A6 3.0tdi manual gearbox / quattro issues

[aw911]

Has anyone on here ever had any issues with the Torsen system failing in their gearbox?

It's the 0A3 6-speed manual gearbox fitted to these cars and the Torsen system is integrated into the gearbox from everything I've been able to find out. There is also a rear differential box.

I only ask as I had a strange issue the other day when I put my foot down going uphill....it almost felt like the quattro system was kicking in....the revs climbed with no additional power and it felt like the power was being shifted to other wheels. Conditions were dry and the car was going in a straight line...so no reason for it to sense individual wheels spinning up.

Normally I'd suspect a clutch issue but the clutch and dmf were renewed 20k miles ago....so that seems unlikely....although I'm not ruling it out.

I am going to try and investigate further but just wondered if anyone has experienced anything like this. The car has covered 235,000 miles.

Many thanks

[Crasher]

That does not sound like a Torsen issue, they do wear and clunk but for the revs to climb would mean a wheel would be spinning and two Torsens failed which just isn't going to happen so ir must be clutch slip.

[aw911]

Thanks for the quick reply.

Clutch, DMF and slave cylinder were all renewed 32000 miles ago.

Previous clutch had covered 60000 miles.

What's the normal lifespan of a clutch on one of these?

[Crasher]

At least 100K in my experience.... or more! Could you message me your reg number?

[Crasher]

Have you any signs of an oil leak towards the back of the engine, they can be leak in three common areas which can let oil get on the clutch. One problem I have comes across with these self adjusting clutches is the the mechanism can slip during transit and need resetting but most mechanics don't notice this and install partly adjusted so the service life is seriously reduced.

[aw911]

I normally do all the work on the car myself - but I seem to recall when they changed the clutch and the DMF that there was some small oil leakage at the rear of the engine. I knew that they had a self-adjiusting clutch but as I wasn't involved in the fitment I can't comment on that unfortunately.

Do you know where the common leak points are and what normally needs to be done to rectify this - so if I do need to replace the clutch I can get this sorted at the same time. I'm assuming it is a seal that has potentially degraded over time with heat cycling etc....

Ironically I'm not having any issues at the moment - but that could be because I haven't been using it as much and have been driving it more gingerly....?

Many thanks

[Crasher]

There are two possible oil leaks in the V and the crank oil seal itself is a known issue but it is evil to deal with so tends to get ignored in the heat of the moment getting the car back to the owner, it is a brave chap who will raise a red flag and stop the job to deal with a fault rather than ignoring it, getting the job done, paid for, and then heading off down the local watering hole. Six months later he can turn around and with his hand on his heart say it was fine when I looked he looked at it. To say otherwise on the day brings grief from the owner and looks of desperation from your boss who needs the money in the bank to pay your wages, you are screwed if you tell the truth and screwed later if you don’t, old high end once expensive cars are a fail fail situation...