# 09G Slip grab issue, replaced valve body, still having problems



## agent4573 (Oct 31, 2009)

07 Jetta with the 09G. 128k on the stock fluid before I went online and realized VW started recommending changing it. It used to slip-grab from 1-2 and 2-3 so I went ahead and bought a rebuilt valve body from reamman.com. Just got done putting it in reset the TCM with the following procedure I found on this site:

1.key on (dont start, just turn the car on)
2.gas down to floor for 10 sec
3.while holding gas, turn key off
4.let go of gas
5.key on (again, on, dont start) for 5 min (for throttle readaptation). touch nothing.
6.then start while touching nothing. 
7.drive and see what happens.

I also disconnected the battery for about 20 minutes just in case. 

The transmission now shifts perfectly from 1-2, but 2-3 is still having a slip-grab issue and now the shift from 4-5 is doing the same thing. Am I missing something? I tried calling the dealer to get the TCM officially reset, but they just kept putting me through to the service department voicemail for 45 minutes and I couldn't get a hold of anyone.


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## Liquid5n0w (Nov 28, 2012)

I am rather new to this, but I saw something about how to setup a TCM properly using VAGCOM on here.

But the valve body is just mechanical parts with power wires. If the valves aren't properly rebuilt it could be the same problem, but to me that sounds like a problem inside the tranny.

Have you scanned it with vagcom for electrical errors?


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## carfreak01 (Jun 13, 2009)

agent4573 said:


> 07 Jetta with the 09G. 128k on the stock fluid before I went online and realized VW started recommending changing it. It used to slip-grab from 1-2 and 2-3 so I went ahead and bought a rebuilt valve body from reamman.com. Just got done putting it in reset the TCM with the following procedure I found on this site:
> 
> 1.key on (dont start, just turn the car on)
> 2.gas down to floor for 10 sec
> ...


I believe this procedure is not for your transmission, you have to perform basic settings using a scanning tool like VAGCOM, another option is to go to a dealer.

Were the solenoids included with this new valve body or did you use the old solenoids?........make sure ATF is leveled.....scan the TCM for codes, write them down if you get one or more, erase them and drive your car....scan again and see if codes show up again.


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## Revmax (Sep 12, 2012)

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but, it sounds like you got a defective valve body. Doing a trans relearn will not fix your issues....


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## agent4573 (Oct 31, 2009)

To answer everyone's questions in order:

Liquid5n0w: I don't know anyone around here with a VAGCOM and I can't afford another 300 dollars for a tool I'm only going to use once. 

carfreak01: I had the car in a shop that said there were no codes in the TCM prior to replacing the valve body. I went to a dealer and asked them to reset the TCM and they said all that does is "re-learn" kickdown points and would be an hours worth of labor to hook up and reset. They told me to disconnect the battery for 5 minutes then reconnect and drive the car. It didn't help at all. 

Revmax: Its a possibility, but talking with reamman it sounds like its hard to get a bad rebuilt unit from them. After installing all the sonnex updates and the dyno test of the valve body, they seem pretty sure their units are good. I'm looking for other possibilities before asking them for a 2nd rebuilt unit, but that is my last option.


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## agent4573 (Oct 31, 2009)

RevMax: When I went to the dealer the other day, they said something about an internal seal going bad after the valve body starts acting up. I asked what seal and they played dumb and said they weren't allowed to open up their own transmissions and had to send them out for rebuilds. Do you have any idea what seal they might have been talking about?


On another note, I found a local guy with a VAGCOM cable that is willing to reset the TCM and try a relearn procedure to see if it helps. If not, I'll be contacting reamman for another valve body. I'm assuming if the TCM reset doesn't work, this valve body would have a malfunctioning N92 solenoid or the transmission itself has a bad K3 clutch as thats the only clutch that is active on both the 2 gear shift and 5th gear shift. Sound reasonable to anyone else? Is there a way to test the K3 clutch manually to pinpoint it down to either the valvebody or the clutch? I had the fluid swapped at a shop about a month ago and he said after 125k miles there was no metal in the pan and there were no codes in the TCM. Would a slipping K3 clutch throw a code in the TCM? Thanks in advance to anyone that can shed some light on this.


*EDIT: Just got off the phone with reamman. They said it sounds like the K3 clutch regulator is acting up and are mailing off another valve body tonight. Looks like I'll have to change it out again which sucks, but they were very willing to send a replacement to make it right. Now I just have to order a few more quarts of tranny fluid and try again.


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## Revmax (Sep 12, 2012)

Glad you got a new one coming!

It most definitely is a valve body issue, we do not know of any internal seal issues...0


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## carfreak01 (Jun 13, 2009)

agent4573 said:


> RevMax: When I went to the dealer the other day, they said something about an internal seal going bad after the valve body starts acting up. I asked what seal and they played dumb and said they weren't allowed to open up their own transmissions and had to send them out for rebuilds. Do you have any idea what seal they might have been talking about?
> 
> 
> On another note, I found a local guy with a VAGCOM cable that is willing to reset the TCM and try a relearn procedure to see if it helps. If not, I'll be contacting reamman for another valve body. I'm assuming if the TCM reset doesn't work, this valve body would have a malfunctioning N92 solenoid or the transmission itself has a bad K3 clutch as thats the only clutch that is active on both the 2 gear shift and 5th gear shift. Sound reasonable to anyone else? Is there a way to test the K3 clutch manually to pinpoint it down to either the valvebody or the clutch? I had the fluid swapped at a shop about a month ago and he said after 125k miles there was no metal in the pan and there were no codes in the TCM. Would a slipping K3 clutch throw a code in the TCM? Thanks in advance to anyone that can shed some light on this.
> ...


It is true that VW do not repair transmission, the only repairs they can do to automatics is to change complete valve bodys, solenoids, sensors, wire harnesses and ATF pump. Seals, gaskets and any other internal part it is not for sale at the dealers, so all they can do is change the whole unit. I used to work at a VW stealer and whenever a trans had an internal failure, the repair estimate included a new transmission.
There is a seal that can go bad in clutch K3 that will cause oil pressure to drop and not hold the clutch pack thus causing slip, also the piston tends to crack and cause this too.
But I think too that your new VB is defective.


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## agent4573 (Oct 31, 2009)

As much as its going to be a pain in the butt to put in another valve body, I'm glad it sounds like that is the issue. I am a little worried about that seal on the K3 clutch though, as thats the clutch it sounds like I'm having issues with. I should have the new valve body next week and if I'm having the same K3 issues with the second VB I'll have to assume that its the seal and not 2 defective valve bodies. If thats the case, I'll guess I'll have to start looking out for a rebuilt trans and just swap out the entire unit.


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## carfreak01 (Jun 13, 2009)

agent4573 said:


> As much as its going to be a pain in the butt to put in another valve body, I'm glad it sounds like that is the issue. I am a little worried about that seal on the K3 clutch though, as thats the clutch it sounds like I'm having issues with. I should have the new valve body next week and if I'm having the same K3 issues with the second VB I'll have to assume that its the seal and not 2 defective valve bodies. If thats the case, I'll guess I'll have to start looking out for a rebuilt trans and just swap out the entire unit.


speeds 1,2 and R shift ok?....if you still have issues with the higher speeds with your new VB, you could remove the back cover of the trans and remove the drum for clutch K3 aad inspect the piston, frictions and metal discs. if the are no good, you can buy just those pieces and replace them, that will be way less.expensive than a new or remanufactured trans.
You can buy those parts in
www.cobratransmission.com
www.wittrans.com
I have bought from both sites and they provide good.service.


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## bjohns86 (Nov 7, 2011)

There are some holes here. One, the process you used to "reset" the adapts is incorrect. You need to use a VAGCOM like Ross-tech to reset the adapts which is actually in the "engine" module. If you replace the VB you need to reset the adapts or you will have shift issues at some capacity, whether that is harsh upshifts, downshifts, or flaring shifts. I am skeptical that it is, in fact, a defective VB from Reamman but it isn't unheard of. The VB has several adjusting set screws for shift timing adjusting which usually don't get changed but if they are out of spec you will get shifting slide bumps like you observed. However, so will not resetting the re-learn process. I would install the new VB and get the adapts reset. Reset the throttle body and kickdown first. Also, I do not think the K3 has any issues as you are not claiming any issue with reverse. If the K3 is having issues than reverse will also have problems as well. Lastly, the 09G does not have a rear cover and the K3 clutch is right behind the pump so if there is an internal concern than the transmission has to come out. One nice thing is that you can test each clutch pack when you have the VB removed. You can use compressed air and see if each drum is sealing and if any obvious seal leaks exist. If you have any more questions or concerns than let me know. Send me an IM and I'll help you wrap this up. Oh, I would not look too much into Cobra Transmissions and instead focus on WIT Transmission or Transtar. Cobra is wishy washy with their knowledge base.

Good Luck!
Brad


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## agent4573 (Oct 31, 2009)

Wanted to post up the final resolution to this problem. I got the replacement valve body from reamman the other day and got to put it in today. The car shifts a million times better. There is a very slight flare from 1st to 2nd, but its only a few rpms and you only feel it if you're really trying to find it. All the other gears shift perfectly smooth. I'm going to try a ECM/TCM reset with a knock-off cable I got on ebay. If i can get it working great, but if not, the car shifts good enough to drive it as is. 

To cover the holes in the story:
1. The previous reset attempts were only following the procedures I saw on here and what the dealer told me. Since I didn't have access to a VAGCOM I took it to the dealer to have them reset it. They looked at me like I was stupid and told me to just disconnect the battery and let it sit for a while. Stupidity of the techs is one reason I hate going to a dealership. 

2. I'm convinced it was the K3 clutch adjustment. I know I didn't say anything was wrong with reverse, but I don't normally put it in reverse and hit the gas without giving it at least a few seconds to fully grab the gear. Since it was a timing issue, once you let the pressure settle out, it grabbed the gear just fine. There may have been a harder "thunk" going into reverse than normal, but again, once it got into gear, it worked just fine. 

When you say "reset the throttle body and kickdowns first" I assume that is the key on, pedal to the floor for 30 seconds, etc procedure? I'll go take care of that now while I'm trying to get the knockoff VAGCOM stuff to work.


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## agent4573 (Oct 31, 2009)

Well that was an exercise in futility. I guess there really is no way to get a 3rd party cable to connect through the CAN bus unless you drop 350 bucks on a genuine ROSS-TECH cable. That isn't going to happen, and since the dealership can't figure out how to do basic settings, I guess its just not going to get reset. 

On the other hand, since something so simple as resetting a computer is this complicated, I've come to the conclusion that I'll never buy another VW. Just not worth it when things go wrong. I really like the TDI Passat too, but VW is now out of the question.


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## bjohns86 (Nov 7, 2011)

I'm glad to hear that the new VB worked. I am still skeptical that the other was bad via machine work and not just out of adjustment valve adjusters. Either way, it is really trial and error to fine tune them. Needless to say you are on the right path. Also, don't get too frustrated with VW and their computer systems. ALL cars have this issue, if you will. Any new/newer car you buy today will need a specialized scanner to reset adapts and adjust settings. Getting trouble codes is not an issue with VW or anyone else. So don't be fooled into thinking that if you get at Toyota or a Ford or Volvo that they will be any simpler to monitor/troubleshoot because they won't be. In fact, the 09G is made by Aisin Warner who also, unfortunately, makes transmissions for many of the big auto makers. Lastly, the Ross-tech package you need is not $350. It is actually $250, which a fair amount of money, but if you plan on keeping this car than it will pay itself off from saving you from the worthless workmanship of dealers. Anyway, it is nice to hear that you are satisfied. The resetting of the kickdown and calibration of the throttle body cannot be done by the mentioned technique. The days of turning keys and pressing this and that simultaneously are about over. Oh, also, I would look under the VCDS room here at VWVortex and you will find a listing of many people with VCDS systems who can help in your area. 

Good luck!

Brad


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## carfreak01 (Jun 13, 2009)

bjohns86 said:


> Lastly, the 09G does not have a rear cover and the K3 clutch is right behind the pump so if there is an internal concern than the transmission has to come out.
> 
> Good Luck!
> Brad


You are right, for some reason I thought it was an 09A.....good catch....thanks for correcting that.


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## P_Wagon (Apr 26, 2013)

I tried a valve body from Ream Man. Big mistake. I replaced the valve body three times and always had a hard shift as in it felt like a solid double hit and/or slip. At one point I discussed the problems over the phone with them and I was informed that on the second valve body they were trying out a new gasket compound - windshield sealer. The dealer finally solved my problems. Watch out.


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## bjohns86 (Nov 7, 2011)

Thank you for the heads up with Ream Man! If anyone else has had issues with them, please post. Valve Body Xpress is by far the best source for VB's but you get what you pay for here. I would avoid the dealer as they are not addressing any of the causes to their abnormal valve bore wear, though they are apparently updating their solenoids. What did the dealer want for the VB?


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## P_Wagon (Apr 26, 2013)

The wife took it in while I was at work. Not sure what the invoice said - expensive no doubt. 
When it comes to the VB, don't cut any corners on the supplier. Windshield sealer? Come on. :screwy:


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## Revmax (Sep 12, 2012)

Were you able to get a new valve body and fix the issue?


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## everfife (May 23, 2013)

I find it hard to believe a company with 10 years experience in valve bodies would use windshield gaskets adhesive. I've purchased 50 + valve bodies from Ream Man and maybe have had 2 or 3 defective units. I just call them and they send another one no questions asked. I used to buy from VBX and Valve Body Pro and will never do it again. Pain in the *** with VBX and Valve Body Pro doesn't touch the linear solenoids. Whoever said the solenoids aren't the problem is wrong. That's the number one issue with Aisin Warner transmissions. Check your information before you give people the wrong answers.


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## SNS1938 (Jan 13, 2014)

I've been reading up, and have seen:

1) Valve Body Express (approx $1200)
2) Ream Man (approx $700)
3) VW Dealership (was told approx $1200)
4) this seller on eBay? http://www.ebay.com/itm/141126383816?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649 ($495)

Does anyone have experience with the eBay seller? Pacific Coast Transmissions. They have 148 feedbacks (for all eBay transactions, not necessarily for selling 09G valve bodies), and some of them are definitely for 09G valve bodies.

Thoughts?


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## boserbora 2.0 (Aug 13, 2008)

Trans go **** kit. I have the same issues. Rebuilt and the shift solenoids and it drove perfect after.


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## vwek (Mar 9, 2013)

SNS1938 said:


> I've been reading up, and have seen:
> 
> 1) Valve Body Express (approx $1200)
> 2) Ream Man (approx $700)
> ...


Why not revmax who has been commenting on this thread the entire time? http://www.revmaxconverters.com/index.php/09g-tf-60sn-597.html I've heard good things about them and will probably go with them. Revmax do you guys rebuild the entire valve body with all/most the sonnax updates on this page? - http://www.sonnax.com/units/256-TF-60SN

Edit- Didn't see the revmax page clearly state it is updated with all sonnax updates. Seems like a solid company to me.


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## BEETLEMAN2001 (Apr 14, 2014)

*Reseting the tcm that controls autotransmission shifting*

There has been much debate on this subject. But people can argue all they want. There are two ways only of resetting the TCM and BASIC settings that were set at the time of the making of your new vw.

NOTE THIS IS IMPORTANT INFORMATION STRAIGHT OUT OF THE VW SERVICE MANUAL.

The auto TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE or TCM and ENGINE CONTROL MODULE or ECM share data concerning engine and transmission operation. One piece of data that the TCM may not always 'know' is the FULL throttle position. This is known as a basic setting. The basic setting influences automatic transmission shifting and is set at the time that the vehicle is new. 
The basic setting will be lost if the battery is disconnected runs down, or if the TCM itself is disconnected. It will change if the TCM or the throttle control module is replaced. In these circumstances, the basic settings must be restored to insure proper automatic transmission operation.

1. BASIC settings can be restored using a suitable scan tool and following manufacturer's instructions.
2. Using this procedure can also do the same thing. A. Switch on the ignition but do NOT start the engine. B. Push the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor, making sure nothing is in the way preventing it from hitting the floorboard, and hold it there for 5 seconds. C. Release the pedal, and switch off the ignition.

WAYNE


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## BEETLEMAN2001 (Apr 14, 2014)

*Reseting the tcm that controls autotransmission shifting*



agent4573 said:


> Well that was an exercise in futility. I guess there really is no way to get a 3rd party cable to connect through the CAN bus unless you drop 350 bucks on a genuine ROSS-TECH cable. That isn't going to happen, and since the dealership can't figure out how to do basic settings, I guess its just not going to get reset.
> 
> On the other hand, since something so simple as resetting a computer is this complicated, I've come to the conclusion that I'll never buy another VW. Just not worth it when things go wrong. I really like the TDI Passat too, but VW is now out of the question.



There has been much debate on this subject. But people can argue all they want. There are two ways only of resetting the TCM and BASIC settings that were set at the time of the making of your new vw.

NOTE THIS IS IMPORTANT INFORMATION STRAIGHT OUT OF THE VW SERVICE MANUAL.

The auto TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE or TCM and ENGINE CONTROL MODULE or ECM share data concerning engine and transmission operation. One piece of data that the TCM may not always 'know' is the FULL throttle position. This is known as a basic setting. The basic setting influences automatic transmission shifting and is set at the time that the vehicle is new. 
The basic setting will be lost if the battery is disconnected runs down, or if the TCM itself is disconnected. It will change if the TCM or the throttle control module is replaced. In these circumstances, the basic settings must be restored to insure proper automatic transmission operation.

1. BASIC settings can be restored using a suitable scan tool and following manufacturer's instructions.
2. Using this procedure can also do the same thing. A. Switch on the ignition but do NOT start the engine. B. Push the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor, making sure nothing is in the way preventing it from hitting the floorboard, and hold it there for 5 seconds. C. Release the pedal, and switch off the ignition.

NOTE ; you can get a very inexpensive code reader/scanner tool that works. I have one it works great. HERE is the link;

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VW-Volkswag...a|Make:Volkswagen&hash=item2ebb245023&vxp=mtr

Your Welcome.

WAYNE


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## Charles66 (Jul 18, 2015)

Good thread...helped me out a lot thanks to Wayne..:thumbup:


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