[adi555]

I have the 8 speed Asin gearbox. On the BSI package it says they will replace the clutch if necessary, so what is this clutch?

[Beagler]

Heres a view you can see clutches

[adi555]

So how often the clutch needs to be replaced?

[Beagler]

Originally Posted by adi555

So how often the clutch needs to be replaced?

Very difficult to say, others more knowledgeable than I may have an idea. Its not just simple wear and tear. The clutches in the box rely on hydraulic pressure to engage them. Very often I found in the old days it was hydraulic seals that had failed and so line pressure was poor and clutches burnt out. These new gearboxes are so technically different than I am familiar with, that mine is just a guess.

On the Tiguan forum there is an independent in Canada who was very knowledgeable and could definitively answer this type of question. I wonder if you have the similar on here.

Great forum by the way.

[MJE60]

Originally Posted by adi555

So how often the clutch needs to be replaced?

Beagler is spot-on. The life of automatic transmission “clutches” depends on friction/wear and maintaining hydraulic pressure. Every time a stop, start or gear change takes place hydraulic pressure is use to compress friction plates between steel plates. The transmission will have a large number of the plates, the more gears, the more plates. Every compression and release of a plate will also have a small element of spinning and hence friction wear.

How quickly your automatic transmission fails (or lasts) will depend on a number of factors, the highest wear being stop start traffic and the lowest wear being constant speed Highway driving. Terrain including hill starts, holding the car on a hill using the gearbox clutch, extreme climate, how heavily the car is usually loaded (mass), driving style (gentle acceleration) and using car for towing (higher mass) all play a part. Another example is Whether car is mainly driven in sport, comfort of eco pro mode, as these settings have different throttle (acceleration) settings. Using launch control causes material wear (one of the reason the gearbox computer limits the number of times it can be used).
Early generation automatic transmissions could wear out before 50,000 miles, the next generation typically lasted 70,000 and then 90,000. Current generation gearboxes can last 120,000 miles or more (have seen up to 170,000 miles quoted) before friction lining/plates need replacing although bushings, bearings, seals and washers can often need replacing before then. It is often/usually failure of these smaller parts rather than friction plates which which cause premature failure.

Like manual gearboxes, automatic transmission friction plates start slipping and this sign of wear means replacement is urgently needed. Unlike a manual gearbox, once friction linings have worn, it involves an extensive “rebuild” as the gearbox itself has to be taken apart.

The electronics in modern automatic transmission are increasingly sophisticated so before any symptoms are detected by the driver it may just refuse to “engage” if problems like low hydraulic pressure occur.

[adi555]

So how does one find out the gearbox needs fixing? My car is new and the gearbox jerks at time when moving from P to D or vice versa

[Beagler]

Originally Posted by adi555

So how does one find out the gearbox needs fixing? My car is new and the gearbox jerks at time when moving from P to D or vice versa

You could ask the dealer to check it and suggest a diagnostic scan.