matthiaslang44

Seat Cordoba Diesel Transmission Problems

My 2003 Seat Cordoba with a diesel engine has developed some serious transmission problems at 143290 km. Shifting isn't possible using the paddle shifters, and the gearbox slips and shifts roughly. I hear grinding noises during gear changes, the paddle shifters are slow to respond, and the gearbox is now stuck in emergency mode. There is an error stored in the memory pointing to a defective transmission control unit. I suspect the affected control unit is indeed defective, but I'm trying to get a sense of what transmission repair is going to cost me. Is 1000€ realistic?

4 comment(s)

Unclean shifting and emergency mode strongly suggest a TCU issue. Has a transmission diagnosis been performed to retrieve the error codes? The codes are crucial for pinpointing the problem. A defective automotive ECU can certainly cause the symptoms described, particularly the paddle shifter malfunction. The ECU, or Engine Control Unit, is the car's computer. It regulates many aspects of the engine and transmission. If it's faulty, things go haywire.

Yes, transmission diagnosis was performed. Error code pointed to the transmission control unit. I am just surprised that the car computer can cause such issues. Is there a way to be absolutely certain before committing to transmission repair?

If the error code definitively points to the TCU (Transmission Control Unit), and all the symptoms align, the probability of a faulty TCU is extremely high. While component-level testing could be attempted, the labor costs involved often exceed the price of replacing the unit. Furthermore, without specialized equipment, confirming the defect with certainty is difficult. Given the described symptoms and the stored error, visiting a workshop specializing in transmission repair would be advisable.

Just wanted to say I took it to a specialized transmission repair workshop, like you said. They confirmed the transmission control unit was faulty. The cost was around 1000€, like you predicted. It's sorted now and shifts smoothly again. Thanks for the advice.

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