Technical Duologic buy

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Technical Duologic buy

Ethan260908

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Hi all,

I am very interested in buying a duologic from a well known auction site. The issue is that the seller (trade) confirms when going down through the gears from say 30mph it goes into neutral. It doesn't do this all the time but of course it will get worse. Having read past forum issues on here from irc, DaveMCT and Charlie, can I be confident that this is a sensor issue or possibly even a fluid level issue and not a pump/clutch problem and therefore take a punt?

No DTC mentioned in the ad, have asked the seller whether he has a code reader and checked it. If push came to shove I would do as others have been advised in the past, come to the meet, pay a donation to the forum and get it fixed during the show.

I could post the relevant ad but don't want to break any forum rules in doing so

Regards - Neil
 
, can I be confident that this is a sensor issue or possibly even a fluid level issue and not a pump/clutch problem and therefore take a punt?

No. It could be any, all or none of these.

From the brief symptoms, and assuming it does not leak any fluid, I would guess pump is failing, but it would only be a guess.

If it leaks fluid then it could be almost anything, or a combination.

Pump/clutch problems are actually the simplest to fix (although pump is not cheap). Pump change is simple, best to change accumulator and fluid at the same time. Possible to split motor and replace the carbon brushes very cheaply, but my experience is that this usually doesn't last long.
Clutch change is broadly the same as a manual, but needs calibrating once changed.

Leaks can be a lot more trouble to fix, but do-able if the buying price is right.

Worst of all to fix is previous bodgery, so if it shows signs of that then walk away.
 
Hi all,

I am very interested in buying a duologic from a well known auction site. The issue is that the seller (trade) confirms when going down through the gears from say 30mph it goes into neutral. It doesn't do this all the time but of course it will get worse. Having read past forum issues on here from irc, DaveMCT and Charlie, can I be confident that this is a sensor issue or possibly even a fluid level issue and not a pump/clutch problem and therefore take a punt?

No DTC mentioned in the ad, have asked the seller whether he has a code reader and checked it. If push came to shove I would do as others have been advised in the past, come to the meet, pay a donation to the forum and get it fixed during the show.

I could post the relevant ad but don't want to break any forum rules in doing so

Regards - Neil

My advice is simple - don't.

I suggest you read this thread before bidding - it will at least deprive you of the excuse of ignorance if you do and it turns out to have issues later.
 
Thank you chaps sincerely for not only the prompt reply but also the comprehensive nature of the replies. I won't take this any further and indeed am rethinking the whole idea of buying a duologic. Regards Neil
Probably wise.

It's a shame because they are great when working properly, but the downside is that they can be pretty bad if/when they do go wrong and a lot of "experts" just aren't, which gives them a worse reputation when they have problems.

I bought mine as a spares car, mostly for the alloys and the roof bars. Apparently it sometimes changed into Neutral. I got it 15 minutes before the local scrapyard was due to collect it, and paid scrap money for it. Had 10 months MOT. Drove it home with no problems.
I liked it, so I investigated. First 2 "experts" said Dualogic unit needed replacing at 5+ times the cost of the car.

Then I found someone who actually knew what they were talking about. 10 minutes of discussion later and...
the pump motor was flaky, but no leaks or faults with the Dualogic unit. New pump fixed it, plus a new accumulator because it was 12 years old and a bit weak.

No illusions about it - it will probably fail at some point.

Point is, I was unexpectedly lucky with this one. I didn't buy it with the expectation of an easy fix and years of trouble-free motoring, and my advice to others would have to be to avoid unless you really know what you are doing. And even then it's a gamble.

Good news is that mine still has the alloys & roof bars, and body-wise its nearly immaculate, so it'll keep other Pandas living on. New pump motor and accumulator will easily find new homes. And I'll have had a few years of cheap motoring out of it.
 
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