Resolved 92 TSi AWD Automatic Transmission Question

[eviladam420]

This might be a dumb question, but is my automatic transmission supposed to shift gears? I read in the manual that it is an automatic transaxle. Mine does not shift at all, it is in one continuous gear. Seems like 2nd because when I pull out, it sounds like riding the clutch in a M/T car and it doesn't go like it did when I got it. Please help, I'm very new to the DSM's. Thanks.

 

[Froyd79]

Yes it is supposed to shift gears. Your car is in Limp mode and can be for one of many reasons.

I would check to make sure the TCU is plugged in (not the ECU but located close to it, I haven't been in one in awhile but I think it lays flat more towards the firewall from the standing perpendicular ECU). If its plugged in I would pull it out and see if it also had leaking capacitors, like the common problem of ECU, because the same caps were used in making these also. A foul odor is a good indicator. If that checks out good then verify power to the TCU (sorry cant recall again which ports but there were a few that needed power).

Was there any transmission work done recently? There is a plug that is commonly swapped that makes this happen.

Usually you can pull the cables off the battery for awhile to reset everything. When battery cables are reconnected and trans shifts for a moment but goes back into limp mode then likely there is a bad part (like a pulse generator) more so than an electrical problem. In that event your best bet would be to go to a transmission shop that can pull the codes from the trans and replace the parts accordingly.