We're talking about a '99 Jetta, 2.0, 4-speed auto transmission. Doesn't belong to me, but I drive it about twice a year and do routine maintenance on it.
About 6 months ago, I noticed what I thought was tire tread noise, the kind that develops if the tires aren't rotated regularly. I advised owner to have tires rotated, and they were.
This weekend, drove it again, and the noise is much worse. It's particularly bad from zero to about 25 mph, in first and second gears. Sounds like very loud tire tread noise, like off-road truck tires make. Tapers off but never disappears as third and fourth gears engage.
Also noticed for the first time this weekend that it hesitates before shifting into drive, a second or two. Uh oh.
I'm now thinking transmission trouble. Pulled out the Bentley to see how to check trans fluid level, and it's just ridiculous. Somehow, they could have figured out how to add a dipstick -- but anyway, here are my questions:
Is there a typical, common cause for such a noise in these cars? Are they prone to transmission or final drive failures that make such a noise?
Is it necessary to jump through the flaming hoops of fire that VW recommends, just in order to check fluid level? Can I simply drive until normal operating temp is reached, and then pull the plug?
Can trans fluid be added without using the special tool shown in the Bentley? Can I simply use a funnel and a length of tubing and snake it down to the filler hole, like I do with manual VW trannies?