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'01 NB torque converter issue- getting worse!!

6K views 7 replies 4 participants last post by  moondragon 
#1 ·
OKay....

My wife's '01 New Beetle (Reve) is giving us parents some problems. Now that I've got the old AWV 1.8T engine running pretty decently, she decides to give us a new attitude from the FDC trans this time. I was doing some highway driving early one morning last week, and I noticed the RPM's a little higher than usual. Experimented with the throttle, and could clearly see the torque converter wasn't locked. Later on that day driving home, no issues. Also no codes were set.

Now that problem has progressed to any time the car is driven above 60, the torque converter unlocks. It is also consistently setting the code P0740, which I keep faithfully resetting in hopes of a different result. I know that the TC is applied from within the trans. I have heard of some torque converter failures on these cars, but this just doesn't sound like a TC failure to me, seeing as the TC does work (and sometimes a bit oddly, coming in early sometimes). Trans shifts smoothly through all gears normally, with the rare hard downshift or 2-3 shift noted in the past. Doesn't feel like she is slipping (except in fourth, obviously).

Now, my question- is it profitable to swap out the valve body? I have swapped VW trans before, never been inside one. If the answer is yes, where would I get one? Am I at least sound in thinking its a valve body problem as opposed to a TC problem? Or do you think I'm wrong about it? I'm trying to fix whatever this is before it gets any worse. Just looking for some helpful feedback. Thanks in advance.
 
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#2 ·
Does sound like a Valvebody issue to me. The 01M transmission is known for valve body failures. When is the last time you had the transmission fluid changed/flushed? I know VW says it's a lifetime fill but that is a joke at your expense. Not saying that it will help your issue but changing the fluid every 30-40k miles will prolong the life of your automatic transmission.

This is the cheapest place where you can get a new transmission for your Beetle.

VW 1.8T Automatic Transmission - PartsPlaceInc.com
 
#4 ·
Ok thanks for input so far. Question... If I replace the valve body is it advisable to reuse the original wire harness? Two grand for a new trans is a little steep right now. I haven't dropped the pan to see how good or bad it looks in there. I'm pretty sure damage has been done, just not sure how far its gotten.
 
#5 ·
If there is already damage to the transmission a new valve body will do very little except drain your wallet. And yes, I would replace the harness if you replace the valve body since the connectors on the old one will be very brittle and probably break when you try to remove it. So I think it would be worth replacing. I would drop the pan and see how much metal shavings you have in there. If the damage to the actual transmission is severe then it will need to be replaced.
The longer you go with the faulty valve body the more damage you are doing to your transmission.
 
#6 ·
Ok well she's off the road. I know any valve body or converter issue is gonna cause damage. My concern is how much. The presence of shavings/ clutch material in the pan would determine how comfortable I feel with throwing a valve body in it. So far I'm hopeful, since she shifts smooth and all gears are present. One more question- Today when I moved it to put it in the garage, she threw a new code, this time for the VSS- P0722. Is there any real correlation between the output speed sensor and the TC issue that you know of? Could a faulty VSS cause the valve body to mess up the converter lockup?
 
#7 ·
I know the VSS can cause issues with stalling and general drivability. Not sure how it failing would relate to the TC lock up. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to change it out and see. Either way I would pull that pan and take a look to see what kind of mess you have in there. A fluid change in either case wouldn't hurt.
 
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