General 52 plate stilo diff whine & crunch

[Frosty 44]

Hi. Just bought a 52 plate 1.2 16v stilo from an auction. Usuall stuff looks great sounded good until I drove it at more than 20 miles an hour once out of the auction (thought about taking it back). Loud whine from the front which goes when you put the foot down, crunching in some gears 5th &6th. After investigation gearbox only half full of oil and leaks under the front... when you rotate the wheels (front jacked up) the diff sounds rough. Is it new gearbox or new diff?? how easy is it to change just the diff and how much has anyone paid for either box or just diff.... How long have I got (whine so bad even my deaf mother in law can hear it, even though only one of her hearing aids was working) Turning the radio up helps.
Got my multipla up on blocks of wood waiting on a bit from fiat so don't want the Stilo to pack up while I'm a car down (sure it won't be my wife getting the bus or taking their bike to work)..

 

[Big Black Stilo]

that whine is pretty much terminal. Both my gearboxes that bit the dust had that whine, the first exploded when the diff dropped into the gearbox and the second it lasted about 2 months before the when got so bad i had to limp it to the dealers.

both times a new gearbox required

 

[PNL]

Its hard to give you a time scale before the box flies apart but from what you have said in your post its gonna be soon by the sound of it..

R.I.P gearbox..:dead:

Here it comes big bill..:bang:

 

[Frosty 44]

Just depressed now Got a lead on a replacement box from a scrap car £275 and its at my door is that worth it? still got to fit it plus probably a clutch while i am at it. don't know if one off of a scrap car is good or not:tempt:the guy selling say's its top... but...any experiences? If i am going to buy i must do now.... Are refurbished boxes a safer bet.

should have probably turned back to the auction after a mile. Going to hide under the duvet for a few hours and hope it heals itself:shrug:.

 

[Argonought]

Have you topped up the gearbox yet?

Most scrap yards will provide at least a basic warranty so you're not taking that big a risk.

 

[JayEm]

Out of interest, does anyone know how common these gearbox problems are in 1.2 Stilos?

 

[Big Black Stilo]

well i have had two fail, both fitted by fiat, one when new and one under warranty. touch woo this third ones fine and done more miles than the other two before they failed.

If the gearbox does pop then its new clutch time as welll coz it gets covered in oil

 

[JayEm]

well i have had two fail, both fitted by fiat, one when new and one under warranty. touch woo this third ones fine and done more miles than the other two before they failed.

If the gearbox does pop then its new clutch time as welll coz it gets covered in oil

Day by day, I keep finding more and more reasons to not buy a Stilo and go for Japanese engineering instead.

My last car (was also my first) was a VW Golf Mk4. Had it for 2 weeks before discovering there was a crack in the gearbox casing, with all the oil slowly leaking out. Common fault apparently.

Sorry about the thread hijack.

 

[wizardflake]

Mines a 1.2 2003, still on it's first gearbox and it's just under 80k. The seal started leaking oil around 40k though so had to get that replaced. The only problem now is reverse crunches at times when going in reverse, so I've got to stick it in 1st first so it doesn't do it.

 

[Argonought]

Mines a 1.2 2003, still on it's first gearbox and it's just under 80k. The seal started leaking oil around 40k though so had to get that replaced. The only problem now is reverse crunches at times when going in reverse, so I've got to stick it in 1st first so it doesn't do it.

I'd strongly recommend you check your gearbox/diff oil level (or pay someone else to)

 

[adamcot]

Yep Even the 1.6 isnt immune from the dreaded diff and gearbox problem! I got my gearbox for £150 off a scrappy with a basic warrenty! Hopefully, she should be back on the road tomorrow night, over a week later......

 

[Deckchair5]

Wizardflake
If it crunches just in reverse i'd be thinking more clutch. I've got a 1.2 same engined Bravo on 110k, original gearbox and that's as sweet as the day it was born. Although you can't "adjust" a hydraulic clutch, the bite point can go low if there's air in the system so I'd bleed the clutch at the slave cylinder.

My Stilo was doing a bit of crunching at one point until I bled it.

Also, make sure your clutch is getting fully up as the over foot panel gets in the way and prevents it rising fully.

See where it was catching here?
Unless the clutch pedal gets fully up you don't get a full stroke at the slave cylinder which results in crunchy gears and a real crunch when selecting reverse. Very bad for the box.
Tear the thing off and throw it away if you're in any doubt


Have a look in the Stilo guides for bleeding your clutch. It won't do any harm to have new fluid down there anyway as it gets a bit old and stagnant in the slave cylinder as nothings moving very much

 

[Frosty 44]

Thanks for all that But Hey! I still want to stay under the duvet The car drives like new. Since I put some slick 50 and the required amount of oil in the diff it is not quite as noisy but what do I know. Local guys tell me just to run it to the death, but been out in the rain in it and I am sure the clutch is slipping a bit more than it was. Scrapy here i come:worship: ....

 

[Big Black Stilo]

that diff/box is a ticking timebomb

 

[Argonought]

Since I put some slick 50 and the required amount of oil in the diff it is not quite as noisy but what do I know...

Exactly what I would've done

 

[Viciouscycl3]

hello if it helps or if they are cheaper a gearbox out of a 1.2 16v punto elx or sporting will fit with the sporting having a 6spd and the elx having a 5spd but also a 1.2 8v punto gearbox will also fit and it is 5 spd.. trust me a gearbox change on my car is a common occurance.. i would do the swap myself if i were you as it is faily straightfoward..

 

[Frosty 44]

Took my son out in it for his first driving lesson. ouch. will get some more miles under his belt and then get him to help me change it. serves him right.