BiTdi and occasional jerky low gear changes

[ukgroucho]

Lots of folks with BiTdi's have reported the occasional jerky gear change when you are approaching a roundabout or turn in and you 'suddenly' decide you need more power. It's like the gearbox was not expecting it and the subsequent downshift can have a bit of a "bang" - almost like the throttle management is adrift.

Someone suggested that a gearbox software upgrade was in the pipeline so when my car was in for service today I asked about it. Whilst the dealer generally decried any knowledge of the issue they did follow up with Audi and found that there is indeed a software upgrade for the BiTdi gearbox (and it has now been fitted to my car). Early days yet but I did try to provoke the behaviour on my short runaround on the way home (maybe 10 or 15 miles total) and did not see a jerky change... but also felt the gearbox was responding slightly differently at low revs (maybe my imagination as I was doing some funky bursty throttle actions).

Anyhow, if anyone else is still seeing that annoyance with the occasional downshifts from 3 to 2 or 2 to 1 then you might wanna check in with your dealership whilst you are still under warranty.

[ukgroucho]

Better but not perfect. It is a bit hard to judge as the car/gearbox has been having to relearn my driving style 'cos the gearbox memory was wiped by the update - and I'm pretty sure my driving style now is quite different to when the car was new and I was being a bit more gentle breaking it in.

Still getting the odd slightly clunky downshift 2nd into 1st (and maybe 3rd into 2nd) but they are nowhere near as intrusive as they were before. Overall it is an improvement but "could do better" springs to mind as an overall report.

[M1tchy]

That's good, will book mine in too


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[razor77]

there is indeed a software upgrade for the BiTdi gearbox (and it has now been fitted to my car)

Hi ukgroucho, fitted physically or updated? I just contacted my dealer they say they have no update on the system and can not contact Audi and must book the car in to see if the computer in Germany pushes an update.

Your post suggests your dealer found out not in an automated fashion, but because you asked. Would you be able to get details from your dealer?

Cheers

[ukgroucho]

Dunno if I can get the details. I mentioned the issue and the initial response was "never heard of it" - maybe you should take the master tech out for a drive and see if you can reproduce, but the master tech happened to be passing and I described the problem and he decided I had given enough detail for him to do some research.
When I went to collect the car after the service he said that they found something in some 'report' of a known issue and applied a software update to the gearbox (I assume the gearbox) which was supposed to address it.

In fact I dropped in the following morning to collect some paint that I had ordered for my brother (lives in California, just collected him from Heathrow and he was scratching around to get some Ibis white for a chip on the front of his S4). Anyway, bumped into the master tech as I was getting in the car and he took time to ask if it was any better. Of course this could all be 'placebo' effect (reset the gearbox so it relearns and see if the customer thinks it is any better) but I really hope not....