VR6 automatic disaster.

[Jace]

Don't want to be quick to throw statements, but for safety I'll ask two things..

-Have you driven a manual VR6 properly before, and
-What's your other car?

I'm not sure if you've been living with Lotuses and similar or something, but it's definitely not as bad a combination as you make it seem to be..

My other car is a 1990 MX5, with adjustable damping coilovers, bracing, lightweight wheels and track spec tyres.
The shift in MX5's, and whole gearbox for that matter, is totally short, smooth and lovely.
Yes, I did test drive a manual VR6 prior to buying this one.
It put power down a lot better, and yes it felt a heap faster.
That's something I wanted to move away from, I get myself into too much trouble in manual cars. (because they feel sporty, I guess I want to throw them into corners and kick the clutch etc.)

My VR6, being auto, appealed to me because it had everything I wanted from a car. It ticked all the boxes.
My other other car is a 1968 Mercedes 250S, that's also manual (rare as).
The MX5 is too small to drive around with friends on weekends, and the Mercedes is a pain in the bum.
I wanted a smooth, low road noise, automatic, sort of powerful and quick, could fit my mates and luggage in, slightly-different-but-would-usually-go-totally-unnoticed-to-cops sort of car.

I'm a fan of Euro anything, and this is where I've consequently ended up.

[-Dell-]

My other car is a 1990 MX5, with adjustable damping coilovers, bracing, lightweight wheels and track spec tyres.
The shift in MX5's, and whole gearbox for that matter, is totally short, smooth and lovely.
Yes, I did test drive a manual VR6 prior to buying this one.
It put power down a lot better, and yes it felt a heap faster.
That's something I wanted to move away from, I get myself into too much trouble in manual cars. (because they feel sporty, I guess I want to throw them into corners and kick the clutch etc.)

My VR6, being auto, appealed to me because it had everything I wanted from a car. It ticked all the boxes.
My other other car is a 1968 Mercedes 250S, that's also manual (rare as).
The MX5 is too small to drive around with friends on weekends, and the Mercedes is a pain in the bum.
I wanted a smooth, low road noise, automatic, sort of powerful and quick, could fit my mates and luggage in, slightly-different-but-would-usually-go-totally-unnoticed-to-cops sort of car.

I'm a fan of Euro anything, and this is where I've consequently ended up.

Re-reading my previous post I felt a sense of arrogance which I had hoped you wouldn't pick up and bite back on, and I'm glad I got what I asked for! I have to comment you on the machinery you own, very out of the ordinary but yet gorgeous list

In that case I would assume that you're sticking to the auto transmission, and I hope that it all goes well.. A VR6 breaking is not an uncommon sight (touch wood nothing serious has happened to mine.. yet) but it's so worth it to patch her right back up..

I guess they're like women - Hugely temperamental until you throw lots of cash at her, at which point she'll be making all the right noises!

[MattyT]

You have much to learn about ladies, young dell

Thats quite the garage you have, i like! I like your idea about having a lazy but cruisy auto euro sled to slink around in on the weekend, but sadly vw auto boxes just... arent that good. Very failure prone. Ever thought about something like a Mercedes W126?

[chris.]

My other car is a 1990 MX5, with adjustable damping coilovers, bracing, lightweight wheels and track spec tyres.
The shift in MX5's, and whole gearbox for that matter, is totally short, smooth and lovely.
Yes, I did test drive a manual VR6 prior to buying this one.
It put power down a lot better, and yes it felt a heap faster.
That's something I wanted to move away from, I get myself into too much trouble in manual cars. (because they feel sporty, I guess I want to throw them into corners and kick the clutch etc.)

My VR6, being auto, appealed to me because it had everything I wanted from a car. It ticked all the boxes.
My other other car is a 1968 Mercedes 250S, that's also manual (rare as).
The MX5 is too small to drive around with friends on weekends, and the Mercedes is a pain in the bum.
I wanted a smooth, low road noise, automatic, sort of powerful and quick, could fit my mates and luggage in, slightly-different-but-would-usually-go-totally-unnoticed-to-cops sort of car.

I'm a fan of Euro anything, and this is where I've consequently ended up.

a fair few of my mates have hevily modded mx5's and im always out with alot of mazda guys (rx7/8's & mps's) and i havent found one yet that can keep up when im running decent tyres



but on topic: i think the way to go would be second hand unless you have the money to throw at it
GL with it anyway man

[Mrk_Mickey]

Sounds like you needed a reliable car. You should have bought a nice old beemer sedan with a 6 in it. Goes unnoticed, smooth, strong, roomy, hell it's even got a boot......and I bet you their boxes are a damned sight better than the VR ones.

VR6's are at that age where you can literally talk about the car behind its back and it will crap out something that no longer works. Good luck with your enormous rebuild cost

[Jace]

I guess they're like women - Hugely temperamental until you throw lots of cash at her, at which point she'll be making all the right noises!

You're how old?

Thats quite the garage you have, i like! I like your idea about having a lazy but cruisy auto euro sled to slink around in on the weekend, but sadly vw auto boxes just... arent that good. Very failure prone. Ever thought about something like a Mercedes W126?

I certainly have. I wanted something small. Thanks though mate, I appreciate that.

Sounds like you needed a reliable car. You should have bought a nice old beemer sedan with a 6 in it. Goes unnoticed, smooth, strong, roomy, hell it's even got a boot......and I bet you their boxes are a damned sight better than the VR ones.

VR6's are at that age where you can literally talk about the car behind its back and it will crap out something that no longer works. Good luck with your enormous rebuild cost

I'm finding that out the hard way. A Beemer would be nice, either something like an E21 two door, E28 wagon etc.
When I was making better cash, I was tempted to get a loan and buy either a MKIV R32, or a BMW E39 540i.



Auto box is almost out, I'll find out on monday what the internals are like.

[Mrk_Mickey]

Oh I wish the day would come soon, when I could afford to either buy or get a loan for a mk4 R. I'm sick of my VR6. Anyone want it? lol..

[Jace]

If it's auto and non-broken, I'm potentially interested (assuming I can hustle my car off to someone)

[Golf Loon]

Autos on VR6s are all ticking time bombs.

This thread is funny. There are lots of warnings about the autos on here saying how bad they are, then you get one and act all suprised that we are right.

Good luck with the pulling apart of the box. There is one company in Oz that I would trust to rebuild that box and it will cost you thousands. Your mechanic will find this out.

A secondhand auto will be around $2k fitted at least and will then begin its ticking until explosion.

Sorry, I dont meant to sound superior, I have just seen it all before.

Good Luck with it.

[Jace]

I'm only surprised that it happened a no more than a week after I bought it. I expected trouble, don't assume that I didn't. Just didn't expect is so ridiculously soon (considering I haven't driven it hard yet).
Money is insignificant to me. I'm not fussed how much it costs, just hatin' the fact that I have to work my ****ty job for that much longer to afford everything. If I was making more, I'd be happy to fork out for a full professional rebuild.

[scoob02]

Sorry to get off the topic, but does anybody envisage similiar problems with DSG's down the track?

and would an early 90's Audi 100 be a risk with auto box? just thinking an old euro cruiser with a big back seat and boot could be quiet useful

Good luck mate with the VR6, such bad luck - you must of walked under a ladder or something

[Golf Loon]

I reckon DSGs are gonna be plagued with problems. 7 individual clutch packs, controlled by a computer, what could go wrong???


Already seeing a few that are flaring and playing up at lowish ks. All the blokes I know that work in dealerships have changed a few.

The ealy audi boxes do break, but they are a simpler mechanical box without electronics inside and are cheap and easy to rebuild.

Get a shifting stick and stirr your own pudding I reckon.

[stevegwall]

Auto vs manual

I am in the position of having a manual and auto VR6. When i want 'sporty' i hop on my kawasaki 750 ninja. Now thats sporty!
An auto rebuild will see you for at least 10 years and you get a warranty for at least 12 months or longer.
Good luck with whatever you choose.

[VR6child]

Doesn't DSG have a long powertrain warranty? I thought I read that somewhere. I may be far off track, when it comes to VW's I'm stuck in the 90's.

[MattyT]

I sat in an auto vr6 today, and that big ugly t-bar column shift just doesnt fit the rest of the vr6's sporty(ish) interior.