Need an automatic gearbox - Saxperience

Hilts · 26th October 2016, 23:31

This is a great forum, have used it many times as I keep our 1998 Saxo on the road including a lengthy head gasket replacement. It is a 1.4 automatic and had the AA tow of shame back home due to a very load clunking noise which the AA bloke guessed was either a driveshaft or gearbox/diff issue. I have removed the driveshaft and can see no obvious fault with it so reckon the gearbox is kaput. There is a recent leak around the sump and the oil is very old due to ignorance of need to change it. Can anyone point me in the direction of a reliable replacement? I am in Fife (Scotland) but do realise these are going to be rare. Have seen the thread on a replacement done a few years ago by Vince so I have hope. If I can get a new box I plan to document the change with pictures.

Many thanks

Calum

axsaxoman · 27th October 2016, 08:33

first thing ask yourself the question --how much is the car worth to you ?
If the answer is not a lot --then time to look for another car
If +when you find a s/h auto box it will be very old+ liable for same breakdown --
your first port of call should be to find out a price to recon your box from an auto box specialsit --then you know worst scenario
then go look under "hens teeth " on ebay etc
we sold ver 200 saxo,s when we were a citroen dealer --never sold an auto -- very rare car +later ones were all 1.6 not 1.4 --but my guess is either type will do

stevo67 · 28th October 2016, 09:20

My auto box on the saxo has been clunking for the last 5yrs & is still going strong.Drain out the fluid & check it's clear ie no pieces of metal/swarf in the fluid.Both 1.4 & 1.6 auto boxes are the same.Cost of reconditioning the box your looking at £1200.00.The clunk as the AA guy said is a worn diff.

BUMMERS · 28th October 2016, 10:03

£1200?!

Could buy a fleet of saxos for that.

axsaxoman · 28th October 2016, 15:40

is dif unit same as manual box ?

stevo67 · 29th October 2016, 11:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by axsaxoman

is dif unit same as manual box ?

That I honestly don't know & apologies if I offended you the other day.

Hilts · 31st October 2016, 09:28

Thanks for the replies. It is a well loved car, if it was economics alone it would have been scrapped long ago. There is a Citroen specialist a few miles away so I will try there first. Not sure if the love extends to a £1,200 bill though.

stevo67 · 31st October 2016, 11:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hilts

Thanks for the replies. It is a well loved car, if it was economics alone it would have been scrapped long ago. There is a Citroen specialist a few miles away so I will try there first. Not sure if the love extends to a £1,200 bill though.

You may be lucky & get it fixed for less,i'm not a gearbox specialist mate.Only know the price quoted to me for fixing one.

Hilts · 31st October 2016, 21:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevo67

You may be lucky & get it fixed for less,i'm not a gearbox specialist mate.Only know the price quoted to me for fixing one.

Going to try and get back on the road. First thing is to jack it up high and have a good look underneath to see if it is anything obvious. He will not go down without a fight

citroensaxo · 31st October 2016, 21:59

The automatic gearbox dealers in Tonbridge where we live he spoke to me personally about all the new parts that we would need to purchase, when they would be refurbishing our old automatic gearbox.( because the splines on the shaft for the pump inside the automatic gearbox had sheered. )

They wanted £ 1200.00 plus all of the new parts that we would need to buy from them on top of the £ 1200.00 and that there would also be 20 % VAT

Plus I would still have to remove said engine and automatic gearbox and take the old transmission to them for them to refurbish it.
We bought one for £ 75.00 plus £ 40.00 postage it was from a low mileage car. the automatic gearbox came with its own E.C.U

Vince

axsaxoman · 1st November 2016, 08:45

If you do get yours rebuilt --just make sure they are going to give you a warranty as if it was a total recon == not just a repair --which would mean if others things broke later that they had not replaced ,then they would not be covered +would be chargable
If it was me I would want a totally remanufactured box with warranty .or just buy a s/h from scappie --anything else is chancy--
not strictly true if it was mine --I would strip it and examine +decide if it was worth rebuilding it,after pricing parts

stevo67 · 1st November 2016, 15:18

Try these guys
http://www.frenchspares.com/

Hilts · 7th November 2016, 08:56

Update; had another look around and discovered the bearing was at the end of it's useful life, the wheel went round - just. Shame on you AA man, he dismissed it as a bearing problem. Bought a bearing removal kit and a new bearing, old one came out, new one went in but the inside diameter is too big for the hub, so back to the factors today for the correct bearing. Nothing is ever simple. Still a bearing is a lot cheaper than a box.

Calum

axsaxoman · 7th November 2016, 10:41

If you were a top class mechanic --would you want to work for AA or any breakdown company out in the rain +snow at half the rate of a dealership?-
-NO----so don,t expect first class mechanics on breakdown trucks

stevo67 · 7th November 2016, 13:50

I had an old metro that wouldn't start,so called out the AA.He said it's the immobiliser I replied they were never fitted to this model(which they weren't)It turned out to be a relay that needed replacing.

Ben_SaxoForte · 7th November 2016, 15:52

So the AA towed it home just because of the clunking noise? if i'd had my saxo towed every time it clunked it would be permanently on tow hahaha

Hilts · 11th February 2017, 20:59

Another update. Bearing has been changed so I now need to get it going again to see if the clunk is still there. Cannot find a new gearbox filter and gasket anywhere so I flushed out the filter and will RTV the sump back on. I noticed the transmission fluid cooler is not connected to the cooling system and hasn't been for years. Should I plumb it back in? If I do it looks like it will take the hot water coming from the thermostat not the cool water from after the radiator. Anyone have any experience?

Cheers

Calum

stevo67 · 12th February 2017, 12:17

Try the citroen main dealer for the filter,or ring up an automatic gearbox specialist & ask them where they get they'res from.The fluid cooler should be plumbed in.

Hilts · 21st February 2017, 22:35

Need to rename this thread, AA man was wrong. It was the bearing that was shot, confirmed. Drove it on the drive tonight and no noises. Only problem is putting the old gasket on the gearbox sump back on with rtv wasn't 100% successful - it leaks. Going to try a gearbox specialist for a new gasket, any suggestions would be welcome.

Cheers

Calum