Reverse gear problem on 2005 superb 1.9tdi auto

[superbtom]

Hi

I have a 2005 superb tdi auto which i use as a cab

The gearbox has just started juddering in reverse gear

and if trying to reverse up a slight incline, the car wont move at

all, the car just revs while reverse is engaged

All forward gears are 100 % ok

mileage is 63,000

Im going to see a transmission specialist asap

but was wondering if anyone else has had this problem

and might know the cause

Thanks

[rotodiesel]

I'm afraid the auto boxes in these cars are very unreliable. An Independent transmission specialist is by far the best bet - he will have seen loads of these.

Get his recommendations for fluid change intervals whilst you're at it. "Sealed for Life" - well done, VAG.

rotodiesel.

[superbtom]

Thanks for the reply

Spoke to a transmission specialist today

who will look at the car tommorrow

He said that as all forward gears are ok, it

could be just low oil level, which without a dipstick ?

i have know way of checking

Im hoping its just that and i can get him to replace the oil

while hes there

[johannapam1]

Thanks for the reply

Spoke to a transmission specialist today

who will look at the car tommorrow

He said that as all forward gears are ok, it

could be just low oil level, which without a dipstick ?

i have know way of checking

Im hoping its just that and i can get him to replace the oil

while hes there

Please post how you get on

Thanx

[Christy09]

My wife drives a '99 Passat 1.9 TDi auto and has the same problem with hers. I drained the transmission fluid, changed the filter (which was clogged solid) but to no avail. It;s been like that for about 9 months now, she has learned to park the car in such a way as not to have to reverse up any hills!!!! I have to agree with Rotodiesel about the "sealed for life" claim- having seen the state of the ttansmission fluid filter, I will always change the ATF fluid every 50K or so on my own cars from now on. Let us know what the problem was.

[johannapam1]

Where exactly IS the filter in the Auto box.

[rotodiesel]

Screwed to the bottom of the valve block, accessible when you take the gearbox sump off. With an assembly of wet multiplate clutches, the lining material has to go somewhere when it is worn off...

rotodiesel.

Edited 8 September, 2009 by rotodiesel

[Supurbia]

I'm afraid the auto boxes in these cars are very unreliable. An Independent transmission specialist is by far the best bet - he will have seen loads of these.

Get his recommendations for fluid change intervals whilst you're at it. "Sealed for Life" - well done, VAG.

rotodiesel.

Total b***cks

Mines nearly on 100k, you can change the oil and filter if you wish to, it sounds like your torque converter is shot, but I'd bet on a sensor myself.

The VW box is no more unreliable than any other car autobox, they dont have a long life, expect 90k and anything over is a bonus, and it's darn sight more economical than most.

Roto, please don't keep on being so negative, you do have knowledge, but you make the Superb sound like a PSU product, which as you will be aware it isn't.

Edited 9 September, 2009 by RobClubley
The swear filter is there for a reason

[rotodiesel]

Hmm. The B5.5 has a galvanised body and the 4 cyl 1.9 diesel engines are good for at least 200k miles. There are plenty of taxis with 5 speed manual boxes running well in excess of this mileage.

An auto gearbox failure at under 100k miles sounds like a weakness to me - but check with a rebuilder and see what he thinks of them. The greater torque of the V6 kills them even sooner.

The auto gearbox is not up to the job and the lack of specified fluid and filter changes makes a bad job worse. There's no magic - where does all the lining material shed from the multi-plate clutches end up?

The dry clutch DSG is VAG's (clever) solution to the problem - we'll see how reliable it is...

rotodiesel.

[Supurbia]

I have to say most cars I've come across other than a DSG don't have an interval listed, just a warning to change it if you tow,taxi or teach with it, the DSG is 40k btw for anyone wondering.

My Vx Cavalier 2 auto needed a new box just after I bought it at 60k, and the factory recon they fitted lasted another 60k, the 2,5 Omega unit did about 115k before it started to slip, and ime these box rebuilds you have done are expensive and tend to last a max of 20k, my mates Superb went at 92k, he then had a rebuild and that lasted 3 weeks and then it was done again and he sold the car on, my rule of thumb is once the original box goes wrong if you can't afford a proper built new one get shot of the car, so many rebuilds I've seen lasted a very short time, I have no idea why because I was led to believe a recon box is almost all new parts bar the casing, perhaps it's something to do with the conditions it's built in, i.e mechanics workshop vs clean factory enviroment.

[superbtom]

Just an update

My local skoda independant plugged his laptop in and read the fault codes

Apparently the voltage to the reverse gear pump is fluctuating wildly

causing the pump to shut down losing drive and then start up again

He said the next step was a auto electrician to see if there is a

fault in the wiring between the gearbox " brain " and the gearbox itself

Thats booked in for monday

Im using the car as normal now, just have to think ahead a little

re reversing !

Im hoping he finds a wiring fault, otherwise it looks like a fault in

the brain itself which means ££££ im told

Couldnt help wondering if the water ingress problem on these cars

which i havent experienced yet, might be the cause

ie : water getting into the " brain "

Maybe im way off track

Fingers crossed for monday

Will let you know what happens

[superbtom]

Forgot to mention

The gearbox oil level was ok, but the oil was described as

" a little burnt " so i will be changing that also

the transmission specialist recommended changing it

every 35,000 miles

[Supurbia]

Forgot to mention

The gearbox oil level was ok, but the oil was described as

" a little burnt " so i will be changing that also

the transmission specialist recommended changing it

every 35,000 miles

That could still be the problem, if it's gunked the filter and the flow ain't right it throws everything out, have they checked the selector out yet for you.

[zar786]

Hi Superbtom,

Did you manage to sort your problem out?

I have had the same problem now

Please help

Thanks

[jimbof]

I am not the OP, but I had this slipping in reverse issue.

At 95K miles I noticed once it struggling to reverse up a hill.

I had a fluid and filter change done by a VAG specialist, with all correct fluid / filters.  Cost a little over £200.

Within a couple of hundred miles reverse was much, much worse.  Slipping badly, and when it wasn't slipping the car would be "hopping" up and down in reverse.  

Had the fluid level checked and re-checked - all OK.  

So took it to an auto box specialist, had a full recon of the box and torque converter done.  Cost a little over £1500.  Has been fine since.

 

These boxes are notorious for losing reverse gear.  The gearbox is a ZF 5HP19, as used in many BMW, Porsche and VAG cars.  There is a large drum clutch for reverse made out of aluminium - the edges of this snap off which then leaves the clutch pack which sits inside it loose I believe, meaning reverse becomes pretty much ineffective.

 

If you were the kind of person who takes gearboxes etc apart the parts aren't hugely expensive.  I am not so had the work done.  If you google 5HP19 reverse you will find lots of people reporting this issue.

 

So, you could get a fluid and filter done, but to be honest I'd take it to a specialist first, who'll tell you if you are wasting your time and money.  In my case the fluid and filter change was a waste of £200.

[rotodiesel]

The above is a very good summary of the usual fate of these transmissions. A proper rebuild at the very onset of problems with reverse gear will minimise the damage caused by pieces of clutch drum ending up in the wrong places.

 

Needless to say, the comments made in post #8 do not fit the facts.

 

rotodiesel.