[WhatUpTKHere]

Hi all, long time reader, first time poster.

I have been gifted a 1997 Cabrio auto with the AGG motor, and it’s in sorry shape.

The biggest problem is the transmission. It will move forward in D, tho is stuck in first gear from what I am told. Shifting into R, the car doesn’t move, the engine merely revs and there is no reverse motion. The car can be rolled around in neutral, but I note there is a whining/rotational noise from the gearbox when pushing it backwards in neutral.

The box has been driven for months making hard shifts, the owner only stopped driving the car when it got stuck in first.

I wanna believe it can be fixed with fluid and a filter, but that noise in neutral has me worried.

What’s my course of action here? Dropping the pan today to investigate. Any help much appreciated.

 

[Ichabod0525]

TCM reporting errors? TCM commanding gear change? Solenoid resistance? There's a lot you can check before you get on the ground and all dirty. I've not heard of transmission repairs being successful with a fluid and filter change but maybe it is possible. Find someone with a compatible scan tool or VCDS to help, you'll save a lot of trial and error by testing. I think this should be a 4 speed, 01M transmission. The noise you hear may well be the differential gears.

 

[WhatUpTKHere]

Got a cheap VAGCOM reader on the way so hoping I can do a diagnosis when that arrives in a few days.

From what I've read, most no-reverse problems are terminal and really not fixable without a full rebuild. I'm hoping it's just a solenoid that's stuck or something but I'm not even sure that's a possible cause of no reverse?

 

[WhatUpTKHere]

Got a diag cable on the way so hopefully can investigate soon.

However, after reading a LOT of manuals and forum posts, I've learned that reverse activation is done by engaging B1 brake and K2 clutch - which aren't activated by solenoids, but instead by the selector positioning.

So, if reverse is gone, that's because B1 or K2 are screwed, or there's not enough reverse pressure. There's a small chance I can fix this by removing the valve body and changing an O-ring, but if it's not that Oring causing the problem, then the transmission is junk due to major internal damage.