Audi Q8 Trans Issues Point to Faulty Converter

Having worked on Audis before and dealt with automatic transmission issues, I had a similar problem with my 2019 Audi Q7. Based on the symptoms you describe, it sounds very familiar to what I experienced. In my case, the torque converter was failing, causing rough shifts and transmission slippage. The check engine light and transmission warnings matched your situation exactly. The converter fault led to metal particles contaminating the transmission fluid, which made the problem progressively worse. The repair involved: Complete removal of the automatic transmission, Replacement of the torque converter, Transmission fluid flush and replacement, New transmission filter Total cost was 2120 Euro including parts and labor. The repair took about 4 days to complete. To help diagnose your situation more precisely, could you share: Current mileage on your Q8, When did the symptoms first appear, Type of driving you typically do (city/highway mix), Whether the transmission fluid has ever been changed, If the engine surge occurs at specific speeds The Q8 uses a similar transmission to my Q7, but there might be some model-specific differences worth considering.

Thanks for sharing your experience. My Q8 just had its latest service about 2 months ago, and the transmission fluid was changed during that maintenance. The symptoms started appearing gradually over the last few weeks at 102245 KM. The noise and engine surge seem worst during city driving, especially when the auto transmission needs to shift between 2nd and 3rd gear. The torque converter issues you described match my experience perfectly, particularly the metal contamination concern. This helps confirm my suspicion about the converter failure. Will likely need to schedule a full automatic gearbox inspection soon based on your repair breakdown.

Given your recent transmission fluid change and the timing of these symptoms, this strongly points to a failing lock-up clutch in the torque converter. When I had my Q7 repaired, the mechanic explained that even fresh transmission fluid cant mask these symptoms once the torque converter starts deteriorating. The city driving pattern you describe, especially the issues between 2nd and 3rd gear, matches exactly what I experienced. The stress on the auto transmission during frequent gear changes in city traffic often accelerates converter fault issues. One thing I forgot to mention about my repair, the workshop found significant metal debris in the transmission pan when they dropped it, even though my fluid had also been changed recently. The converter was actually worse than initially thought, which explains the grinding noise during gear changes. Quick tip from my experience: dont wait too long for the repair. My initial quote was 1800 Euro, but because I delayed, the metal contamination caused additional damage, pushing the cost up to 2120 Euro. The automatic gearbox can suffer permanent damage if the converter continues to deteriorate. Make sure the workshop does a thorough transmission flush after replacing the torque converter. Mine needed two flushes to remove all the metal particles from the system.

I appreciate all this detailed feedback about the torque converter issues. The similarities between our situations with the automatic transmission problems are really helpful. Based on the timing of my fluid change and these symptoms, I agree that getting it checked sooner rather than later makes sense to prevent further damage. Your experience with the metal debris in the transmission pan despite recent fluid changes is particularly concerning. The engine surge and grinding noise I'm experiencing between 2nd and 3rd gear definitely matches what you described from your converter failure. I'll make sure to request a thorough transmission flush as part of the repair process. Just booked an appointment at the workshop for next week. Really hoping my repair costs stay closer to the 1800 Euro range since I'm addressing the clutch problem relatively quickly after noticing the symptoms. The detailed breakdown of your repair process helps me know what to expect when I take it in. Will update once I get the full diagnosis of my converter fault issues. Thanks again for sharing your firsthand experience with such a similar automatic transmission repair. It's given me much more confidence in understanding what I'm dealing with.