Automatic gearbox ... possible problem .. help/advice

[Urbanangelaine]

I'm dreading posting this as I know automatic gear boxes are expensive to fix or replace.

I have only ever had an automatic licence and never had a problem with any automatic car I have owned ... until now with my beloved Peugeot 206 cc.

I have noticed that between gears 1 and 2 it has been kind of dragging or lazy a bit. Occasionally when slowing down at queuing traffic and just hovering over the brake slowing gently and then lifting my foot the car will jolt forward. It's as if it has slowed down almost to first and thinks sod this I'm going back up to second .. this is my take on it of course!

The other night thought the most disconcerting thing happened. Driving along, hit a bump in the road and suddenly had slowed for a mini roundabout, went to pull away and on pressing accelerator the car sounded as if it were grinding and struggling to move up gears. I pulled into supermarket and stopped. Cringing about how I was going to get car back home and when I got back in car and gingerly reversed out space and then back into drive it was okay again.

All that said, I am still very aware that there seems to be a little problem between going from first into second and I also make sure I'm covering the break and not just slowly drifting in queueing traffic etc

Help appreciated with this one. Please dont tell me expensive problem as only got car recently! ;-)

[GrandadMonkey]

The solenoids are known to play up sometimes, see:

http://www.peugeot206cc.co.uk/viewtopic ... id#p110443

It is quite expensive, sorry. I'd use a local auto gearbox specialist if it does need doing.

[craigdmjv]

oh what do people say about porsche engineering lol and as thar said ring gearbox places not peugeot there expensive i got quoted 2500 for a reconditioned gearbox and got it sorted by Gloucester road gearboxes in Bristol without fitting and they use genuine parts

[Urbanangelaine]

Okay .. will have to get it checked out obviously.

Can anyone on this site advise of reputable but reasonable gearbox specialists in the Edinburgh area?

Thanks in anticipation of any responses!

[52nd of February]

Hi Urbanangelaine,

I've got an auto too and I sometimes get the same problem, and what happens in mine is when I get hair, grass etc down in the gate, it causes the sensors to go haywire - the car rolls back on hills, car revs before suddenly smalling into gear and jolting forward, all kinds of nasty things like that :/ A simple clean with tweezers fixes it every time. Mine's a tiptronic if it makes any difference though

Hope it gets sorted soon!

[Urbanangelaine]

Being a female and not too clever with the technicalities of cars, what is the 'gate' please. My car is just automatic and not tiptronic gearbox.

I await the reply but will give a go when I know where to look for the gate

Thanks for advice

Elaine

[GrandadMonkey]

The gate is the slot that the gear lever (selector) moves in.

[52nd of February]

Being a female and not too clever with the technicalities of cars, what is the 'gate' please. My car is just automatic and not tiptronic gearbox.

I await the reply but will give a go when I know where to look for the gate

Thanks for advice

Elaine

Hehe I'm female too, my mechanic taught me these things

But yes as Grandad says, the gate is the opening where Park, Drive, Neutral, Reverse and Manual gear selection are, which is where the problem is in mine but if yours isn't tiptronic then it might not be the cause :/). most cars have it closed or covered with a boot but Peugeot decided to go with the racey look - highly impractical! Anyway I hope it solves it for you......

[Urbanangelaine]

Thanks for info

[Urbanangelaine]

Well, the problem has risen it's ugly head another twice since I first posted this. Even put car into local garage, they took it for test drive and almost told me I was imagining things!

It happened today again, a loud clunk and then a
started whirring for the rest of short journey I was on!

Phoned an auto gearbox specialist and they asked make and model .. straight away I was told this vehicle was reknowned for doing this, reeled off exactly what was wrong, what they do to rectify and the price £540 plus VAT. They may also have to replace some valve .. the total cost plus VAT will be £740 .. can't wait!

[GrandadMonkey]

Don't say I didn't warn you Elaine .... French automatics..... I did own a Peugeot 505 Family Estate once with an automatic gearbox and I had no problems with that but I don't think I'd risk another French automatic. Renault automatics don't have a good reputation either.

At least you've gone to the right sort of repairer - a dedicated auto gearbox specialist, so they should know exactly what they are doing. They'll renew your transmission fluid while they're at it, so you should be good for many thousands of miles after it has been done.

Good luck,

Ron

[Urbanangelaine]

Yeah thank you .. at a huge cost too! At least it's not a brand new gear box I'm having to replace. Car goes in on Wednesday and I'm driving gingerly to say the least as I need the car for my shifts. Roll on Wednesday morning when I drop it of at the garage!

I only have an automatic licence and have had about 7 cars with auto gearbox .. NEVER had a problem with any of them til now. Getting my fair share of problems now Hey ho!

They did say they would change the fluid and some valve if required! Don't think I heard half of what was said as I was still tring to digest the info about the cost lol!

[Urbanangelaine]

Well folks a bit of news re what I thought was a gearbox problem

I'm advised by the garage that there is some kind of leak, also the drive shaft, some switch requires replacing and they reckon the clutch may be slipping because of the leak?? Who knows?

They are doing the drive shaft tomorrow,.replacing whatever switch it is, connecting to the diagnostic machine again as there was something not registering first time round but could be to do with the leak? Then it's going on a test drive!

I'm none the wiser and hope I'm not being taken for a ride . They did say it wasn't as bad as expected but given a drive sjaft is being done along with other odds and ends me thinks it won't be that much cheaper than getting gearbox sorted out

Watch this space .. oh and if someone can give me an idea of what has actually gone wrong and can put to me in layman's terms it would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Urbanangelaine]

It just gets better and better!

New seal being put on drive shaft. Fluid levels being topped up. Gears 2 and 3 now sluggish/damaged because it has been driven with low levels (the car relatively new to me so goodness knows how long).

I've to test drive it for as long as I wish to see how I get on!. Failing that £1600 to have gearbox overhauled! I bought the car in November and paid £2900 for it .. it is an 02 plate. Question is, is it worth paying out £1600 quid on :-(

What to do for the best! Don't have that sort of money at present either!

[GrandadMonkey]

Let's do the Maths Elaine.

By spending £1600 you'd have paid £4500 for a car now worth £2000 max in good condition. You've said yourself it could have been better looked after by previous owners.

The car's value in good condition: Dealer £2075, Private £1920, Part Exchange £1885, Trade £1675 (Source WhatCar.com).

With the source of the leak sorted, and with the ATF topped up, I'd drive it and see how it is. If I wasn't happy with it, and felt it might let me down again soon, I'd part exchange it for something else now. In springtime convertibles are easier to sell and fetch their best prices. If happy with it, keep it for a while and enjoy it - but keep your fingers crossed all the time. If it doesn't go wrong immediately then you may find that your confidence in it will grow.

I personally would not fork out £1600 on the gearbox - I'd cut my losses as above.

Ron