General Multipla won't go into gear periodically.

[Rikstaparr]

Hi

We have a Multipla that will sometimes not go into gear at all. It lasts a couple of mins and then it's ok again. The clutch seems fine, is it like to be a gearbox fault?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[Grapelli]

Do you have a low biting point on your clutch pedal, and is it usually when you are in traffic. The reason being my clutch preasure plate was worn causing the clutch not to clear the preasure plate enough. when it was under strain and got warm in traffic etc gear selection was a big problem.

 

[Snoo]

Yeah check for low biting point. When the engine is not runing, without using the clutch, can you always select gears easily? If so the gear cables are fine.
With the engine running slowly push the clutch down. Do you hear any sort of whining? Because I think my money is on the clutch release bearing. Just replaced mine...

 

[Rikstaparr]

Many thanks for the responses.

Yes, it is usually when the car is warm, but we just used it this afternoon for the first time since yesterday (So cold) and it did it straight away for a couple of seconds. I am able to easily select gears without the engine running, and when the engine is running it is a little more difficult to select gears, but is possible.

When I dip the clutch I cannot hear a whining sound.

I forgot to mention that the car is a diesel, but I don't think it makes a difference?!

Again, many thanks.....

 

[Snoo]

The whining I had was very slight. But the release bearing was trashed. Not uncommon.

 

[Rikstaparr]

Was it an expensive repair if you don't mind me asking?

 

[momoe]

It's a new clutch kit, this is the (relatively) cheap bit. The labour involved in accessing the gearbox, splitting it from the engine, fitting the clutch kit and putting all back is the kicker.
Before you commit, might be worth checking the master and slave cylinders are working, only need to remove the battery and battery tray and you should be able to see if you've got sufficient movement on the actuating arm.

 

[Snoo]

Was it an expensive repair if you don't mind me asking?

Well that's the thing. It's advised you replace the Dual Mass Flywheel with the clutch as they are problematic (not solely a Fiat problem). For a new clutch & DMF at a garage you are looking at about £850.
I replaced the clutch (kit), DMF and a new crankshaft seal for about £530 (just parts).

 

[Rikstaparr]

Wow!!! £850! The car only cost £1400....ok, many thanks for all your help, will have to decide on what's best......thanks.

 

[Snoo]

Wow!!! £850! The car only cost £1400....ok, many thanks for all your help, will have to decide on what's best......thanks.

I only paid £1100 for mine. I think the thing that did it for Me was it sailed though it's last MOT and I'd only have to buy another Multipla, realistically.

So better the devil you know, I thought!

 

[Rikstaparr]

I get what you are saying.....

There has been a further development. When in 3rd gear a whining sound is made, this only happens in 3rd gear and now does it every time it is 3rd.

We had a guy look at it for us last week and he brought it back with new drop links fitted!!! That cost us £90 (including new tyre though) but he never mentioned the gears!! en

So, the car cost us £1400, it has done 70k, we had a new cam belt fitted a couple of months ago (£180), it makes a knocking sound (Caused by the drop link rubbers being worn (They were not replaced with the links as we were told it is very expensive) and a car that intermittently will not go into gear and whines in 3rd!!!......so we have approximately spent £1700. I can't see us being able to sell it in the condition it is, but would prefer to do that. If we are unable to sell it how long will the gearbox last? Also, if we were to sell it in it's current condition, what could we expect to get???!.....

:bang:

 

[widemouthfrog]

For me, there comes a point (somewhere around the £2k mark) when the value of the car is a relatively minor consideration. You buy the car for transport, and the money you spend on buying/running/repairing it merges into one. You buy a cheap car in the knowledge that it may need fixing more often than a newer one, so should be prepared to spend out a larger amount on repairs and maintenance relative to purchase cost.

If it does the job you buy it for, I still think the Multipla is a bargain. I've posted on here before about its' dire residuals compared to something like a Touran, but that is what makes it such a bargain. Just have a look at what you'd have to part with for a Touran of the same age/mileage. The only thing that comes close for value is a 307 SW.

Example: The car I owned befroe the Multi was a 27k miles 54 plate Mondeo ST TDCi estate that was really fully loaded - whoever ordered it (it was a Ford management vehicle) had taken a long trip down the options list. List price new was just over £30k. I bought it from a Ford dealer at 11 months old with an extended warranty (out to 5 years/unlimited mileage) for £16k. Now that's what I call depreciation.

I thought that someone else taking a hit like that, I would be protected from the same thing happening to me. Only partially true. I sold the car privately 3 years later with 45k miles on it for £7,200, so I lost nearly £9k in depreciation (£3k per year). Ouch. That's before the running costs are considered (though they weren't too bad as it turned out). Cost per year was around the £4k mark I reckon.

I bought My Multipla 3 years ago as a one owner car, about 4.5 years old, 107k miles and FFSH for just shy of £2.5k. It had just had a s/h engine with 60k miles on it and a new cambelt. Value now? Probably osmewhere around the £1,700 mark. Depreciation over the 3 years of around £250 p.a. - that's less than 1/10th of the Mondeos'. In hard cash terms, the Multipla has cost me a whole lot less than the Ford.

That's why I don't begrudge having to have a new clutch not long after I bought the car and I've just splashed out on having the front calipers and steering rack reconditioned, all new discs/drums/shoes/pads/cylinders/adjusters, all filters changed and a few other bits sorted out. Parts are dirt cheap if you shop around and (apart from the clutch) it doesn't cost a lot to have the work done.

Just my 2p worth.