Automatic gearbox

[MRW]

Hi Members

Well, I can say that nothing has changed much from my last posting, that also includes the gearbox. I have consulted a solicitor and we are presently working towards court. I am totally appaled at the lack of response from Citroen, total ignorance appears to be their policy as well as delaying tactics by asking for information that has already been submitted. I have had to purchase another car in order to keep working. To top it all whilst retrieving the C8 from the gas converters (after performing extensive tests) it once again gave up the ghost, an error message ESP/ASR malfunction. The look of horror , heads in hands and doors swinging after a quick exit probably from a salesman was quite laughable as the RAC patrolman offloaded the car

I warn all owners of a Eurovan with an automatic AL4 gearbox, THEY DO NOT WORK, get out while you can, also do not buy. This is clearly a situation of Ostrich warranty, wait long enough and the problems will disapear as the warranty on each vehicle with an AL4 box expires.

The new ones have a six speed I believe with a Borg Warner stamp.

Please look at my history to find some usefull links, especially the pne for Addison Lee

The AL4 box is no longer manufactured, a replacement unit will have on the side of the box Re-Manufactured


All those with a faulty AL4 unite



Regards



MRW

[DirkS.]

Hard words, but true...

[gaex]

Hi everybody

>>
I warn all owners of a Eurovan with an automatic AL4 gearbox, THEY DO NOT WORK, get out while you can, also do not buy. This is clearly a situation of Ostrich warranty, wait long enough and the problems will disapear as the warranty on each vehicle with an AL4 box expires.

The new ones have a six speed I believe with a Borg Warner stamp.

Please look at my history to find some usefull links, especially the pne for Addison Lee

The AL4 box is no longer manufactured, a replacement unit will have on the side of the box Re-Manufactured
<<

Does that mean that EV2s produced today with 4 speed auto transmission do no longer have this suspicious gearbox?
(I bought mine in spring; it has 4 speed auto. So I get nervous.)

Gaex
*wholikeshiscarsrollingandnotstandingatthedealer*

[dodgycurry]

Hi to all you fellow sufferers of Auto Gearboxes.

Well here is my story

I bought a one year old Peugeot 807 SE 2.0 HDI Auto on the 1st of June with 12000 miles (18500km). Two weeks later I get the message Gearbox Fault Detected right after a gentle shudder changing gear. I took it to the dealer in Inverness, they ere very helpful, the changed a couple of the solenoid (magnetic) valves and the oil which they felt looked a bit dark. They took the car out for a test drive and one of the drives completely burnt out and stranded the vehicle. So they are now ordering a new gearbox.

I cant help but feel concerned after reading about all these problems, it seems that the service schedule should read:

• Adjust brakes
• change oil
• change filter
• change gearbox

It would appear that the gearbox is not robust and that the only way forward is to protect it. I think the earlier suggestion of using manual change to stop revving to high is a good one , especially when going up hills. I also think that that you should select Neutral when ever possbile when stationary. My problem started right after a long 200 mile trip through scottish hills, so it wouldnt supprise me if these problems are starting to happen after being worked hard

[Croin]

I bought a C8 2.0 HDI auto in April, before I found this forum I'm afraid! My car has 66000 mile on the speedo, and has already had a new gearbox before I bought it.

My gearbox does not feel right, the symptoms are:

It is smooth when moving off, although I have to wait until about 35mph before it will change into 3rd;

If I am driving at 30mph in 2nd, and take my foot off the accelerator, the revs do not return to idle and the drive is still engaged. This means that the car slows quite quickly as the forward movement of the car is driving the gearbox, which is turning the engine over - exactly the same as using engine braking with a manual gearbox!;

If I take my foot off the accelerator at higher speeds - 50mph+, the same thing happens - the car slows down because the gearbox and engine are still connected, and the gearbox changes down through the gears as I slow down.

Is this normal for this car / gearbox? I have driven many automatic cars in the past and none of them have behaved like this. In other automaic cars, as soon as I take my foot off the accelerator pedal, the revs drop to approx 800 - 1000 rpm and the car coasts or freewheels to an eventual stop, or until I increase the revs again to take up the drive.

If this is everyone's experience, then this is almost certainly the fault that is causing gearbox failure as the box is working twice as hard as a decent auto box, and probably working even harder because the drive is going through the box the wrong way for 50% of the time.

[poggy]

Does this problem also apply to the petrol automatics. We have done 45K miles and the car is 3.5 years old now and without a warranty. It also has a LPG conversion and we have had it from new.

As the replacement gearbox costs £5K fitted I am a bit worried and we are considering changing the car. As far as I can tell, it seems to be mostly diesel versions with the fault, but to be honest if they all suffer from this problem it would be a good idea to change it now.

[Croin]

Originally Posted by poggy

Does this problem also apply to the petrol automatics. We have done 45K miles and the car is 3.5 years old now and without a warranty. It also has a LPG conversion and we have had it from new.

As the replacement gearbox costs £5K fitted I am a bit worried and we are considering changing the car. As far as I can tell, it seems to be mostly diesel versions with the fault, but to be honest if they all suffer from this problem it would be a good idea to change it now.

Some cars suffer - some don't. As I can't read German very well I'm at a bit of a disadvantage reading what other users are saying.

I think the main point is if you have a bad one it will never be good. I also think a lot depends on the attitude of your Citroen dealer. Remember, all cars are manufactured to the lowest possible specification that they will work at. These days manufacturers and dealers are under enormous pressure to be competitive - at the expense of reliability and service.

I think the C8 is a great car - but is utterly ruined by very poor build quality, a terrible auto box (AL4) and dealers who don't want anything to do with them once they've left the forecourt.

[AGBfromCH]

We bought second hand a Peugeot 807 when we moved to Switzerland in 2005 and early in 2006 it started to periodically give us the "Automatic gearbox fault" message and stuck in 3rd gear, refused to switch to manual mode, etc. until we pulled aside and re-started the car.

We sent it to the local dealer whilst it was still under warranty and they checked it for more than a day, including changing the auto-tranmission fluid, before giving up. The problem seemed to to go away after that, but this winter it has returned (I have to say it seems more common during autumn/winter).

Of course the car is now outside the warranty period (3.5 years old), so I am worried about this, especially since reading that the problems seem to only get worse.

Has there been any news on this problem, like a recall of defective models? It seems unfair that we have to pay to fix a common defect.

[mecgyver]

Same problem on my Ulysse....

It just turned out of the two years warranty period, has 25000 Kms and I get every day the warning "anomalia cambio automatico" automatic gear-box fault. After that also speed control fault is common.
Agreement with the dealer is to change the gearbox oil, as the tester suggests, but I felt this will not solve the problem. Reading this post my thougths became true.

Anyone tried to contact Fiat / Lancia / Peugeot / Citroen and had positive answer regarding this fault?

I feel the issue cannot be considered a damage due to wrong / poor maintenance or inappropriate use. It seems a true, original, defect of the car. I will contact tomorrow morning Fiat. I hope to get an answer shortly

I'll keep you updated

[mecgyver]

I contacted Fiat service on Thu 15-02.
Today, Tue19 I'm still waiting for an answer...

I also went to the dealer Monday morning to replace the fgearbox oil, as he suggested, but after I explained hime what I discovered in the net ( in this forum, to be honest ) He refused to change the oil.
He printed the results of the tst and sent everything to Fiat service.

Now we are waiting both for an answer...

Fingers crossed!

[mecgyver]

Problem solved.

Fiat assistance agreed to replace some parts of the gearbox under warranty. They firstly offered to charge me "only" for the 30% of the amount. The cost for me was supposed to be around 100€, but I wasn't satisfied. They known there was a problem on this gearbox before I bought the car! I got back the car today. Until now now problem.
Hopefully the solution will be definitive....

[Reed]

Does such problems with auto-gear-box happens also to Lancia 2003-2004 (diesel)? I plan to buy EV2 in incoming month or two...

[afoyo]

Well, I have also a 2.0 l with LPG, my Phedra was build in 2003 and I have the same probs since 2 months now.
My Fiat Garage also want to change the valves, 550 Euros + working time, I have to pay. Not less, but changing a complete gear box will cost around 6000 euros.
I now hat around 67000 km on speedo.
Bought the car, 1.5 years ago and payed 2500 Euros for changing to LPG just half a year ago and now that. Unbelieveble since this is a known failure on that gear box, fiat, lancia, citroen and co. should show more customer service, for this is not a cheap car we have bought from them.

[AGBfromCH]

Well, the problem with our Peugeot 807 Auto Gear Box Fault has continued once or twice a month for the winter and now seems to be recurring more often.

I'm going to have to take it into the dealer.

I will keep you posted.

[djr]

maybe I am just lucky.

I bought my Phedra 3.0V6 auto in 2004.
To date (51 000kms) it has had no issues at all with the gearbox.

Could it be that the issues are restricted to the diesel versions?