Issue Summary:

• A 2002-2003 Volkswagen Jetta with a 2.0-liter ultra-low-emission gas engine and the 01M transmission may exhibit a long, delayed engagement into drive when cold.
• An F4E-111 transaxle in 1998-and-up Kia vehicles may exhibit a harsh 1-2 upshift or multiple solenoid-circuit faults after overhaul.
• After a rebuild or fluid change, Jaguar, Land Rover Freelander and VW vehicles with the JF506E transmission may have no reverse and barely any forward movement.
• In any vehicle except a Mazda, the JF506E will not have a filler tube or dipstick.
• In a JF506E, a reduction band that is out of adjustment may cause gear-ratio errors to be stored, and the transmission may chatter in forward and reverse.
• Some Volvo models equipped with the AW 55-50 transaxle may exhibit a neutral bang on take-off before or after overhaul.

A 2002-2003 Volkswagen Jetta equipped with a 2.0-liter ultra-low-emission gas engine (engine code AVH) only (see Figure 1) and the 01M transmission may have a complaint of a long, delayed engagement into drive when cold.

This is normal operation! The computers in these vehicles are programmed with ”cold neutral” strategy. This is done to reduce emissions.

No repair is required! Other Jetta models with 2.0-liter engines (engine code AZG) or outside the model years listed do not use this strategy. In these vehicles, when drive is selected, the K1 clutch is applied immediately, resulting in immediate engagement.

Vehicles with “cold neutral” strategy will prevent application of the K1 clutch until the brake pedal is released.

“Cold neutral” control activates only when the following conditions are met:

1. Engine is running.
2. ATF temperature is below 104°F (40°C).
3. Brake pedal depressed, brake-lamp switch activated.
4. Accelerator pedal fully released.
5. Vehicle speed is zero.
6. Shift lever is moved from Park to Drive for the first time after the ignition switch has been turned on.

Note: To verify whether the delay is induced by “cold neutral” control, perform the following test:

• Shift from Park to Drive, then from Drive to any other gearshift position, then back to Drive. This will deactivate “cold neutral” control.
• If the delay is still present with “cold neutral” control deactivated, the transmission may have an internal problem such as a defective K1-clutch molded piston.

• VW Technical Service Bulletin . . . . . . .02-01

1998-and-up Kia vehicles equipped with the F4E-111 transaxle may exhibit a harsh 1-2 upshift or multiple solenoid-circuit faults after overhaul.

The cause may be that when the internal harness was reconnected to the solenoids on the valve body the lockup solenoid and line-pressure solenoid were cross connected, causing high line pressure and lock-up on top of the 1-2 shift.

Refer to the solenoid resistance test in Figure 2 and verify that the solenoid resistance value is correct for the specified terminal location.

If it is incorrect, refer to Figure 3 for the solenoid location on the valve body, and refer to Figure 4 for the internal wire colors to ensure that the connectors are hooked up correctly.

Note: The internal wire-harness connectors match the solenoid connectors on the OE solenoids only.

After a rebuild or fluid change, Jaguar, Land Rover Freelander and VW vehicles may have no reverse and barely any forward movement.

One cause may be that the reduction-band anchor bolt (see Figure 5) was mistaken for the fill plug. When the bolt was removed the band dropped out of position.

Some technicians have said they were able to lift the band back into position through the servo bore. If this cannot be done, the transmission will need to be removed and disassembled to gain access to the band to place it back into position.

In any vehicle except a Mazda, the JF506E will not have a filler tube or dipstick. When the time comes to fill the transmission with ATF, the fill or check plug cannot be found.

In some instances, the band-anchor bolt is mistaken for the fill plug and removed to fill the transmission, after which the transmission has no reverse movement and slips badly in forward.

The fill and check plugs are not obviously recognizable; in some instances the fill plug looks like a vent.

When filling the unit, remove the check plug from the bottom of the case (see Figure 6) and fill the unit from the fill pipe on top of the side pan (see Figure 7). When fluid trickles out of the check plug the transmission is full.

• Mazda uses a dipstick with a tube mounted on the differential area of the case.
• Jaguar X Type specifies ATF IDEMITSU K 17 (JATCO 3100 PL085) fluid.
• Land Rover Freelander specifies Texaco N402 fluid.
• Mazda 6 and MPV specify MV ATF.
• VW specifies G052 990 A2 fluid.

• Average refill – 4.5 U.S. quarts

Possible gear-ratio-error codes are stored. The transmission may chatter in forward and reverse.

The reduction band is out of adjustment. If the servo-apply-pin measurement shown in figures 8 and 9 exceeds 0.187 inch (4.75mm), the reduction band will require adjustment.

Adjust the reduction band as follows:

1. Tighten the band-adjusting stud to 70 lb.-in.
2. Back the adjusting stud out 31⁄2 to 4 turns.
3. Measure the distance shown in Figure 8 with the servo in the released position.
4. Fully compress the servo and take the measurement shown in Figure 9.
5. Subtract one measurement from the other; the total should be between 0.125 and 0.187 inch (3.18-4.75mm).

Caution:

Do not allow the band to become dislodged from the band anchor; indexing the band back where it belongs will require splitting the case halves.

Some Volvo models equipped with the AW 55-50 transaxle (see Figure 10) may exhibit a neutral bang on take-off before or after overhaul.

The cause may be that when the accelerator pedal is depressed rapidly the customer feels a re-engagement of the C1 clutch on take-off because of a software issue in the transmission control module.

To correct this complaint, a Volvo dealer will have to reflash the TCM (TCM 012B neutral control flash) to deactivate or desensitize this feature.

• TCM upgrade number (Volvo) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30677036

January 2007 Issue
Volume 24, No. 1

• Volkswagen Jetta: Delayed Drive Engagement When Cold
• Kia F4E-111: Harsh 1-2 Shift and/or Solenoid-Circuit Faults
• JF506E: No Reverse; Slips Forward
• JF506E: ATF Fill Procedures
• JF506E: Reduction-Band Adjustment
• Volvo AW55-50: Neutral Bang on Take-Off