has the new horizontal grill etc. The last one was a 2016 and was also a 2.0ltr TDI Sline quattro. My wife has noticed that the 2017 engine is much noisier when inside the cabin. Sounds the same outside. I have to agree that when setting of from a junction, the engine sound is not so refined as the old car. The air cleaner assembly looks the same as far as I can remember and it looks like all the sound deadening is in place. Just wondered if anybody else has noticed this and if Audi has changed anything just before the MK2 came out.

Cheers

Logan
 
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Hello.
Just a short update on my Gearbox erratic gearchange. The problem returned again so we bit the bullet and had the clutch packs replaced. Also had the mechatronic board serviced including new wiring loom etc. Engineer also noticed that the duel mass flywheel was starting to leak so had that replaced also.
Cost a small fortune but problem seems to have been resolved. To be honest, we no longer had any faith in the car and just lost the love of driving it. So its gone and hopefully the new owner has no further problems what's so ever. As others have previously stated, the newer Audi's are not the same build quality as the old ones. And as for Audi, they were not really interested and said I needed a new gearbox, with 60K on the clock!!
 
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Innes said:
Hello.
Just a short update on my Gearbox erratic gearchange. The problem returned again so we bit the bullet and had the clutch packs replaced. Also had the mechatronic board serviced including new wiring loom etc. Engineer also noticed that the duel mass flywheel was starting to leak so had that replaced also.
Cost a small fortune but problem seems to have been resolved. To be honest, we no longer had any faith in the car and just lost the love of driving it. So its gone and hopefully the new owner has no further problems what's so ever. As others have previously stated, the newer Audi's are not the same build quality as the old ones. And as for Audi, they were not really interested and said I needed a new gearbox, with 60K on the clock!!
Click to expand...
Did you get the repairs done at your local dealer or use a specialist? I've heard good reports about Milta Technology, near Bristol, but haven't contacted them yet about our A6 gearbox because it still seems to be ok providing we don't tow with the car.

​

 
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We used a specialist in Glasgow who were recommended by an Audi dealer. Audi just wanted to supply and fit a new gearbox. They told me that if they carried out repairs and this did not fix the problem, I would still have to pay for the parts and labour and then pay for a new box to be supplied and fitted!! To be fair, the transmission specialist told me much the same thing. If the new clutch and Mechatronics kit did not cure the problem, they would have to remove the box again and look deeper into the gearbox itself. All costing time and money and at the end of the day, might still require a new box. Sounds like a lot of guess work and no guarantees! So the car seemed to be driving fine but after reading so many horror stories about these S tronic gearboxes, every time we used the car, we were waiting for it to go wrong again. Just lost the love for it. Expensive to buy a low mileage model and hellish expensive if something goes wrong. In saying that, we have owned many Audi's and this was our 4th with the DSG box and never gave this type of problems. So what is happening with your gearbox when towing? We sold a previous Q5 to a family friend who always said he would buy the car when it was time for a change. Last time I saw the car, it had a tow bar fitted!! OMG, hope it doesn't give trouble!
 
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You probably ended up with a Monday morning s-tronic gearbox... you know one of them that wasn't assembled right... because as you clearly stated it was your 4th s-tronic car and this was the first to give you problems... I have had much of the same experience dealing with the lot of automatic gearboxes ( all of them) and to be fair once they've been sorted out they way your specialist has dealt with it they are solid after that and will work as they should. You had a combination of things...biggest problem being missed software updates to the mechatronic unit, which inturn get's the oil to hot, this effects both the clutches and the soldering inside the mechatronic unit, clutches start to detriorate faster because of the heat, the mechatronic unit mainboard loses it's connections(the soldered parts just let go), the filter gets clogged because of the burning of the clutch plates and the box starts slipping through the gears... even worse when you put your footdown to use the torque from the engine, or when towing a heavy trailer. I do think it was sorted out properly and i have read a few horror stories buy when they have been sorted out like how your specialist has done it, rest assured the problems will be gone forever that is if the gearbox oil and filter changes are religously done in time.
But it makes you wonder if it's not just better to drive manual doesn it? I mean the extra costs these automatic gearboxes need aren't nice and considerably ruin the fun of having one when anything gearbox related acts up.
 
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Hello mate.

Really enjoyed reading your thread. I hope you are correct and the new owner has no more problems with the gearbox. I actually had paperwork with the car showing updates were carried out on the vehicle before I became the owner. We had the car for over a year but only covered around 4K miles before the problems started and the 6 months warranty had expired. You are absolutely correct in saying that VW and Audi produce thousands of these vehicles with DSG gearboxes and to be fair, probably only a small % of them give problems. Why me?? There are lots of horror stories regarding the DSG box but you never read about fault free motoring as nobody would read that! Unfortunately, I am stuck with automatic transmissions as my wife only has an auto driving licence. My son has an Audi A7 and I have an Audi Allroad with the same gearbox. I am not going to say any more and tempt fate!!! When all is well, they are a beautiful drive but probably wise to have some sort of warranty running for piece of mind. In saying that, that average warranty will pay up to 3 or 5 grand per repair and a gearbox starts at around 9 grand plus everything else!
Thanks for response and sounds like you have some in depth knowledge of these gearboxes.
 
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I'm glad not all of your DSG experiences are as bad as the former car. When the boxes work as they should they add to the driving experience and you wonder why you ever drove a manual car.

All I can say is: keep up the oil and filter chances on the gearboxes and they should be problem free.
 
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Innes said:
We used a specialist in Glasgow who were recommended by an Audi dealer. Audi just wanted to supply and fit a new gearbox. They told me that if they carried out repairs and this did not fix the problem, I would still have to pay for the parts and labour and then pay for a new box to be supplied and fitted!! To be fair, the transmission specialist told me much the same thing. If the new clutch and Mechatronics kit did not cure the problem, they would have to remove the box again and look deeper into the gearbox itself. All costing time and money and at the end of the day, might still require a new box. Sounds like a lot of guess work and no guarantees! So the car seemed to be driving fine but after reading so many horror stories about these S tronic gearboxes, every time we used the car, we were waiting for it to go wrong again. Just lost the love for it. Expensive to buy a low mileage model and hellish expensive if something goes wrong. In saying that, we have owned many Audi's and this was our 4th with the DSG box and never gave this type of problems. So what is happening with your gearbox when towing? We sold a previous Q5 to a family friend who always said he would buy the car when it was time for a change. Last time I saw the car, it had a tow bar fitted!! OMG, hope it doesn't give trouble!
Click to expand...
It doesn't like reversing with the trailer attached. It usually jumps out of gear.
It also goes into limp mode if you move the gear lever into neutral and then back into drive at traffic lights, say and the revs would rise a little when changing gear, though that didn't happen when I drove it yesterday. It's done 121K miles now in our ownership and we've had it since new.

The cost to replace the car is more significant than the cost of the repair and the wife likes it too much, so looks like I will have to bite the bullet and take it to Bristol armed with my credit card.
 
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JohnNW said:
It doesn't like reversing with the trailer attached. It usually jumps out of gear.
It also goes into limp mode if you move the gear lever into neutral and then back into drive at traffic lights, say and the revs would rise a little when changing gear, though that didn't happen when I drove it yesterday. It's done 121K miles now in our ownership and we've had it since new.

The cost to replace the car is more significant than the cost of the repair and the wife likes it too much, so looks like I will have to bite the bullet and take it to Bristol armed with my credit card.
Click to expand...
Have you tried the oil and filter change? if you haven't it's the first thing i would do but if you are sure the oil and filter changes have been kept up than it would be advisable to have it checked over properly
 
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All oil changes completed on time. I'm hoping that with towing duties transferred to my Q5, that we can eke out a little more time before the big bill becomes due.
 
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well I'd say don't let it get any worse than it already is... with these boxes once you notice something is wrong it's best to get it sorted out immediately to keep costs down to an absolute minimum... but it could well be the just the mechatronics (TCM) acting up. Best to have it checked by a specialist asap.
 
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Hi
I have an Audi Q7 mark 2 3.0 TDI.
And as of Friday I can’t get reverse gear , I can select drive and park but not reverse.
Any ideas?
Much appreciated
Thanks


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Ether your gearselector is acting up, a valve inside the gearbox is sticking or the mechatronic unit is acting up. In all cases have the faultcode read because just doing an oil change is a waste of money if the gearbox needs to be opened to check the valves or the mechatronic unit.
 
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Innes said:
Hi.

Would like to know if anybody experienced a similar problem with the S tronic gearbox fitted to a 2017 Q5 TDI. Car has covered 60K and has full service.
When slowing down and almost stopping to turn off the main onto a a side road, and the gearbox is in 2nd, when the accelerator is gently pushed, the car will give a severe jolt causing the occupants to dive forwards towards the seat belts. Feels like the gearbox hasn't got a clue what it is doing for a second or so before returning to normal and everything is fine again. Doesn't do it all the time and after a while, you think the problem has gone, then it does it again. There are no malfunction lights on the dash and the OBD 11 gives a clean bill of health.
Was told to try switching off the stop/start and see if that made any difference but still the same.
Any ideas friends??
Click to expand...
@Innes How much did it all cost in the end?
 
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