T4 doublecab AUTO

[DOUBLECAB]

Hi Guys.....thinking of getting another doublecab...............seen a 2002 that has turbo diesel but with an AUTO box.

Q. are the auto boxes any good or are they expensive problems?


Thanks......................doublecab

[Umai Naa!!]

Expensive problems.

Yeah, clutches are expensive to replace (labour-wise) with the manual ones, but it'd still work out cheaper in the long run.

[DOUBLECAB]

Thanks..........Umai Naa!!

[Seano]

If my experience with the ambo's and tradesmen is any guide then a used Tdi DOKA with an auto is a bad idea. Commonly flogged from the standing start in order to get the turbo to spool up (so the engine revs to stupid) then the auto changes up mid rev with a thud.....after 150,000km of this....things may not be pretty in either engine or gearbox.

But if it is cheap.....

[jets]

I have owned an auto & what I didn't like was whenever you touch the brake pedal the engine goes back to idle. There is also a time delay between brake pedal & throttle. If you are waiting at the lights on a hill, I used to pull on the handbrake just before the green light so that drive was engaged. If you don't it rolls back & then engages harshly.
I was caught a couple of times when waiting to enter traffic. If another vehicle suddenly appears & you touch the brake again you then have to wait again to engage with drive. This may only take a second or so but can be frustrating when everyone is expecting you to get going.
While the auto is considered fragile, it is not as bad as some say. The enemy is too high an oil temp. Here is some positive postings. The Eurovan is the same as the T4 but in the states all the later ones are connected to the V6 producing twice the horespower of the TDI.
VWVortex.com - Positive Eurovan transmission stories

[IN2VWS]

On a work vehicle, the auto is crap. I've had a T4 van with an auto. The previous owner (a mate) had to replace the auto at 135,000km.
He now has a T5 auto, which just had the auto rebuilt.
Stick with the manual.

[Golf Loon]

Yup, Auto in a grunty van or ute, how was that ever a good idea?

Doing a Caravelle conversion from Auto to Manual this week and another next week!!

[Umai Naa!!]

Much involved, besides the obvious?

[jets]

[QUOTE=Golf Loon;586016]Yup, Auto in a grunty van or ute, how was that ever a good idea?QUOTE]

They work well in America, that's because they build them tough.