1997 ZF Manual Valves
A 1997 Porsche Boxster was towed to a transmission shop. The vehicle was equipped with a ZF5HP19 transmission (Porsche calls this transmission A86.00 Tiptronic) and had 48,408 miles on the odometer. The customer complaint was that the vehicle would drive fine when cold, but the warmer the transmission got, the greater the effort to move the shifter. The shifter would get to a point that it would not move at all. At one point the shifter assembly broke because of the force applied to it.
Audi A8 Quattro
If you have ever driven an Audi A8 or any other high-end car using a ZF 5HP19 or 5HP24 transmission, you know these units are pretty smooth shifting and lockup is almost undetectable. This particular Audi came in with a customer complaint of a clunk or bump when the vehicle slowed. Initially, the car was diagnosed, and the unit was removed and rebuilt.
Mystery Noise in the ZF 5HP19/24
It’s not uncommon to hear customer complaints about a noise coming from a vehicle equipped with either a ZF 5HP19 or ZF 5HP24 transmission. The noise is most often described as a squealing or squawking sound and can be heard when the customer lifts his foot off the accelerator pedal. The sound is similar to that of a bad transmission pump and can be heard in any forward range but is most noticeable in first or second gear.
Don’t Let This Burst Your Bubble
The ZF 5HP19 FL/FLA automatic transaxle has had its share of problems during its tenure, fitted in the Audi A4, A6 and A8 and the Volkswagen Passat. One concern we have been dealing with recently on the tech line at ATSG is the complaint of neutralizing under a heavy throttle in first or second gear.
