Multitronic - When did Audi begin 'the fix'?

[teccyjim]

After initially wanting an A5, I've settled upon an A4 Avant for practicality reasons. There are plenty about, and only doing 8000 miles a year I can justify running the 2.0TFSI. I've seen a lovely dark blue, S-Line 220bhp variant.....but it's Multitronic. I'm fine with an auto as I have left shoulder surgery soon it may well be a blessing in the long run.

Multitronic became a byword for failure in the 00's but acknowledge that Audi eventually came to their senses and did something about it. Does anybody know from what date/chassis number/spec etc Audi applied the 7 plate/ecu fix to their Multitronic systems, as my local dealer didn't know and the impression I got, didn't care either.

Kind Regards,
Jim

[fourringsrus]

2005

[EssexGonzo]

An essential thing to look for is a change of gearbox fluid every 40k miles max.

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[teccyjim]

2005

Are you sure? There are numerous instances of 2006/56 plate failures being repaired - finding the 6 plate clutch in there too.

Yeah, I understand the oil changes are absolutely crucial to the longevity of the box.

Many thanks,
Jim

[slippyr4]

If the car you're interested in shows 7 "gears" when you put it in manual mode, it's definitely a 7 plate clutch. However, the reverse is not true - i.e. there are some 7 plate clutches with the 6 "gear" software.

[Guest 2]

Have you driven a multitronic OP? They're not like an ordinary auto and imo not as nice to drive as a S-Tronic or traditional tiptronic.

[teccyjim]

Some excellent buying advice right there! Thank you! Went to a 2nd Audi dealer today and likewise, didn't want to help. An independent was much better but still inconclusive. They said the B7 (B6 facelift) is where the 7 plate clutch and electronic upgrade commenced - straight from the mouth of the technician. This doesn't however explain previous instances of B7 cars having failures with 6 plate clutches. The search continues.

Though my mileage is relatively low, it's mainly dual carriageways I use so driving pleasure can take a backseat on this occasion, but I understand what you mean! Bit dull!

Jim

[slippyr4]

There are plenty of 6 plate B7's, that guy is wrong.

Buy a manual or buy one with 7 speeds shown in the DIS display.

Some people think the fix is not a fix, but merely an improvement, and it's still liable to fail (albeit less likely). I'm not sure whether that is true.

However, I decided to get a manual because of this. I don't want a gearbox repair bill.

Or you could get a quattro - they're all tiptronic (proper auto) and not susceptible.

[Dutch Paddy]

I'm loving my Multitronic :-) and mine is only the 136Bhp 2 liter. Put her in sports or tiptronic and revs increase instantly, handy for overtaking on narrow Irish roads. I've driven other auto boxes before but this one is very very smooth!

Ps. Am I right in saying that with an auto you at least don't run in to the dmf issues?

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[slippyr4]

Ps. Am I right in saying that with an auto you at least don't run in to the dmf issues?

Not sure about multitronic, but AFAIK all the 140 TDI don't have DPF, it's only on the 170's