Master rebuild kit for the VW 01M four-speed automatic in MK3 and MK4 Jetta and Golf, New Beetle, Cabrio and Passat, part 01M 325 429.
A MK3 or MK4 Jetta or Golf, a New Beetle or a Cabrio with the 01M automatic that flares between gears, bangs into third, or drops into limp mode with every gear lit on the cluster is a familiar sight in any shop that works on VWs. When the frictions are gone, the fix is a full overhaul, and this master rebuild kit, referenced to part number 01M 325 429, supplies the wear parts for that job in one box.
The 01M is a four-speed transverse automatic with a lockup converter, planetary gearsets, clutch packs, a band and a gear-driven final drive. Wikipedia notes it was engineered by STA, the Renault-owned plant in France, and is closely related to the earlier 096. Shifts are commanded by solenoids in an aluminum valve body, then held by clutches that oil pressure clamps against their pistons. The product photos show friction plates and steel plates for the clutch packs, molded piston seals, sealing rings and O-rings, the pan and case gaskets, and a new filter. That covers the parts that wear or harden in normal service. Drums, hubs, the band and the pump are hard parts you inspect and replace only if they are damaged.
Wikipedia lists torn piston diaphragms, overheated plastic internals and worn solenoid bores in the valve body among the 01M's known weak points, and all of them end in burnt clutches.
Limp mode is not proof of a mechanical failure. Ross-Tech's entry for fault 00652, gear monitoring implausible signal, lists low fluid, dirty or failed speed sensors, a faulty multi-function switch and the valve body ahead of the clutches as causes. Transmission Digest's 1998 Jetta case shows a failed solenoid and an add-on radio loading the diagnostic line producing the same kind of complaint. Check the fluid level the correct way, read the codes, and test solenoid resistance before pulling the unit. If the level is right, the electrics pass and it still slips, read our transmission slipping diagnosis guide, then plan the rebuild.
Listed fitment: Jetta and Golf/GTI MK3 1994-1999, Jetta and Golf/GTI MK4 1999-2006, New Beetle 1998-2005, New Beetle Convertible 2003-2005, Cabrio 1995-2002, Passat 1990-1997 and Corrado. The 01M itself ran from about 1995, and earlier cars on that list may carry the 096 predecessor, so read the transmission code on the case and send us your year and VIN if you are unsure. Other 01M parts are listed under rebuild kits.
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MK4 Jetta 1999-2006 with the 01M four-speed is on the listed fitment. Confirm the code on the case reads 01M; send the year and VIN if you want us to check.
No. The 01M has no dipstick. The level is set through the check plug in the pan with the engine running, in Park, at about 35-38 C fluid temperature.
VW G 052 162, or an equivalent such as Pentosin ATF-1 or Mercon V. The final drive uses its own gear oil, so check that level too.
Maybe not. Limp mode in third can come from low fluid, a speed sensor, the multi-function switch, a solenoid or a wiring fault. Read the codes and test the electrics first.
Inspect the valve body for worn solenoid bores, test the solenoids, and check the ATF cooler for coolant leaks. Replace drums with worn sealing ring lands.
