VW Beetle Forum banner
Cancel

Auto transmission problem -- missing 4th gear?

3075 Views 6 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  Heckerschmidt, 
Matthew Clarke
I recently purchased a 2000 Beetle (2.0l auto) and from what I can tell it never shifts up to 4th gear. When in Drive, it does 80kph at 3000 rpm, 100kph at 4000rpm (or a smidgen under 4000), and 110 at about 4200 rpm. Do those rev counts that sound too high to you?

When cruising at 100kph, if I move the gear lever back from D to 3, it makes no difference - there is no downshifting.

If this does show a problem with the transmission system, is it a known/common problem?

With thanks,
Matt.

Attachments

See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 3 of 7 Posts
Matthew Clarke
Thanks for those couple of comments. A local transmission mechanic has connected the car to diagnostic computer and confirms there are all sorts of errors, and that the gearbox is in "fail safe mode".

However, when I spoke to the car dealer who sold the car to us he is adamant that the car only ever had a 3-speed auto-transmission. I cannot find any spec sheet for a 2000 beetle that was sold with 3 gear transmission. Is that a thing? Or is the dealer taking me for a ride?
Reply
Save
Like
Matthew Clarke
Thanks for the confirmation @billymade. I have also asked VW Australia to provide a definitive response which will hopefully be sufficient to change the dealer's mind.
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 3 of 7 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
VW Beetle Forum
The New Beetle forum, come in and join our discussions on the new Volkswagen Beetle. Talk about modifications, performance and color choices.
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Photos: New Beetles Questions, Issues or Problems with the New Beetle 2.0 Liter Gas 1.8 Liter Turbo New Member Forum
Top