Technical stiff gearbox

[chuckie]

can anybody help me , when the engine is cold 1st to 2nd gear is very stiff but 2nd to 3rd etc are fine .After a couple of miles though it eases but is still a bit notchy.the gearbox has been recently reconned but I had this problem before.could it be that the gearbox needs genuine fiat gearbox oil for it to work correctly or is something else causing the problem. Please help its doing my head in!!!!!!

 

[weewillywinky]

my gearbox on my 1995 55sx is also very stiff to put into 2nd gear from 1st when it is quite cold, but the other gears are fine to select. sometimes i cannot even get it in without feeling that i will break it, but when it has run for a couple of mins it is fine (but as you say still notchy-a fiat thing i think). also it is almost impossible to select 1st gear whilst moving - very annoying at times!!

 

[thefishdude]

i have 2001 sporting and mine is teh sme sometimes when cold 1st to 2nd feels very very stiff. dont know why but i think i have heard that lots have thsi problem on here

2001 Punto sporting in sprint blue with matching Mr Bump air freshner all together now mmmmmmm

 

[James Bone]

i have a 2003 Active Sport and my 1-2 gears are fine although i do have trouble getting into first above 10mph! very annoying sometimes.

 

[belgrade_punto]

Same thing. Hard to downshift from 3rd/4th to 2nd/1st and almost impossible to switch to 1st while car is moving. Sometimes, even, does not want to go from neutral to 1st when car is stopped. Most of the time when I switch from 1st to 2nd, I have to move it through neutral position. No strange noises, clutch is not so hard to press, with engine off it's very easy to change from any gear to any other.

I have read a lot's of post here regarding similar problems but still not sure what's the case. Some clues found are: clutch, synch rings, oil...

Fiat specialized serviceman told me "clutch should be replaced". Great, but it took him exactly 4 seconds to tell me after I let him sit and touch gearbox. Such quick diagnostics makes me uncertain. Test with starting from 3rd gear is showing that clutch should be in very good condition.

Non-Fiat specialized serviceman told me "man, that's Fiat, what do you expect, start driving it as a Fiat".

I think they are both wrong, but it does not solve my problem.

I don't know does gearbox works the same way when it was new, because I have just bought this Punto.

So:

1. Is it normal performance on all Punto's?
2. Average mileage to replace clutch?
3. When should be gearbox oil replaced?
4. How complex and expensive is it to change gearbox synchs. Does it require whole gearbox to be taken out?
5. How complex (number of hours) takes it to replace a clutch?

 

[Lampredi]

I think it's to do with the type of lubricant used.

I never used to suffer this issue at all, but recently had my Gearbox Oil changed as part of 80k mile service. Now, first thing in the morning, 1st to 2nd gear stiff, rest are fine, loosens up and is fine within a mile or so... etc. etc. The only thing that's changed in my car is the gearbox oil.

I'm going to speak to the guy who changed it and ask what type / spec of oil is in it. Not sure what the story is with gearbox oil - does it tend to get thick when it's cold?

Here come da judge...

 

[belgrade_punto]

Lampredi, what oil was in it before 80k service? Have you had clutch replaced so far?

To add more confusion to this gearbox oil option one copy and paste from www.talkaboutautos.com:
-----
by "Evil T" <evil_t@[EMAIL PROTECTED] > May 16, 2003 at 05:29 PM

I've got a 1.2 T-Reg Punto that had exactly the same problem. As it was
still under warranty I took it back to the garage and spoke with one of the
machanics.

He mentioned it being a known (but undocumented problem) and the unnofficial
remedy was something to do with draining out the gearbox fluid, and
replacing it with a mixture of Magnatec engine oil, and something else.
Unfortunately, I can't remember what the something else.

Hope it helps a bit, but obviously if I can't remember the other bit, it
isn't much use.

T

"Salvatore Spano" <Smspano@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:b9ug05$2v2$1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> I have recently bought a new Punto 1.2. I have had some problems engaging
> first gear from idle, or even from 2nd gear. This usually happens at
traffic
> lights and is quite irritating. Is this common? Has anyone had the same
> experience?

 

[Lampredi]

In the absence of any information to the conterary, I would think it would have been the original gearbox oil from Fiat. I'll quiz the garage that changed it and post anything that sounds interesting.

Here come da judge...

 

[kincaidston]

it sounds like its just the warm up time of the gearbox oil that is the problem which looks like its most pronounced in the lower ratios... doesn't sound like a major problem if it disappears after a small amount of time... if it is there continuosly then it would be more serious... only solution probably is to change the gearbox oil... but to what would be the question?...

 

[colinwright]

i have driven a lot of different cars and vans of different very few will go into first while the car is moving, as for stiff first to second its more than likely the oil is a bit thick and when it heats up it works fine, the clutch on puntos are a problem the rarely slip as they would on any other car when they wearing out what usually happens is the pressure plate wears badly giving heavy pedal and notchy gear change the trus bearing also gets a hard time because of the bad pressure plate

colin

 

[Donal]

I have also had this same gearchange problem on my 99 mk 1 punto 1.2.
I replaced the gearoil with Bardahl semi-synthetic 75w-90w and its much better now.