Diesel Automatic: Advice please

I own a 1982 Diesel Automatic 5-door and live in Portugal. This is probably the only Diesel Automatic in the entire country, because the car was imported directly from Germany (an Automatic was not available in Portugal back in '82).

The car is working fine, mainly because it has little more than 130.000 km on it (88.000 miles). My worry is if the Automatic transmission should ever develop a problem, I don't know who to turn to!

If I go "to the nearest VW dealer" like it says in the manual (:mrgreen I am sure to get a strange face from the mechanics!

Any ideas? Does anyone here have a Diesel Automatic, and if so, have you had any problems?

Thanks in advance.

P.S. How do you use the E gear in this transmission? I used to think it was for saving gas but I noticed that I was not getting extra mileage for using this gear (which disengages the transmission and allows one to "coast" at idle speed, engaging gear again as soon as you accelerate). It appears to only be useful in town when I stop at traffic lights, because it lowers noise and vibration at stops, and also allows me to drive away without having to shift to D.

AutomaticZE said

This is probably the only Diesel Automatic in the entire country.

Sounds rare to me , sorry can't help .

Hi there, think the VW 3 speed autobox was a similar unit in most VW's up until early 90's - can you see a 2/3 letter code on the gearbox casting. Main differences would have been the final drive. Good start would be to drain off and renew the automatic transmisson fluid.

Never heard of an E gear on an auto, sounds very much like neutral? Autobox will have a neutral and should be labeled P = Park, R = Reverse, N = Neutral, D = Drive then 1 2 3.

Cheers

...it uses more petrol than a manual...put a manual box in...

GeorgeDixon said

…it uses more petrol than a manual…put a manual box in…

Not as easy - or cheap - as fisrt would seem! An awful lot would need swapping over, offsetting any fuel economy improvements. A diesel auto is a pretty rare combination, especially on a small car. Its never going to be a hot hatch but it would be a nice combination to drive.

... besides a diesel auto uses no petrol anyway