My transmission (under normal acceleration) is not shifting in each gear until about 3500 rpm. When it does shift, it jolts pretty hard. I have 89k miles on the stock A4 trans.

Does this mean that is going out?

TIA

 

Are you actually able to drive the car up to 3500 RPM or is it reving up to 3500 RPM? It sounds like it is reving then shifting, if so that's why it would be jolting like that. It'd be like neutral droping it.

 

Not 100% sure what you mean.

I am just driving normally, and the rpm's just climb until approx. 3500. The shifts don't go quite as high in each higher gear.

 

Sorry to confuse you. What I meant was is the car actully putting power to the wheels all the way up to 3500 or is the tranny slipping and the car is reving up the 3500?

 

Ahh. It feels more like the tranny is slipping. Similar to a converter flash, but I have a stock converter. Rpm go up fairly quickly and fall slowly if I let off the gas.

 

What does it do when you go WOT?

 

I didn't try going WOT. Partly because I don't want to finish the tranny off doing that (if that's the case), and partly because I have a very lean condition at WOT.

 

It sounds like the tranny is slipping and it isn't shifting until 3500. That would explain why it jolts when it shifts. It's just like putting the car in neutral and reving it up to 3500 then putting it in gear. It's time for a rebuild. I would almost guarantee that when you got to WOT that it's just going to bounce off the rev limiter.

 

That's what I ASSumed, but wasn't positive.

Any guesstimate of how much time I might have?

 

I'd say not much. Especially if it's slipping under 3500 RPM. When your RPM's are that low and it's slipping, you don't have much time left on the tranny. Things are pretty much shot when it's slipping at those RPM's.

 

It was just really strange because I have not noticed anything until today.

I did some normal driving today and all seemed fine. Then when I was coming home, it started acting up.

Is there anything I can check or look for to tell me for sure?

Thanks for all your help.

 

How's the fluid level?
A lot of things can affect the trans. Such as the TPS, and VSS. Get it scanned and see what's up. Maybe something simple.

 

It's not the fluid.

I took it for another quick trip around the block and barely made it home. It revs pretty freely and doesn't move anywhere.

Looks like I get a rebuild this week.

No big surprise though with 89k miles.

 

Your car is a '93, which means it has a 700 transmission in it. These transmissions are still governor/throttle valve (TV) cable controlled.
It sounds like your TV cable isn't hooked up, or your TV valve (In the valvebody) is stuck.
Start the engine, and snap the tv cable where it hooks on the t-body a few times. Drive the car and see if it helps. Unfortunately, A stuck TV valve is usually a sign of something coming apart in the transmnission.

Frank