1,2 TDI clutch/ gearbox problems

I just called the garage: the basic setting is not going through, it stops at the gear actuator adaptation. I've asked him to send me a pic of the exact point it fails, I'll then post it here. I'm scared that the gear actuator is somehow borked.

EDIT: It works now. The gear actuator linkage was loose.

However, for some reason, now the driver side auto open/close window feature doesn't work. Why on earth would that go bust after basic settings?
 
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RAB said:
What you describe is normal except that the red 'P' light should go out with the handbrake on. It's not just a switch though as the flashing should time out after a minute or two if the handbrake is not applied. Faulty relay or similar?

RAB
Click to expand...
Great thanks. This sounds like it. Thinking about it I was swapping relays with a newly purchased non starter 3L at the time the flashing started. Is there a relay board diagram on the web to narrow things down a little?
 
Probably J534 handbrake warning lamp control unit, on relay carrier.

RAB
 
Hello Rab,
I would give some news of my now defunct Lupo 3L (295.000kms). The electric problem I got (crazy relay noise when I was trying to start, page 10 of this topic) was due to corroded relays, due to a bad seal on the open-the-hood cable (near the wiper motor, exactly on top of the relays!).
It's only now I can tell you this as I just disassemble it for parts.
This piece of rubber cost less than 2 euro (yes, it's a LHD), If I knew it before... I now change this rubber die-facto on my Lupo.

So I bought another Lupo 3L (130.000 kms) with a broken speed-box (the below finger, on the hydraulic actuator was broken in 2 pieces).
I manage to make it work, by installing all the hydraulic parts from the old Lupo, including the ECU, but I could not finish the basic settings (was staying years on "searching"). However I could drive it... few miles (with noise, but could have been the very rusted disk brake).

After these few miles, when the engine run, there is no reverse; and do not stay in first gear.
You can see the tube going to first gear, being ejected and goes to second gear, once again the hydraulic put in First gear, being ejected, etc... all of that with horrible noise in the speed box.
But all speed pass OK when engine off, so I did not think to do basic settings again. I drain the 75W90 oil and was looking OK.
Anyway, it look like a broken speed box, right? At least that was looking like the reason to have this broken finger on previous hydraulic actuator!
As the speed box was the only thing I did not change (now that I write it, I realise the clutch actuator was not change too, but did not show any trouble in VCDS), and I had no error on VCDS after that, I was guessing so.
In fact, this guy had the same problem, a pity he did not post the afterword..

So I also install the speed-box from the old Lupo (FLE too, run previously OK, 160.000 kms), but when I do the basic settings, I cannot 'Adjust', the rod looks too short!
In fact the top arm is in complete up position, but the neutral position of the speed box is in the middle.
So it cannot work.
I did not have such issue with previous speed-box, nor with this speed-box on previous car.

I manage to find another old hydraulic actuator, but i got the exact same problem.
Should I adjust the value in that Potentiometer?
I see a hole in it, so we can put a screw, I guess this is for the adjusting process?

Please help.
Thanks a lot
Francois
 
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Are you sure that the gear actuator is correctly connected to the gearbox? The gear change rod has a depression ground into it which locates the pointed end of the screw that secures it to the actuator. If the screw is in the wrong position, gear changing will not work. Feel for the correct position by turning the screw by hand and moving the rod back and forth.

RAB
 
Yes, the gear actuator is correctly attached to the gearbox (2 hex + nut 13mm), on both gear actuator I tried.
And yes, the little aluminium cup is also well located (tried to screw it twice, but I will change it, because I confess I leaved it in place with both gear actuator test)
Anyway, when I unscrew the adjusting nut from the ball-join, it goes all up; in fact the top arm is 'lock' in the highest position, so the rod "looks too short".
I don't remember that previously, but in fact it cannot work this way (with that arm in top position during adjustment) as it will need to go even further to engage 'R' or '3' (as 'Neutral' on front of '1', right?).
So for me, there is a wrong setting in the Transmission Control Unit to ask "Adjust!" when the arm is in that highest position?
Or can it be too low pressure from the pump, or a relay that stick?
Thank you for your time
I will check again how the mount is tomorrow and will report but can't imagine doing twice such mistake.
 
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1200TDI said:
Yes, the gear actuator is correctly attached to the gearbox (2 hex + nut 13mm), on both gear actuator I tried.
And yes, the little aluminium cup is also well located (tried to screw it twice, but I will change it, because I confess I leaved it in place with both gear actuator test)
Click to expand...

I'm not talking about the attachment of the actuator to the gearbox casing (by three bolts not two and a nut). I am talking about the attachment of the actuator mechanism to the rod that actually changes gear. I'm not sure what you mean by an aluminium cup.

RAB
 
I call it the aluminium cup, as it can easily be detach from the gear actuator and then look like a little cup.
It was looking correctly attached to the rod that actually changes gear, but I left it in place while swapping gear actuator, so I will change it tomorrow just to see. Thanks!
 
Well, I was dreaming all night to face such a simple problem, but no, the Gear changing rod from the gear-box was correctly attached to gear actuator. I removed it, use a lot of WD40, and screw it back by hand, you can feel the screw connecting more and more the gear actuator to the Gear changing rod. No mistake here.

So back to "the top arm is 'lock' in the highest position, so the rod "looks too short" while Adjusting in basic settings.
I check again, and it cannot work this way (with that arm in top position during adjustment) as it will need to go even further to engage 'R' or '3' (as 'Neutral' on front of '1').

Any suggestion?
 
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Is it possible that the gear change rod has been rotated (if that's possible) into the 'wrong' position. It wouldn't be 'wrong' as far as the 'box is concerned, but it would be for the actuator! The gist of the problem, I think is, that you are starting from a position where the gearbox is not in the same gear as the actuator. When you connect the two, the actuator should be in, for example, neutral as well as the gearbox, otherwise, after connecting, everything will be in the wrong position. Nothing else will work.

RAB
 
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OK; when the lever is on 'Stop', the gear engaged must be the first, right?
Will disconnect the battery, and start on Stop with the first gear engaged.
otherwise, I understood it can be related to Mesuring Block 15, and I have there 4.08V - 0V - 2.46V - 3.03V
Does this sound OK?
Back in few minutes ;-)
 
No luck, same issue, there must be an adaptation on one potentiometer to do first...
or both gear actuator are shot,
the first one was running fine until i have this "first gear in immediately ejected" phenomenon (see earlier, or the guy with the FSI on rosstech forum). I changed the gear box since.
the second, I have no history on it (currently on the car)

Until now I was leaving the gear box on neutral, and connected the battery with lever on 'N' too, and was fine this way.
BTW, I have 12.8V with my running motorcycle connected to the battery; so no issue on that side.
And the pump kick in and stop normally (timing, noise, etc).
 
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The problem is probably that you are starting from the point where the actuator is in the STOP position and the gearbox is not, i.e. it is in some gear other than first. If you start from that position and the two are secured together, it is NEVER going to work! The other possibility is that the gearbox is not suitable, e.g. why are you using two screws and one nut instead of the correct thee screws, two short and one long to secure the actuator to the box?

RAB
 
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Come on, you cant install a not suitable gearbox on a 3L, as the universal joints are really specific, from all VAG production, to this model (and FSI)!
It's just a bad translation from me between nut and bolt.
Both are FLE gear-boxes, original Lupo 3L replacement ones, one from 2003, the other one from 2004 (I don't know any Lupo 3L with survival DSK gear boxes; or they have very little mileage).

Have you ever seen the problem that guy had on his FSI or I got earlier?
I'm curious if the speed box I just removed was broken or not at the end, due to the problems I have now...
 
FLE boxes are not 'replacement' boxes, they were fitted as OE to A2's and probably Lupo's. We have two DSK gearboxes, with a combined total of 450,000km, both in excellent condition. In actual fact there is very little difference between a DSK and an FLE.

Which guy do you mean? There are plenty of guys on that page with problems! If you have two identical gearboxes and you can only connect to one correctly, you must be doing something wrong! What exactly I'm beginning to lose interest in!

RAB
 
1200TDI said:
In fact, this guy had the same problem, a pity he did not post the afterword..
Click to expand...

And by replacement boxes, I mean it's what VW or Audi install once yours is broken, whatever it was (DSK, FFU FJE) as FLE were the only ones produced from 2003, but it's a detail I believe.

I got a contact in Poland, who is repairing these cars everyday, and told me the actuator is out of range, it was indeed in Group 15, the first value must be around 3V (in neutral), I got 4V.
So it was no luck that both actuator I have are unusable.

He told me that VCDS is not enough to fix the problem, that these actuators must be "calibrate on the table".
Is there document about doing this? Or have you ever done that?
I guess it wont be in Elsawin, as it's about replacing parts, not repairing them, like in the good old days!

Thanks a lot
Francois
 
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1200TDI said:
He told me that VCDS is not enough to fix the problem, that these actuators must be "calibrate on the table".
Is there document about doing this? Or have you ever done that?
Click to expand...

I would say that that is a load of rubbish. The actuator is essentially a mechanical device with four potentiometers to indicate position. There is nothing to calibrate. You could try replacing all four, making sure that they are correctly engaged. Before that, maybe check that the existing four are correctly engaged.

RAB
 
What I suspect your contact in Poland means by 'calibration' is assembling the actuator correctly after renewing the metal gasket. But if you followed the correct instructions, the splined assembly would never have been dismantled. Obviously there is only one way to re-assemble correctly!

RAB
 
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