Audi Gearbox Malfunction “No Reverse Gear” – What Could Go Wrong?

Audi vehicles are great choices for awesome rides that allow ease in drivability and comfort for the driver. Audi models do have similarities in the buildup and this is great news for a lot of Audi users who seek information about their vehicles.

Gearbox Malfunction message highlights

• Common reasons:clutch in DCTs, low fluid level, low 12V battery glitch
• How to fix:replace/recharge battery, add transmission fluid, replace the clutch kit (in DCT)
• Possible consequences:fatal transmission damage, car completely immobilized
• Priority level:High
• Can you drive?No
• DIY repair:Impossible
• Repair price range:$150-$5000

The gearbox has a combination of different parts which have links to the fuse box, sensor module, and also the mechatronic unit. Figuring out the problem of your Audi gearbox with the aid of a diagnostic system will save you a lot of time and money and improve the level of accuracy in detecting the fault.

The fault can generate from a bad fuse to an affected area of the gearbox, or from a damaged mechatronic unit which will require rebuilding or possible replacement depending on the extent of the damage.

In this article, we will be looking at the "no reverse gear" problem for your Audi gearbox malfunction. What causes the "no reverse" problem and how to go about a lasting fix for the problem?

The Audi gearbox malfunction can be fixed with the help of some codes in detecting the faults. If you don't know codes, that is not much of a problem. The "no reverse" problem together with the fixes can be seen below.

Gearbox Malfunction - Why?

Identifying the problem isn't that far from the cause and also the fix. The Audi gearbox area contains some delicate components. You wouldn't want to make everything worse in the process of trying to figure out the problem. A lot of people pay to get this fixed for them not just because they have no idea what the problem is but because they don't like the amount of time they may have to spend doing it all by themselves.

For those who want to give it a try by doing this all by yourself, this article will help you with each step you need.

What type of transmission does your Audi have?

Modern Audi cars usually have traditional automatic transmissions or dual-clutch transmissions. The latter ones are not as durable but more economical in terms of fuel consumption. The traditional gearboxes are very durable and reliable and they are also easier and cheaper to fix.

But the no-reverse-gear problem often shows in traditional automatic transmissions when they are going to die. Though, dual-clutch ones also have this problem when the mechatronic or some part of the clutches are malfunctioning.

In this article, we'll just give the quick overview of what may go wrong. Of course, the best solution for your Audi is to get a professional checkup at the dealer's shop. But you may try to locate the problem yourself.

Gearbox Positioning

Opening the gearbox requires a little bit of technicality. With the box perfectly fitting in the compartment, detaching the gearbox will require some careful process. Of course, we don't recommend you doing any kinds of repair that mean taking off the gearbox from your Audi. Better have it done by professionals if there is a need for this.

How to fix the no reverse malfunction

• Checking Your Car Health

When this problem occurs, it is an opportunity for you to finally check your car's health just in case you haven't been checking it before. The result will show you what part of your car has a fault and what urgent attention some parts of your car need. If it is the gear problem, the test result will show you if you need a rebuild or a replacement of your gearbox.

Getting the car health check result will give you a good ground to know how to fix your car's problem.

• Transmission

In a large number of S-Tronic transmission faults, you will detect a gearbox malfunction warning signal on the instrument cluster. Carrying out a diagnostic scan in response to this is the best option. We highly recommend that you use special Audi diagnostic systems close enough in quality. Using the diagnostic system, you will be able to figure out the fault codes.

Finding the fault codes stored individually or collectively can lead to discovering the fault with the driving mode sensor module.

The sensor module integrates two transmission input speed sensors as well as the drive position sensor which is responsible for deciding the selector bar position (park, reverse, neutral, drive, or sport).

• Gearbox Reset

Resetting your gearbox is a great idea for any minor gearbox problem. What this means is that if the problem is minimal, a little reset of the transmission can restore the gears to normal and avoid you visiting the car mechanic.

To know how to reset the transmission in your Audi, research forums. They will help you come up with the ready-to-use solution for your vehicle.

• Fuse Check

The fuse box contains every fuse connected to the electrical parts of the car including the gearbox control modules. Your Audi vehicle will rarely have this problem but your gearbox with no reverse malfunction may be a result of a blown fuse, disconnected fuse, or probably a missing fuse.

The gearbox contains a black box of many connected wires and one of these wires is related to the "no reverse" selection on the gear and is also related to a particular fuse.

Use the owner's manual to find our which fuse is connected to the gearbox units and check each of them. This will take you some time because some of the fuse boxes aren't easy to locate and to get to. But anyway, this will cost you nothing to check them.

• Check Gearbox Clutches

In a dual-clutch transmission, the clutch is probably the most expensive part. And yes, this part will go bad before any other part. The lifespan of a clutch depends on how you drive your car. And we know that Audi drivers don't tend to drive carefully and think a lot about the clutch health.

This leads to extensive wear and tear on your clutches and the need to replace them every 60 or 90 thousand miles. The set of clutches may cost over $2,000 and the labor will add another $500.

• Mechatronic Unit

The mechatronic unit is the entire box under the gearbox that contains electrical components, solenoids, and other parts. Never try taking it off unless you have perfect knowledge on how to deal with it.

The Mechatronics unit can be the cause of other failures. This unit is accountable for the triggering of the dual-clutch. When the gears are faulty, the repair of the mechatronic unit with a replacement can sum up to thousands of dollars.

The drivability can be easily affected when this unit develops faults which can lead to no reverse gear or no gear asides from first gear, or not changing gear, or jerky ride changing of gear, and so on.

Symptoms like these can be followed by a gearbox malfunction warning light or message on the instrument cluster on the dashboard.

As important as the mechatronics unit is, if faults like these are detected without any immediate fix, it can lead to permanent or irreversible damage to the gearbox. You wouldn't be liking that at all. This is why the diagnostic scan is necessary for your Audi.

• How To Detect Mechatronic Fault?

If your Audi vehicle is experiencing problems with the gearbox like the jerky gear change or a total absence of gear selection like the "no reverse" problem and it is set or matched with the S-Tronic gearbox, then there is a high chance of a mechatronic fault. Other than that, a thorough investigation by a qualified mechanic can be the way to locate and eventually solve the problem.

• Mechatronic Unit Repair

A repair solution will require an electronic control module and a mechanical valve body for the rebuilding of the unit.

It is said by a lot of professionals that the unit repair procedure doesn't come easy and also it is one of the reasons why you get to pay much to get the problem fixed. This fee could rise to above 4,000 dollars. That's a whole lot.

A brand-new unit directly from Audi costs a lot of money and is still a copy of the already faulty one. It comes with a 2-year warranty but the original design and possible faults remain the same.

Many users have complained about the transmission design of the Audi. It has flaws that have not been corrected for as long as possible now. You could be sure you didn't solve the problem by total replacement with a new one but rather only bought yourself some time before the problem resurfaces.

Some firms have come up with nice mechatronic unit builds that last longer and better than the original Audi replacement solution which costs more than the one sold by these firms. Though, most of the mechatronics offered for sale are just rebuilt Audi OEM units. Actually, there is no good solution for this problem.

Final words

Going through the fixes in this article, you can be able to fix your Audi gearbox "no reverse malfunction". We hope you will not dig in the transmission of your Audi by yourself because it can kill the transmission and lead to bad expenses.

Find a decent mechanic who is able to repair the transmission or replace it without taking thousands of dollars out of your pocket.