Gearbox Just Sh1T Itself

[180 wanabe]

Was on my way back to the Gold Coast this morning after spending the night at my girlfriends place in Brisbane.

Got to about where the old ikea is on the hwy and I noticed that the car felt like into shifted into neutral. Revs lifted and speed was going down.

I pulled over on the side of the hwy to find that I had no gears at all. Put the car into park and it made a bit of a grinding noise. Park dosent seem to work as the car would roll back without the hand break on. Any gear that the car is put in feels like neutral with no movement.

Before this happened the car had been running fine, no problems downshifting or going into reverse. There was no unusual noises or vibrations when the incident happened

Car is the 5 speed auto not the 8 speed cvt

The car runs a seperiate tranny cooler rather than going through the radiator

I had the trans fluid changed at 65k and topped up with Nissan trans fluid when I had the cooler fitted at about 80k car now has 110k on the clock

Any ideas ?

[PN-Mad]

Scan tool, check for error codes as a first option. After that, drop and inspect some fluid. Check for particles over 1mm. Obviously you've checked and it has fluid in it, at the correct level?

Other than that, sounds like its farked. Buy one from a wreckers or have it rebuilt.

[t5iv]

+1 Scam tool. Otherwise, install gearbox with an extra pedal...

[34GeeTeeTee]

The only time that happened to me in an old car i had was when i snapped the input shaft, but i am pretty sure this wouldnt happen in a modern car...... plus i was being an ass when it happened! Fingers crossed its just a valve body issue or something that is a cheap fix

[180 wanabe]

Hmm u think most gearbox shops would have a scan tool these days ?

[PN-Mad]

Just the general mechanic should have something if thats easier. It's not like you can drive there easily.

[180 wanabe]

There is a "general" workshop about 5 mins drive away from where I live, might ride my moto there and see if they have a scan tool and how much they would want for someone from the shop to quickly pop around to my house plug it into the car and see what codes/any come up

[180 wanabe]

hmm yellowpages brought up these guys http://www.yellowpages.com.au/qld/burleigh-heads/burleigh-automatics-11975654-listing.html?context=businessTypeSearch&referredBy=www.yellowpages.com.au

anout 4ks from where I live and also looks like they offer free local towing. Just paid $170 to get from springwood to palm beach

This is prob more a QLD thing but anyone heard anything about them?

[sonicii]

Sounds like an internal gearbox issue to me.. was going to suggest a stripped spline on the torque converter or a pump failure.. but if that were the case. the Park pawl should still engage and stop the car moving.

Did it make any noises (clunks or bangs), when it failed?

[180 wanabe]

No clunks or bangs, the car just smoothly disengage into no gear at all was doing 100 on the hwy cruising along just noticed the revs rise and the car slowing down. Only noises are when i go to put it into park after I have tried drive and reverse is a mechanical grinding noise like gears grinding for 1 second then it's silent

[Deep Dish V35]

i was going to suggest the gear linkage (broke a pin or something then slipped into neutral) but i doubt youd get grinding

[180 wanabe]

Ok so after a day of thinking and talking to a couple of customer at work who were mechanics im thinking that the problem may be related to my diff install. I had to get one of the stub axles chopped down when the new diff center was installed. I have the day off work tomorrow so I will jack the car up from the diff and put jack stands under the rear to see if the tail shaft is moving when the car is in gear. If it is then I know that the box is ok the problem is with the diff.

[sonicii]

A diff issue did run through my mind when you mentioned the grinding when shifting to park ( output shaft still turning when selecting park), but figured a blown diff or broken axel wouldn't exactly be silent.. And usually occurs under brutal treatment.

[scotty nm35]

Have you checked the gear linkage? Something may have snapped it from underneath...

[180 wanabe]

Found the culprit

Jacked the car up by the diff turned on the engine put into drive and tailshaft is moving which means gearbox is ok - shame about the times its had to grind when going into park though :S

checked out the diff and found the culprit

Edited July 6, 2012 by 180 wanabe

[PN-Mad]

Was going to say that this morning, After you mention the diff!

Good news. Should be less expensive. Just go and buy a non LSD diff, and transplant your quaife into it.

[180 wanabe]

well cars been dropped off at Aussie Diffs in Currumbin, now to wait n see

[scotty nm35]

Too many mad skids bro?

[iamhe77]

Too many mad skids bro?

Was it the avatar that gave it away?

[PN-Mad]

From memory the story goes like this. When op got the quaife limo, it suited the open diff, not the vlsd. As op had the vlsd, the output shafts were different to what the quaife suited. The shop who installed cut down the vlsd output shafts to suit the quaife, leaving less than normally would remain of the splines.

One would assume that the shaft has popped out, and or stripped one of the cut down splines.

Does that sum it up so far?