Can anyone point me in the right direction please.

I have a 1.6 Octavia Estate W reg (2000) Automatic which will not change gear properly. First and second are ok but the rest on a hill or under a load are terrible. It holds onto each gear like a dog onto a bone, so that at 40 the engine is revving like mad. The only solution had been to disconnect the battery for an hour or more, this would solve the problem for 6 months or so but now it has got so bad that disconnecting only fixes it for a day or so.

Can anyone suggest anything

Think you probably need a fault code scan. Sounds like a dodgy sensor sending the gearbox controller into a spin.

It might be that the box is in a kind of limp mode as I think they won't use all the gears when in this mode which could suggest why it's refusing to change up and that a disconnect of battery obviously resets it.

There is a list of all the members on here with diagnostic equipment willing to help and where they are located. Worth a look for anyone nearby that might give it a scan for you.

Phil