Technical gearbox update....please help

[StreetRacer]

Just got off the phone to the garage, who have my punto in due to gear problems....Here's the problem from yesterday:

Clutch could come out all the way and engine wouldnt stall in any gear, but wouldn't drive either....Gears felt fine apart from that.
Clutch also felt fine, happened more or less immediately with a couple of signs of clutch slip kind of effect minutes beforehand.

The garage said this:

Gearbox is being picked up tommorrow, we took the clutch out and it was all perfect. For a repair on a gearbox it's 150 plus parts, and for a new gearbox it's 360 plus labour.

I have the following questions which hopefully one of you guys could help me out with....

1. "the gearbox is being picked up tommorrow" - Who by????
2. Is there anything else that could be the problem????
3. Is that a reasonable price if they are right about the problem.
4. Should I sell my Punto as since October I've spent roughly the same on repairs as what I paid for it. (1800)

Please help people!

 

[joel]

Your probebly cant sell it for much without the gearbox fixed, so you would have to fix that anyway. If there is no other problem I wouldnt sell it, because it would only be a huge loss of money.

I have had my punto for soon a year and I have fixed so far:
Exhaust with backbox, flexipipe, thermostat (wasnt broken), temprature sensor. Now my wiper engine back broke and my whindshield have a huge crack. So I know the feeling, but I think I will stick to it anyway

 

[StreetRacer]

Yeah, think I will keep it. But yeah my repair list is:
Exhaust, Exhaust, Exhaust, (thankfully the second two were free as they were still in warranty) Bought a sports exhaust for pretty much the same price as the Fiat one, and had no problems since.
Cambelt, and tensioner, despite it being well within the change limit,
Nearly paid for brake lines until I got the recall letter.
Basically the whole rear suspension, (I know of two other people who had exactly the same problem).

Fix It Again Tommorrow???? (dunno if it'll last that long).

But what does everyone think could be the problem with my gearbox then? And is it a reasonable price?

 

[ChrisUK]

Umm not sure about it being your gearbox but if it is i think thats a good price . Been looking through teh haynes manual and its got about 14-18 pages in huge detail with very few pictures about the gear box and replacing it. Very hard job and requires huge tool kit haynes give it a 4 spanner rating for removing the gear box.

 

[StreetRacer]

Ok thanks a lot, thats some good news I suppose. Im gonna be without my car for a few days tho which isn't good news.

 

[no1sourlung]

I was quoted about the same for a gearbox. If it is a big garage they might have a courtesy car you could have. Probably be a Ka or a Corsa. May want to get the bus instead!

 

[HornetUK]

At least the KA & Corsa aren't Fiats!

March '04, 5 dr 1.4 Stilo Active & Sept '00, 5 dr 1.2 HLX Punto.

 

[StreetRacer]

Thanks again guys.

I had a thought, Im pretty sure the gearbox should not need replacing. When the car stopped working, none of the gears worked, so surely the problem is the clutch, or one part of the gearbox, so Im really going to get a full explanation before I let them do anything.

As for the courtesy car!! It's a good garage but they don't have courtesy cars. I had to borrow my parents Mazda Mini MPV (ooooh the comfort) and a couple of my mates just got new cars so theyre cruising round anyway, so no need for public transport luckily.