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Automatic gearbox woes

7K views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  Aries1604 
#1 ·
My pride and joy (a 45 2.0/V6) is currently languishing in a nearby car park, awaiting the vagaries of AA Roadside Assistance.

This morning it started fine as usual, with no problems along the way. I stopped to pick up a newspaper, and returned to the car to find that I had no forward drive at all. Reverse gear is fine (though not ideal for driving!), but there is absolutely no response in the other direction. A well-meaning passer by suggested that the gear box had gone, and gave me a tale of a gear box replacement which cost him hundreds.

Before I resign myself to paying a fortune, I'd like to know if there's any other cause that would affect the drive like this. There was no prior warning (as far as I heard) to suggest that the gearbox was packing up. A colleague thoiught that it might be a blocked filter(?) or a blown fuse (??) but I'd be grateful if anyone has any better ideas on the subject.
 
#2 ·
Possibly something simple like replacing the solenoid pack on the front of the gearbox as its so sudden, some more info would be needed...

Mileage, last fluid change (if its had one), etc ... Don't let the garage swap the box out without some investigation. Ascroft transmissions are the people in the know about the JATCO (its not a rover auto the box was made by the same company that most manufacturers use) in that and they do recon boxes for a fair sum should it require.

Personally I'd take the car to an Xpart garage (none of these specialists as alot often arent special by any means!!!!) they will have the necessary kit to talk to the car/boxes ecu to ask it whats wrong. Other places generally wont as its rover kit to do the job

EDIT: linky -- http://www.xpart.com/RVE5c9ac39906804c5ebcd2c17827e40b7c,,.aspx find a serice centre close to you
 
#4 ·
I had similar problems with a 1.8 auto 45 after going through some deep water, plus the gearbox warning light came on. In and out of the garage (an ex rover dealer) who put it on the diagnostic test equipment and traced the fault to a bad connection on the inhibitor switch (plug with three wires on top of gearbox) they dryed out the plug refitted it and then covered it with grease. Fault came back from time to time so I had a new inhibitor switch fitted at the sum of £26 with free labour charge as they did it on under warranty from their previous repair. I understand that the V6 has a similar gearbox so it might be worth looking at.
 
#5 ·
you are mistaken, completely different boxes - 1.8 45 uses a cvt zsft box (a rubber band, 2 pulleys and not much else in it) 2.0 uses a jatco box with real planetary gear sets, lots of clutches and a torque converter.. I do tend to agree some sort of control failure as they usually begin to slip and behave badly if its mechanical but no guarantees!!! At 80k really it should have ben changed long ago by a dealer with their computer to refill but thats an aside if it survives get it done ................

I echo my on comments- get it to an xpart service centre so they can interrogate the box's computer
 
#7 ·
Thanks for all the useful advice.

I had the car recovered to an Xpart garage, where they eventually got round to hooking up the diagnostic unit. The result was that the unit was "unable to communicate with the car". A visiting specialist (?) diagnosed "complete failure" of the gear box, and I was quoted £1600 for a replacement. As the car is only worth around £1900, I'm unlikely to take up their kind offer.

Subsequent trawling of the internet, and parts supply firms, has failed to produce a source for a re-conditioned replacement which I thought I might be able to install by myself.

So it looks like another lovely car is heading for the breakers yard...
 
#10 · (Edited)
Don't Scrap the car. A lot of so called experts are incompetant! Remember Ex means 'a Has been' and a spurt is a' drip under pressure'.
My own 45 Auto has started to play up in a similar fashion. Fault is intermittant tho. Bit of a bummer that. When the box is working it is fine so I am coming round to thinking it may be electrical. Another thread here suggests the inhibitor switch or similar so I hope to get it checked out If I can limp to the garage. The owner says his Discovery had a similar problem but he never did find the cause as it was very intermittant. Was your gearbox warning light on? and no D,P,N,R,P showing on the dash?

A friendly ex Rover Engineer suggested fault MAY be an duff earth point between battery and chassis. Needless to say the chassis end is unreachable without removing the battery tray , which means removing the battery. It is bloody cold outside. Aquired another earth lead and fastened it to the engine with a suitable bolt. So far OK but every journey is a bonus.
 
#12 ·
I was told it could be transmission fluid , does anyone know where the dip stick is to check it???????????
I have exctly the same problem with my rover 45 v6 2002 , can any one help ????


quote=Delebrin;2574941]My pride and joy (a 45 2.0/V6) is currently languishing in a nearby car park, awaiting the vagaries of AA Roadside Assistance.

This morning it started fine as usual, with no problems along the way. I stopped to pick up a newspaper, and returned to the car to find that I had no forward drive at all. Reverse gear is fine (though not ideal for driving!), but there is absolutely no response in the other direction. A well-meaning passer by suggested that the gear box had gone, and gave me a tale of a gear box replacement which cost him hundreds.

Before I resign myself to paying a fortune, I'd like to know if there's any other cause that would affect the drive like this. There was no prior warning (as far as I heard) to suggest that the gearbox was packing up. A colleague thoiught that it might be a blocked filter(?) or a blown fuse (??) but I'd be grateful if anyone has any better ideas on the subject.[/quote]
 
#13 · (Edited)
No dipstick !!.
Done by level plug, it's a 5mm hexagon socket Allen screw just to the right of the cable(when looking at the front). Can be difficult to find first time.
Supposed to be done when connected to Testbook computer to get temperature right. For your purpose it's worth doing without Testbook if you are short of fluid. Then get it checked ASAP.

Sorry folks, didn't see the date of first post, just looked at the last one !.
 
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