I see a lot of threads about being stuck in third, but not so many for first. I have a 1.8t/auto that runs fine and great, no problems on side streets or short trips. However...

When the tranny gets a good work out - say an hour or so of honest driving, across town especially, it locks up into first gear and I'm stuck doing 15mph. The car has to run continually for at least an hour, getting good and hot.

I just, just, just bought the car - about two weeks ago. The first day we had it, we drove it across town to our house and then back to the dealership to drop off papers. On the way back, it locked up. We were still close, so we turned around and the dealership (NOT a VW dealership) took it to their mechanic who said it only needed trans fluid. He flushed the trans, added fluid and changed the filter.

It didn't happen again until the night before last. This time I'd driven across town in rush-hour traffic, then hopped on the highway to cut uptown. On the highway, I noticed the revs sticking a bit (a sort of unresponsiveness to my pressing the pedal?). It just wasn't acting right. Sure enough, soon as I got off the off-ramp and pulled into traffic, I was stuck in first with my revs just going up, but nothing happening. Again, I took it to the dealership (it's still under the Lemon Law warranty) and they brought it to the same mechanic who said that it was now TOO full, so he let out some fluid and then drove it around the block a few times. Of course, it didn't act up for him.

I have this feeling it's not the fluid level - that doesn't make any sense. Any ideas?