OK so the problem is back again now and seems worse!
There is also a plasticy-electrical burning smell coming from the engine bay when this happens!

Again, the car will change down fine, no bumps, no noises.
Yet from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd: the car is really struggling.
"CLUNK CLUCK CLUNK, REV, CHANGE GEAR"
It MUST be something electrical?!

I popped the bonnet an noticed some light smoke coming from the engine bay from under the top-right-corner of the engine cover. What components are under here?

It seems to happen in wet conditions, although I cant see any standing water around the engine bay.

I'm getting very paranoid.

I cant afford the software or the connectors right now so not sure what to do!

aj47coupe said:

I cant afford the software or the connectors right now so not sure what to do!

Click to expand...

Take it to an auto electrician. If its electrical they'll find the issue.

Components are getting hot which is not good. Get it sorted ASAP.

I suspect 1 visit to Auto electrician will cost more than the cable though.

Maigretnz said:

Components are getting hot which is not good. Get it sorted ASAP.

I suspect 1 visit to Auto electrician will cost more than the cable though.

Click to expand...

What cable? How do you know its a cable

Most Easterly Pandas said:

What cable? How do you know its a cable

Click to expand...

The one that's missing. USB to OBD2 as per my last post.

I will get a cable around payday. car is in the garage now. Although it has been fine for the last few days?

there has been no more burning smell either.

thanks to all of you for your assistance.

Hello all.

Well the garage could find no faults when they hooked the car up, although the car was working fine at the time of me dropping off.

Since then the car has constantly been unable to change from 1st to 2nd.
Will update you all later.

Right then...so I have been driving the car for a month or so now since the gearbox problem reared it's ugly head...

It seems to have settled into an issue when changing up from 1st to 2nd.
This only seems to happen after the car has been driven in the morning.
E.g. when going to work in the morning there are no issues, even when the engine is hot or cold.

Then when u get back in the car this problem starts up again. It so weird.


Anyway I'll be going back to the garage now that the issue is more consistent.


It must be one of a few things:
Electric e.g. a sensor/ecu error
Gear selector mechanism
(longshot) the bushes under the gearbox, one is worn.


Aside from that the car is 100% completely fine.
Lol.

Ok so today the car finally came up with a gearbox error.
"drive slowly to dealership" so I'm hoping they will definitely now find a fault on the ecu. Otherwise I will bite the bullet and go to fiat.

Watch this space.

Hi all. This will be my last update hopefully.

The car had a full on gearbox failure on Tuesday. No gears, no drive at all.

Got the car to a Fiat specialist (Tates Portslade).
After 4 hours of diagnostics, and initially them finding no errors in the ecu software, they tested the wiring loom.

Turns out a loom connection to the gearbox had become waterlogged, it's been cleaned and the seals replaced.

I am yet to drive the car myself but my wife says it is driving like new. And was valeted too!

Not bad for £270.

Anyway, you were all right, it WAS and electrical fault just one that could not be found by the ecu software.

Thanks one and all.