So I've been searching for a week or so but I can't seem to find anything similar with any helpful info. The car is a early 92 tsi awd automatic, and the issue is that the car has sat a few years. before it was put to rest there the guy I'm getting the car from drove it to his friends house, and it had no reverse at all, however the forward gears were strong. Later in the day he went to go to his house and discovered he gained a perfect reverse, however the forward gears were almost not there, but it was enough to hobble home a mile or two. it sat there for about 4 years, started about once a month. Occasionally he tried to see if it would. A few days ago I started messing with it. I noticed the fluid was dark brown and burnt. I decided it would be stupid to buy a new trans without seeing if i could get an idea of what was wrong. I got new fluid and a can of seafoams trans cleaner. I didn't want to buy a new filter as they were not in stock but cleaned it out with gas ,air dried ,and rinsed with new fluid and it is fine enough. Put back together, backed out, and put it in drive, nothing happened but it said to let the car sit in each gear for at least 3 mins. So it sat for about 5 mins p through l and back. I got in and put it in D and it went in and seemed better so i went to move it, and it kept wanting to move. It would seem like it kept fluctuating the clutch pack, it would grab start to move and release, and repeat. so i put it in low and it wasn't there , like neutral, so i revved a little and it started to grab, after about 5 mins it was strong enough to overpower the brakes, same thing in 2nd. put it in drive and went to go down the road and it started off in 2nd or third felt like it was slipping, but randomly after in motion it felt right, but only sporadically. at 30 if it hit the kick down it would down shift and free rev but if semi-floored in second it would kinda go. the longer it was messed with the better it got. it started as immobile, now if in a only car situation in would get your there.

SO .. sorry about the life story, but I think its useful info mainly. The question is ;Does anybody have an opinion as to what is wrong with this trans? ] I think it isn't clutch issues because the fact of forward and no reverse ,changing to - reverse and no D - back to ,good back up, poor D. I'm thinking TCU or valve body issues like with the solenoids or something. I think I can rule out fluid level and a bad pump because the trans alway operates one thing well, And it occasionally really clunks when put into R so that seems like there in enough to jam it hard. WTF

How about some ways to eliminate so things, like the correct resistance for the solenoids to test if their good, maybe a way to determine if there is enough pressure from the pump, What to inspect the tcu for.