SQ5 Holding Revs When Accelarating In 1st and 2nd

[Kapil Mistry]

Hi,

I'm having a little issue with my SQ5 which i am hoping someone can shed some light on.

For the past 2-3 months I have noticed the car doing something very weird whenever I accelerate  (anything more than a gentle touch) from standstill. At points during 1st and 2nd the revs seem to hold somewhere between 1-2k rpm and then drop before continuing to move through the revs as normal. During this "hold" it is still accelerating however can be a little jerky when the revs drop. 

The car has been in and out of Audi 3-4 times for gearbox issues (I complained about gear changes not being smooth) which they were neither able to replicate or resolve. I do know that during the various visits the car it has had software updates applied to both ecu and gearbox. 

I maybe way off but i'm thinking one these updates could have caused this issue, or it is something else. 

Anyone else had a similar issue?

Thanks,

Kapil 

[Steve Q]

Hi Kapil, 

Sorry to hear your having issues. With regard to the software updates Audi have done, this is quite normal and all vag cars will gave software updates available from time to time. However it is clear that no software update is going to solve this issue. 

Have Audi changed the gearbox oil? 

And have they done a diagnostic check? If so what (if any) codes cropped up?

And is the issue continuous or is it intermittent problem? 

If it is intermittent than this could explain why Audi haven't found the fault. My advice for you is to go out with the technician to show the fault. Also when the car goes into Audi make sure you have a courtesy car as that way you have some insurance in terms of ransom (I'll return the courtesy car once you've found the fault etc). 

It does sound to me that the gearbox needs to be taken out to be inspected in my opinion. And especially if all other options have been exhausted. 

Sorry I can't help more. 

Cheers

Steve 

[Kapil Mistry]

Morning Steve,

Thanks for your reply. Audi has not changed the gearbox as according to them the 8 speed gearbox in the SQ5 is fully automatic and as such doesn't require maintenance. 

Issue 1: Snappy Gear Changes

The issue of snappy (unsmooth) gear changes both on up and down shift is completely intermittent. Everytime the car has gone to Audi they have performed a "reset" on the gearbox so that it readapts. During the re-adaptation period (which i class as 100 miles or so) the car drives almost perfectly however after this the old characteristics seem to reappear.

Issue 2: Revs Holding In 1st/2nd Gear

The issue of the revs holding in 1st/2nd gear is a new development however this is continuous. Anything more than a light touch of acceleration and you'll notice the revs holding. Strangely, get the car above 3rd/4th gear and the issue disappears even at low revs.

My knowledge on these cars is very limited however do we know if the 8 speed gearbox is double clutched? Perhaps an issue with the primary clutch, just thinking out loud here.

I took an Audi technician out in the car, he drove it and noticed the revs issue, they kept the car for almost a week and said they couldn't replicate the issue!

Thanks,

Kapil

[Cabiali]

Good afternoon. 

 

Would like to knowif there was a solution to this issue???

Many thanks. 

[Kapil Mistry]

Hi, 

Unfortunately the issue still persists, i havent got to the bottom of it. As of May the car is now out of Audi warranty which is very frustrating. 

Are you experiencing a similar issue?

Best,

Kapil

[Cabiali]

Its strange.......i have a Q5. I purchased it privately a few weeks ago. I thought it pulled in 1st a bit longer then it should and when going from 2nd to 1st it felt a bit rough. My mechanic seems to think the car is perfectly normal. 

Seller did mention the gear box service was not done. I have had the service done a few weeks ago and it seems that the gear changes are much better but not perfect. 

I have had the car plugged into a diagnostic machine but no faults identified. 

On another forum someone mentioned they have had a similar issue since the emissions recall from audi. Not sure how credible this is.

Mine is a 2011 so not sure if there is a gearbox software update???

[Kapil Mistry]

Hi Cabiali, 

I heard something very similar from another mechanic. I have been trying to piece the timeline together and i believe the issue for me only surfaced after it went into the dealer (March-June 2017), so it is possible an update was applied while it was there....very hard to pin point. 

I have someone coming to see my car on Friday with the foresight of trying to downgrade the software versions. I'll let you know how it goes. 

Best,

Kapil 

 

[Cabiali]

Many thanks kapil. 

I hope it gets sorted.

Here say (gossip) mentioned a remap may resolve the issue as they also reprogram the gearbox. Something to look into. 

Please keep us posted as i would be very interested to know what your man has to say.

Good luck.

 

[Kapil Mistry]

The company coming to me is actually a remap company, I remapped the car when i bought it. 

A few weeks back they did a rollback on the gearbox software which helps but didnt fully resolve the issue. They are coming back to perform a further rollback which "should" resolve the issue completely. 

Will keep you posted.

[Cabiali]

Many thanks again. 

Im sure we are not the only ones with this issue. 

You mentioned remap,  what sort of map did they programme???