Finally got my S5 transmission sorted after months of worrying
I just wanted to pop on here and share my experience because I know how stressful this stuff can be when your car starts acting up and you're not sure what's wrong. My 2017 S5 Sportback with the ZF 8-speed had been doing this annoying thing where it would sometimes hesitate when pulling away from traffic lights, almost like it was caught between gears for a split second before engaging properly. I took it to two different garages and neither of them could figure it out, one said it was probably the mechatronics and quoted me a ridiculous amount for a replacement, the other just said it was normal wear and tear and not to worry about it. I was losing sleep over it honestly because I drive from Abu Dhabi to Dubai for work every day and the last thing I need is to be stuck on the side of the Sheikh Zayed Road with a dead transmission. Eventually a colleague at work recommended a specialist he'd used before and I decided to give them a shot. They did a full diagnosis and said the fluid was old and had lost its viscosity, which was causing the pressure to drop intermittently. They did an Audi Transmission Oil Change Abu Dhabi and I cannot believe the difference it's made, the car feels absolutely brand new and all that hesitation is completely gone. I actually asked them to show me the old fluid and it was dark brown and smelled burnt, which made me feel pretty stupid for leaving it so long honestly. The whole experience was such a relief and I'm genuinely kicking myself for not getting it sorted earlier instead of driving around stressed out for months. If anyone else is having similar issues with their Audi I'd strongly recommend getting the fluid checked before you start panicking about expensive repairs, because in my case it was such a simple fix and it's transformed how the car drives.