Technical Gearbox backlash on JTD

[VIKINGR41]

My Stilo is now on it's third gearbox !

Dealer thinks I am being picky !! but from new I had a real 'clonk' when applying power .. & releasing power too... this got worse over 1st year and I reported it at 1st service (car is 18mnth old).. dealer changed box (according to paperwork) but 'clonk' was still present... and yes ! got progressively worse again..so another new box...and guess what ! 'clonk' is still there, worse on lower speeds & lower gears.. dealer says it's backlash ! and nothing they can do.. I have asked for Fiat techs to look at !

I have never (and i have had a lot of cars) had this problem so obviously not happy.. I am not picky.. and i do like the car. . no probs elsewhere. engine & economy brill, tho did have tyre wear at 10k.. apparently a know prob..

Anybody know more than i do ??

Rob

 

[bozzy]

Hi, I have a JTD and have not noticed anything yet but a smooth quiet gearchange. (only had it 8 weeks) My 1.6 gearbox before also appeared flawless. Hope it stays that way. Even on my 1.6 i was lucky to get 10k on the 17's I had on it.

 

[Deckchair5]

Slop in the drive can be caused by other thngs like a simple track rod end gone or worn suspension parts. A track rod end or worn steering rack will also give you a pronounced clonk when taking up the drive. Go on the gas- wheel moves-clonk

If a new gearbox did nothing then I'd look for wear in the front steering/ suspension (mind you I would have done that first before fitting a new gearbox

36k on mine and smooth as silk. Had a track rod end gone though at 33k and that was causing a drive "clonk".

 

[StiloBoy]

If you've had 3 gearboxes and it still clonks i'd take a wild guess that the fault isn't the box! Sounds like maybe engine mounts to me? Nothing quite like the sound of the exhaust whacking off the floor!

 

[James M]

My JTD has covered almost 32k now, and the gearchange has remained smooth and positive, so it definitely sounds like you have a genuine fault.

 

[minimad99]

Afternoon guys and gals,

My 02 plate 1.9 JTD has just reached 62,800 miles and still running smooth as silk. Not noisey, still loads of power and the gearbox is still positive not sloppy at all.
I bought it at 42,000 in oct 04 and i've had no probs, (touch wood )only one airbag fault that was sorted first time by dealer during service.

On a seperate milege note....... who's got the highest milege out of their JTD? without replacement of major parts!

cheers :slayer:

 

[James M]

Mine's only done 32k, but has, touch wood, only cost me consumables, tyres brake pads and discs (wasn't too happy at replacing the disks mind!).

Saying that though, it's still in warranty, not sure whether I'll trade it in next year when the warranty is up

 

[NumanR]

I have seen a similar problem with one of my customers when his car was new, I will look back at my records to find out what I replaced, the rear gearbox mountings seem to come to mind but I will double check.

 

[Gandrews]

Ive beat you there mate and know how you feel, im on my fifth gearbox since september 2004, I havent had my car for 4 months as i am in conflict with fiat over the matter, they want me to pay £900 for a reconditioned gearbox and i am not prepered to pay that when there is clearly a fault with the stilo geaboxes. And a new gearbox from fiat is £2000 daylight robbery or what!!

 

[NumanR]

I would not say there is a fault with stilo boxes at all, I have fitted 1 since they came out, hardly a common problem.

 

[Gandrews]

well its probably just me but can you see where im coming from
since september 2004 i have had:-

5 gearboxes,
Injectors,
ecu,
2 clutches,
Head gasket

£4,500 worth of warantee repair, i dont think thats on for a new car do you?

 

[NumanR]

4500 but five gearboxes, what was the problem with them?

 

[Gandrews]

the diff went every time and broke through the gearbox casing, leaving me with 4th gear, hence my clutches then burnt out from driving it home.

 

[NumanR]

Only seen this once before, (its the only box I changed), on a 1.6, and the guy was a young lad, with huge wheels, who came in with his mum for support. He claimed that he pulled away slowly and the gearbox broke, from the state of the diff I would say it had been heavily wheelspun, also reverse gear was damaged where it looked like he was misusing it. To have the same fault reoccur repeatedly either means misuse, which I am not suggesting, or some issue possibly with driveshaft length or engine/gearbox mountings allowing pressure to be exerted laterally.

 

[Gandrews]

Do you think it could be anything to do with a accident i had in february, i rear ended a bmw, smashed the font of my car up and sumhow the exhaust mounting snapped? could this mean the engine had been pushed back and could of made damage to my driveshaft?

 

[VIKINGR41]

Ive beat you there mate and know how you feel, im on my fifth gearbox since september 2004, I havent had my car for 4 months as i am in conflict with fiat over the matter, they want me to pay £900 for a reconditioned gearbox and i am not prepered to pay that when there is clearly a fault with the stilo geaboxes. And a new gearbox from fiat is £2000 daylight robbery or what!!

How come it's not under warranty ??

Will be getting rid before mine runs out .. hopefully

Let us know outcome... seems to me if the prob is there with car initially then you are in trouble...thanks to other for suggestions.. personally i think something else is affecting gearboxes in some situations, so drive shafts etc seems a possbility.. will post back when fiat techs have looked at !

Rob

 

[Gandrews]

Its not under warantee because fiat have declined to do any further work on my gearboxes as they are putting it to driver error without a independant engineers report.

 

[NumanR]

As Fiat are the manufacturers and all the gearboxes are exchange then they will have been able to examine them all for faults. Fiat dont have to have the vehicle inspected by an independent engineer, if you are in dispute with Fiat, then it is up to you to employ an engineer on your behalf. The fact that you had an accident in February would only explain any problems since then and not since the earlier date of September. To be perfectly honest I think it is highly unlikely that Fiat would refuse a repair without cast iron evidence obtained from the damaged gearboxes. Gearbox abuse is quite easy to spot, also the general condition of the vehicle would also be taken into such as tyre wear and also the efi ecu can give up alot of information regarding rev limiter operation and also number of times it has been reached.
I had a case myself a few years back for an engine failure, the customer said he never went above 4000 revs, but the efi ecu had recorded 70 times the rev limit had been met, it also recorded the maximum ever recorded engine speed, this was during a down shift when the rev limiter cannot protect the engine.
With all the evidence Fiat can get from the car I would say they would have a strong case before refusing the repair.

 

[Stilo_ste]

Gandrews, with all the bad things happen (and re-occur) have you considered selling the car?


In the 17 years I have been driving, I have never broken a gearbox, so can't comment on how easy / hard it is to do. My Stilo has needed, a new ECU, one new coil, airbag light reset once (connector under passenger seat). The coil was changed by me (about 10 minutes and £35), the other done under warranty, which has now just expired. So not too bad.