Reconditioned SEAT Gearbox

Did the SEAT gearbox evolve in the same way across all generations, from 1998 to 2024?

The answer is no, and that is precisely what makes identification so complicated. Between 1998 and the 2010s, SEAT models shared the VAG architecture of the time on a large scale: 5-speed manual gearboxes on the smaller naturally aspirated engines of the Cordoba and first-generation Ibiza, then a move upmarket to 6-speed manuals with the more powerful TDI and TSI engines. From around 2012, the DSG made a significant appearance on the León and Altea, with variants of the DSG 6 and DSG 7 depending on the engine and the power being transmitted. The generational shift is therefore far from trivial: a 2001 Ibiza and a 2015 Ibiza share absolutely no gearbox components whatsoever.

Identification pitfalls by engine family

The 1.9 TDI illustrates the difficulty well: it encompasses around fifteen engine codes (AGR, AJM, ALH, ARL, ASV, ATD, AUY, AXR, BKC, BLS, BLT, BXE, BXF…) spread across different power outputs and model years, and the associated gearbox varies depending on the exact code. The 1.9 TDI 130, identified solely by the code ASZ, receives a different transmission from the rest of the 1.9 family. The same logic applies to the 2.0 TDI: the BKD and BMM codes from the early years do not correspond to the CAGA, CJCA or DFFA references found on later versions. On the petrol side, the 1.4 TSI comes in five codes (CAVE, CAXC, CTHE, CTJC, CZCA), not all of which require the same gearbox, and the 1.0 TSI covers distinct codes (CHZ, CHZJ, DKL, DKLA, DKR) depending on the engine generation.

Leon, Ibiza, Ateca: why the model makes all the difference

The León accounts for the largest share of references available as reconditioned gearboxes, which reflects both its long history and the diversity of its engines over twenty-five years. The Ibiza follows with a significant volume, but its gearboxes come predominantly from the era of small naturally aspirated units — 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4 — whose codes AZQ, BME or BKY are not shared with León or Altea references. The Ateca, being more recent, uses exclusively DSG 7 gearboxes on its TSI and TDI versions. For the Toledo, Arona and Exeo, the lower volumes reflect shorter production runs or engines shared with other models in the group. Checking the engine code stamped on the original part remains the only reliable way to match the correct reference, regardless of the model.