Gear selection problems - Help!

[MidnightSun]

Well my Legnum has been fine up until today. After a very wet jaunt around Dartmoor, I come back to the car and see a slight oil leak in a puddle beneath it and wonder if that could be my car. Drive a short distance to a relatives house and park up for a few hours. Everthing seemed fine except maybe a bit sticky in 1st. Then this evening the auto gearbox wouldn't change up and kept lurching from 3rd to neutral etc at some points reving hard with no drive at all (i.e when I had to stop at lights). Managed to get it moving with some gentle persistance but seemed only to want to stay in 3rd with the green light next to the Neutral symbol on the dash blinking at me. Have now nursed it home for the night at a steady 50mph down the dual carriageway unsure if I was doing any longterm damage :5shots: , and will roll it down road to local garage in the morning. Can anyone help with suggestions as to the source of the problem and what to look for tomorrow? Please someone tell me this isn't terminal as I hear that's expensive (gulp). Could it be lack of fluid somewhere?? Is the 3rd gear behaviour a way of protecting itself? My only hope is that Kev down at A P Motors may have his old auto gearbox handy if it is bad - he was due to service the car in a week! Thanks in advance.

[Wodjno]

Initially it does sound like a lack of fluid. Check it out tmora. Level ground, warmed up and engine running. If it is low the most likely leak would be the torque converter seal :thinking: Lets hope it's no more serious than that .

[MidnightSun]

Thanks WODJNO, hope you're right - haven't checked fluid level before as the service intervals are short and wasnt aware I had to - but I will now become a gearbox expert as the potential for problems with this seems huge. If you have any other suggestions I can throw at my mechanic in the morning to check for please let me know.

[v8killa]

according to my user manual, a blinking neutral light while driving means overheated transmission fluid.
The book says park up with the car in 'p', open bonnet, wait 5 mins, put back in drive - if 'n' light not blinking its ok to drive.
then the book carries on with some other drivel about taking it to your dealer if the light continues to blink once per second while in drive.

probably to do with that leak or low fluid level or both.

[bradc]

If I had to guess what happened it would probably be the torque converter seal has simply given in and that the oil has leaked out through that.

I hope that it isn't too bad and that the driving you did won't make it any worse.

[Physician]

See Library:

http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5095


Good luck, fingers crossed.

[MidnightSun]

About to get it on a flatbed truck and down to A P Motors in Plymouth to have a look at - thank god someone wants to look at an auto box - the local garage said no thanks! The more I read on here the more I think you're on the money with suggestions but we'll have to wait a day and see. The only question is did I do more damage driving it home?! I feel a right idiot for not knowing to leave it. Hope its not an expensive lesson...

[MidnightSun]

Oh dear... it IS an expensive problem... a hole in the gearbox and the fluid is pouring out as fast as they can put it in. I quote "the gearbox is mullered" :(
So anyone got an auto gearbox I can have please ?? I hear they cost £850 from Japan. Anyone beat that?

[MPBVr4]

Sorry to hear about your probs m8.
It's the one of the things we all dread.
Apparently ZEDY is you man for a replacements I think.

[Gly]

if he dont have one,

try www.kempys.co.nz they will ship parts to you.

[MidnightSun]

All sorted in 4 days for... gulp... £1400. (Thread in members section).