My son has jsut bought a Seicento 2000 sporting.

The gearbox crunches as you change from 1st gear to 2nd or from 3rd gear to 2nd. However it only happens after a peroid of time when the gearbox has warmed up.

The previous gearbox in the cinquecento had ep80 oil the Seicento 2000 gearbox has been changed to a synthetic oil. Would putting ep80 back into the Seicento gearbox help the problem?

Could it be the Second Gear syncro in the Seicento gearbox thats worn preventing it from selecting second? If so why doesn't it crunch between the gears when te gearbox is cold?

Has anyone got a gearbox manual for the 2000 Seicento sporting model could you please email me at [email protected].

Does anyone who which gearboxes will fit the 2000 Seicento Sporting range. On the Seicento the gearbox mounting is on the top of the gearbox whereas previous models are at the front of the gearbox such as the cinquecento.

All guidence is much apreciated

Many Thanks

Brian Cornwell

you have the same problem as me and i have found changing back to an ep grade of oil helped, but im going the full hog and putting some fiat brand tutela epyx in on monday to see if it helps any more. I also think clutch itself cud be to blame but have you tried adjusting yours yet?

Could be the gear selector, not an expensive fix if so.

Thanks for the replies guys.

I have adjusted the clutch pedal height (thorugh the plastic wing nut) which was riding slightly low in the car. It helped the problem slightly however it did not solve it.

The adjustment on the clutch pedal is supposed to be 120mm to depress from any fixed point in car normally the steering wheel.

Im gonna try putting some ep80 in today and il post back with the results.

The crunching into second gear seems only to start when the oil warms up which suggests that it is the oil. Mintysport when did your gearbox begin to cruch was it from the off when the gearbox was cold or was it when the oil in the gearbox had warmed up?

Many Thanks

Brain Cornwell

hi dude, ive tried allsorts and it seems this could well be an inherant prob with the seis. my crunching starts really as the oil gets warm but it is better but not perfect while it is cold, but sometimes its all the time!!

under instruction from a guy on here im gonna flush out the gearbox and refill with Tutela ZC 75 which is the fiat branded fully synth oil which is used in the more troublesome boxes when ppl bring fiats back to fiat!

ill let u know more once done

My sei has the same sort of problem but I'm not sure if it's linkage, wear or fluid.

It only came to light when the clutch cable snapped and was replaced by the local garage

Could they have affected the linkage?

It does go into 2nd but not very often/easy just usually crunch n' spits it out!

Hi

Thanks for replies.

We have now changed the oil to OVOLINE HYPO 80W/90 API GL5.

The car is much more dirveable. It crunches alot less on the changes into second gear and selects all of the gears much quicker and easier.

Although the gearbox is much better it has still not solved the problem. It only crunches slightly as you power shift at around 5500rpm from gear 1 to gear 2. Its even better downshifting into slow corners.

This is a great improvement considering the gearbox was crunching at aroung 3000rpm previously taking it easy from gear 1 to gear 2.

We are still to try other oils as of yet. I will post if any other oils work better.

Many Thanks

Brian Cornwell

hi

I have this problem, but I'm sure my cable is about to go. Cannot get 1st or reverse without cruching badly. I have fixed it temporarily by adjusting the clutch to raise the pedal.
The problem seems to be the clutch is dragging slightly so I'm fitting a new cable and add a bit more travel to the pedal to hopefully cure the problem.

thats the most obvious explanation to why it would be crunching anyway, otherwise as you say, its probably a problem with worn parts e.g. synchro

joe

re gearbox problems,

this sounds like three things that need to be checked.

1) Check that the clutch cable fitted is the correct one as there are two types of cables and the wrong one will show all the signs of the gears cracking going into first,second and sometimes third and worse into reverse.

2) The link pin from the cable to the clutch rod, strains and gives the appearance as above, gears cracking, the link pin breaks under pressure over time. ( costs about 50p to replace the pin)

3) Check to see that you have had the correct clutch and pressure plate fitted as sometimes the wrong clutch pressure plates can cause same problems and puts a lot of extra pressure on your clutch cable and link pin. Sometimes the springs on the clutch pressure plate seize and normally you can feel this in the clutch itself ( takes a lot of effort to push the clutch down)

Hope this helps a bit.

i got my wee yellow seicento a few mths ago,same problem

used to have problem getting into 1st and 2nd,and would sometimes crunch into reverse, my clutch cable went at xmas and my gears werent going in right so i took it bk and the man adjusted the clutch cable and everything was fine....well until my clutch cable snapped once again,got it fixed on wed got out of the garage and wouldnt go into 1st 2nd or 3rd!!!! took it bk in and now trying to tell me my 3rd gear has gone and need a new gearbox :bang:

just funny how it was fine now need whole new gearbox? to scared to by 2nd hand one as what if i pay for that to be fixed and same thing happens
i know you can drive without 3rd gear but just passed my test at xmas so not comfident enough to do that especially throgh the town.......
any advice as im gutted

well if it wont go into 1st, 2nd or 3rd it suggests that it aint just the third gear syncro/ selector thats gone. Most probable thing is clutch adjustment, or incorrect fitting.

Do you have a haynes manual. Check the three points in the above post as these are the most common problems with the gearbox. It could be possible that the garage has incorrectly adjsuted the clutch to get some money out of you if you know what i mean, telling you your getting a new gearbox and really just readjusting the clutch. There is a set distance the clutch pedal should be adjusted from the steering wheel. When i get back from work ill get it out my haynes and explain how you can do it it is very esay.

Dont know if anyone knows does a bit about the plastic wingnut. Has anyone ever had one of the wingnuts to adjust the clutch pedal loose the threads.

Many Thanks
MAtt

my sei sounds like its got the same problems!i have replaced the clutch cable in mine twice this year, and its a horrible thing to do!!my gears crunch whenever they feel like it, doesn't seem to be a particular patern, but it is annoying!

I have just bought my first car, being the seicento sporting and it appears to have a very similar problem to all of you. I have just got it backfrom the garage yesterday after having the clutch cable replaced after it snaped, however, all gears are still crunching, even when the oil is cold. I don't really know anything about cars so you will have to put it in simple terms, but does this sound like the oil or the whole earbox?
If it is the oil, then how would I change this?? If not, how much would it be to fix?? I don;t really want to get rid of the car as I can't afford to get a new one. I don't know what to do.
Please help

Adjust the clutch!

This is done by screwing in the big white nylon nut at the engine end of the cable in. Try something like 2 turns clockwise.

It's a 5 minute job -- a search will turn it up in all its gory detail.

The cable usually snaps because the clutch release bearing is on its way out, so you may be very near new clutch time.

Thanks fingers - so even though I have just had the cable replaced, the clutch itself isa seperate thing that is most likely going to need replacing soon? Do you know how much I am looking at for this?
You don't think it is anything to do with the oil then?
Sorry to sound thick, as I said in my previous post, I know absolutely nothing about cars and don't want to just take it to a garage and get ripped off.
Cheers.

I doubt if it's to do with the oil. Worth a check, but try adjustment first. If you can't find the nylon screw, sit someone in the car and get them to pump the clutch while you peer in at the gearbox -- it's on the end of the thing you'll see moving.

How much a clutch costs will depend very much on where you live -- and where you go. The local cash in hand clutch jockeys round here do it for £100 plus parts (about £40 for a Cento clutch). You could easily pay £250 at a garage.

With the right kit and experience it's about an hour's labour.

The clutch adjustment is the first thing to try. It costs nothing and should improve the situation.

It is possible the clutch is worn and will need replacing. Your profile doesn't tell us which country in the world you are in, so guessing prices is difficult.

Cheers

PD

Sporty_5_Seicento said:

Thanks for the replies guys.

I have adjusted the clutch pedal height (thorugh the plastic wing nut) which was riding slightly low in the car. It helped the problem slightly however it did not solve it.

The adjustment on the clutch pedal is supposed to be 120mm to depress from any fixed point in car normally the steering wheel.

Im gonna try putting some ep80 in today and il post back with the results.

The crunching into second gear seems only to start when the oil warms up which suggests that it is the oil. Mintysport when did your gearbox begin to cruch was it from the off when the gearbox was cold or was it when the oil in the gearbox had warmed up?

Many Thanks

Brain Cornwell

Click to expand...

I have exactly the same problem with my Seicento Sporting, in that the gears crunch from second to third. Will try changing the oil. See if that helps, Thanks for the tip. If not I guess I Will have to change the selector, anyone out there Know how much thats gonna cost!!

You should be running the full synthetic, to Fiats spec, that will reduce the viscosity variation as the box and oil warms up. it is expensive...

The box still wont do a 1st to 2nd without a crunch if you are aiming for FTD on the local hill climb. otherwise it should be light and quick, the clutch should be light as well.

If the box has been thrashed then it may be badly worn and worse than this but more normally the clutch is dying if you have problems with cables or other bits breaking. The clutches do not last long if ridden on by L drivers or people without mechanical sympathy.

Do not sit in gear at round about entrances waiting for a gap, the release bearing is breaking up under your left foot...

Noel