Used Car Just Over 1 Year - Gearbox Fault!

forgotmyname

You can be a specialist with a £20 Haynes manual and £40 worth of pullers and £20 worth of feeler guages and a few other small items.

If you can use a spanner then you can strip a gearbox. OK you may have to measure the clearances several times where an expert may only need to measure it once and get it spot on but nothing difficult.

I think your more likely to have a clutch issue also. Probably got a buyer for your gearbox lined up.

Coeus

Hi all.

Many thanks for all the input - I have clarified the issue below.

Get the message loud and clear! Not a snowballs chance in hell under any rights argument.

To be fair Lookers have offered to contribute so I will "bite their hand off".

I have bought a few cars from them over the years and my family a few more on that so a goodwill gesture would go a long way!

Thanks all for the input! - will let you know how I get on however if you think the problem rings a bell please let me know I will go in a bit more prepared this way.

Problem:

Car has significant difficulty getting into the lower gears - all seems fine with the fifth gear.

It can take a few attempts to get it into gear - if not successful the first time putting it into neutral, releasing the clutch and then putting it back into gear usually works the first time if not the second.

Marktheshark - The car DOES go into gear without issue when the engine is NOT running.

AdrianC - agreed no proof - if a gearbox issue which a few seems as unlikely (in favour of a clutch issue) though may stand a chance as unusual for a car of its age and mileage.

bigjl - I have pumped the clutch. Seems to remedy the issue for a period then need to repeat!

arcon5 - appreciate the comment will get Lookers to diagnose!

bigjl - How much for you to fix - you sound very knowledgeable! :-)


Seems to be more a clutch issue with the above rather than gearbox - hopefully that's a good thing!


Regards,


Coeus.

bigjl

The fact that pumping the clutch helps is good news.

It isn't the gearbox.

As I thought it's a clutch problem.

There is a master cylinder which is at the clutch pedal end and a concentric slave which is at the clutch.

I must admit I don't know when the clutch fluid should be replaced on a mk3 Clio as I never did it on mine.

But since pumping helps them there's a possibility a simple fluid change or bleeding of the system could sort it.

The master cylinder is around the £80/100 mark and the concentric slave is about £50/70, LuK would be my preferred manufacturer but Borg&Beck and Valeo are also good makes.

The problem is that to get to the slave you have to take the gearbox off so once you have done that you may aswell change the entire clutch, you don't have to, especially due to your cars low miles, as the biggest cost in a clutch change is usually labour.

Anyway, I digress.

First Step- Change clutch fluid and bleed clutch and see what difference it makes.

I would probably not use your current Mechanic for this work, if Lookers are being helpful.

Coeus

Thanks bigjl - taken it all onboard.

Excellent news not being the gearbox!

Really appreciate all the input this is all for my GF and she's quite distressed about it.

I'm going to take it to the trusted family mechanic armed with all this info hopefully get it all sorted.

Will let you know how it goes!


Thanks again,


Coeus.

arcon5

forgotmyname wrote: »

You can be a specialist with a £20 Haynes manual and £40 worth of pullers and £20 worth of feeler guages and a few other small items.

If you can use a spanner then you can strip a gearbox. OK you may have to measure the clearances several times where an expert may only need to measure it once and get it spot on but nothing difficult.

I think your more likely to have a clutch issue also. Probably got a buyer for your gearbox lined up.

And all you need to be an accountant is a calculator and an aat book.
A politician a statute book and big mouth. A surgeon £40 of knives and a book on anatomy.

arcon5

Even if bleeding it makes it better then don't bank on it being as simple as that op, as has been suggested. It's a closed hydraulic system so if air has got in it has got in somewhere

arcon5

societys_child wrote: »

Hey thanks, as a DIYer and having stripped and repaired a few in my time, I must be a specialist! Who'd have thought


But is he a mechanic (few and far between these days) or is he a parts fitter?

My nan changed a fuse last week, she must be an electrician.

There's a world of difference between you fixing one or two boxes and you doing so on a commercial basis. There's a reason most garages across the country send boxes off to specialist companies

bigjl wrote: »

Because some of us used to diagnose the problems and tell the Mechanic what to fix.

If you push the clutch down and the car is difficult to get out of gear then the clutch is at fault, if the OP gives it a blip of revs and it comes out easier again it's a clutch problem.

If the OP pumps the clutch a few times and it becomes easier to get out of gear (or into gear) then it's the clutch.

You can drive a car with no clutch to compare. Simply drive along and try and pull the car out of gear (after lifting off) sometimes it is difficult to get out, give it a blip of throttle and it slips out nice and easy.

I drove my Renault 5 round the A406 for several miles when the clutch cable snapped.

Thanks for that, I don't need teaching to suck eggs.

You clearly missed the point

societys_child

arcon5 wrote: »

My nan changed a fuse last week, she must be an electrician.

So you agree that:

Most mechanics wouldn't be capable of fixing a gearbox, it's a specialist job!

. . . was a load of bull and in actual fact, anyone who is so minded can do it themselves.:T