Fiat Punto Sporting 1.2 X reg

While moving toward a roundabout or a junction and slowed down to about 15 or 10 mph, I changed the gear from 2nd to 1st, it always end up with a crunch.

If I keep the gear in 2nd, stopped the car fully, then I changed to 1st gear, it doesn't crunch.

Been to the garage, he said it's "common on old cars", but we didn't have this problem on our previous Punto P reg, so I'm not sure what to make of this. He said he could take the gearbox apart and take it to a company where they can "tweak" it to our needs at a cost.

Question:

1) Is he right? I suspect not.
2) Is the gearbox on the way out?
3) Is the syncro(s) on the way out?

Or is this a known issue with this later model?

Thanks.

15 mph sounds plenty enuf for 2nd to handle!!

yeah first is only for pulling away, shouldnt be any need to change down to it when moving

mark16v said:

15 mph sounds plenty enuf for 2nd to handle!!

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:yeahthat: 1st is only needed when going from standstill,
the synchro is probably on its way out

mark16v said:

15 mph sounds plenty enuf for 2nd to handle!!

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Yeah, but I was slowing down to almost an halt, so I naturally changed from 2nd to 1st.

All of my 4 previous car doesn't do that. All of my missus' 3 previous cars including the Punto doesn't do that.

Which is why I'm asking.

Thanks for the replies.

but nowadays us young 'uns are taught to go into first when coming up to t junctions and roundabouts, which is a load of balls

yep, teaching my missus to drive in the GPS she shifted down to 1st at an alarming rate of speed which is daft, but that is what she was told to do....

there is no car alive that cant pull 15mph and up in 2nd, and if you were stopping, why not wait until you have done so? If that has been common practice since owning the car synchro problems will appear. If newer drivers (I talk like an old man, im 21!) were taught in non synchro cars as I was (original '62 MGB) or drove my Alfa 33 they would know the gearboxes would be toast in no time.

I say just leave it as it is, get out of the habit of straining it and it should be fine for a long while yet. Just use it gently from now on!

I see what you are saying, but as I mentioned, we did not have this issue on our previous Punto car (P reg 75 SX) and any of the older cars.

We have been driving for around 9 years or so, which means it will be a hard habit to get out of it.

I am willing to try to change the way I use the gearbox but the missus is not wiling as she find it hard to use it. She want to take the car back and I would agree with her as she just want a car that she find easy to use.

I am thinking about visiting the Fiat garage and see what they say and if they say the synchro is on the way out, I would go back to the garage where we got the car from and get them to fix it under our 6 months warranty.

Thanks all.

It's not a common issue, but I'd expect some wear and tear on any 'box that's over 7 years old. Is the car 2nd-hand? If so, how can you compare it to your 'P' reg car if you don't know how the previous owner treated it?

Crunching on the downshift indicates a worn synchro/hub on that gear. It doesn't need 'tailoring' to your driving style, it just needs a strip-down and rebuilt with fresh parts. Some gearbox specialists may even have an exchange 'box on the shelf ready to go for a swap.

Even a bog-standard 1.2 will happily pull away from a standstill in 2nd gear. Changing to 1st while still rolling at even 5mph isn't really necessary.

if i ever go into first its for a fast gettaway and thats about it

Pulling off? doable in 3rd gear. wont do the car much good IMO, but doable if a little slow and jerky.

What's the general dos and don'ts with gearboxes then? I'm not that experienced a driver (i've only been driving for a year or so).

And is it ok to block shift? I'd assume so as long as the revs are right.

well i just recently passed my test but i know and have never been told/taught to go into 1st when still going about 10/15mph.

only time i go into 1st is when ive came to a complete stop.

my mate blew the gearbox in his new rover 25 after 4k miles due to his annoying habit of stuffing it down into 1st at say 20mph and then ragging it all the way to the red, combined with the fact the K series revs high and it had long 1st gear the end speed was quite high and the gearbox lost 5th and reverse cause it had imploded basically!!

If the car has a warranty that covers the transmission you may as well go and see what you can get done for free but tbh it may be classed as wear and tear or something, but no harm in trying.

But as has been mentioned, if it was bought 2nd hand, like anyone who buys a used car you have no idea how its been previously treated.

You could try getting an automatic.....my other half loves em, so much easier to check yourself in the mirror when you dont have to use a clutch!!

My Cinq did this from 60k miles. its now on 97k miles and still doing it.if you stop and then go to first it was fine.

Just tried what you lot suggested and it still does crunch when I am slowing down to a stop (i.e. trafffic light), downgearing from 4, 3, 2 and then 1 - crunch!

It happens when the speedo is dropping down after 7mph or so, hard to say when the speedo needle is shaking.

And the cluch is starting to be a bit hard to push in. Grr.

Going to the Fiat garage to have their advice and if they tell me it is on the way out, I'm going to take it back to the garage and get them to fix it under their warranty.

Thanks all, will keep you updated.

Right, just been to the Fiat garage and he confirmed my thoughts - he said it could be that the 1st gear sychro is on the way out after talking to one of the techie guy.

So, we'll be taking the car back to the garage where we got it from and tell them what Fiat garage said.

Big thanks to Desira Norwich for their help!

My old punto did similar....it did it when I bought it, it did it when I sold it 2 years later, it took me 2 days to alter my driving style so that I didnt keep hooking first while travelling at anymore than a walking pace. After that it was totally fine and didn't give me any problems gearbox wise, probably not worth the money or the effort of having the sychros replaced for the sake of a small alteration in driving style.

StevenRB45 said:

probably not worth the money or the effort of having the sychros replaced for the sake of a small alteration in driving style.

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Maybe, but we have 6 months warranty with it so I'd rather see it fixed or finding it broken when it's out of warranty.

Buy an automatic transmission punto, your misus will find it more easy to drive and maybe youll get a good ... dinner

If they'll do it properly for free then fair enough.