E96A4Q

Removed the heat shield; three of the toughest 10MM bolts I have taken off in a while.

Should I remove the 17MM transmission mount bolt that was covered by the heat shield: The remove the transmission mount?

E96A4Q

OK Nate!!
I have the whole picture now.
Working from the outside of the vehicle, throught he wheel well, remove heat shield.
Now take out the three 8MM hex head bolts.
PS: Living in the country, I elected not to drive to the store.
Instead, I made my 8MM Hex wrench a little shorter and fit it into an 8MM socket.
Back on track.
Thanks for the support in the past.
If you see a white blurr going backwards past you....It is me celebrating.

E96A4Q

MSF Replacement.
Well, so far the easiest part of this job was actually removing the little thing. I did find a new one, used; I tested it today and am 99% certain it is good (had the R on the IP for the first time ever).
My question is?>>>
If I fit the tranny mount, without the bushing, everything fits great.
If I put the busing on the frame, the whole tranny mount seems about 1/4 inch too high. The rear is actually a tad higher than the front.
Anyone run into this issue?
Should I try jacking up the tranny a tad? Hate to mess up now!!
Did anyone else run into this problem?
Thanks all.

upallnight

What do I have to do to remove this connector from the neutral safety switch aka multifunction switch?

Is there a clip that i need to push in or pry up?

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y29...i/IMG_0320.jpg

E96A4Q

Just unclip the metal C clip.
Piece of cake.

cdn avant

Do I need to reset the MFS code with the VAG diagnostic tool after replacement?

Great write -up BTW.

Thanks!

gti survivor

Looks like it's been about a year for this thread, so time to bring it back!

I'm in the middle of this job on a B6 ('03) Avant with the 3.0L V6. Thanks for the informative write-up, Nate! It's helped out so far...

Anyone done this before? Seems like there is even less room than on the 1.8T. I can't get the top 8mm hex bolt out of the mounting bracket. I've managed to loosen it but as it backs itself out I lose room for wrench because of the exhaust. Any and all ideas/suggestions/help would be appreciate!

cdn avant

If your using a ratchet, then you need to change tools. I sacrificed the 8mm socket by cutting off the hex stud. I then siliconed the stud into the end of a ratcheting box wrench. This allowed me to back out the bolt.

Once fixed, I sold the PITA car and bought an Escape.

gti survivor

Thanks again, Nate for an excellent write-up. In case anyone else gets into this job and is looking for help, here are a few tips and feedback after successfully completing my job. There were a few changes on my vehicle (2003 A4 Avant V6 3.0L) as compared to these writeups. See below.

Other DIY Write-ups:
http://www.audiforums.com/forum/diy-...switch-138769/

Tools and tips to make things go smoother:
1. Buy a 10mm ratcheting wrench with an adjustable head (flexes in/out) for the top bolt on the heat shield. Expect it to take you an hour to get that bolt out. Be patient and just keep working through it. There isn't a lot of room....oh and if you figure out a faster way, LET US KNOW!
2. I needed a 16mm wrench (not 17) to secure the top bolt while unscrewing the nut on the bottom of the transmission support.
3. Make sure that you have a universal extensions so that you can angle your 8mm allen socket key. I was able to break it loose with this, but the exhaust is in the way so there isn't enough room to take the top transmission bracket bolt all the way out. The only method that worked for me was simply shoving the biggest/longest flat-head screw driver inside of the allen socket and twisting little by little. Picture below.
4. Expect this job to take a while. The toughest part is getting the bolts out. Once you have the tranny bracket removed, the actual removal/installation of the F125 switch is a breeze. How long it takes for bolt removal, though, is up to your skill, toolset, and ability. I spent more hours than I'd like to admit...but then again, this is what happens when your a shade-tree mechanic, right?
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink

A4DannyBoy

When I performed this step I got underneath on my back and with one arm used a small bar with enough leverage to prior away the exhaust to free enough room so you can undo with other arm with a small spanner. It was really tough. It was a case of using a lot of strength to lever and it the short time you can hold it away get as many turns in as poss. If you lever it correctly you can insert a chick close to where your levering it save you some energy.