All Rev And No Go

Good Evening All.

Well Ive Well And Truly ****ed the Mrs off now. It all started a couple of weeks ago when i was offered an 1999 P38 diesel of a friend of a friend with light front enf damage and no key. I had a key ordered from stratstone and had the car recovered to my house. Anyway repaired the damage to the front, new bumper, grill, head light. nothing major. Then the key arrived. I started her up and all was going well untill i tried to drive it off the drive. I tried reversing up and all i got back was very slow movment. The same in all the gears.

Had a look around on here the otherday and got the impression it was the gearbox oil. So picked some up, dropped the oil from the box, around 2.5 ltrs came out (didnt look very nice) a mixture of black and red? then filled up again, around 2.5 ltrs.

So then i tried again, and still the same. Revs up but hardly moves. I have repeated the oil change again but still no luck.

Am I missing something? Help PLEASE

It's fooked.. sounds like the crash did more than just a bit of front end damage..

You should get more like 5 litres out from the box. Are you then re-filling correctly?

Drain oil from box. Put in 4.5 litres. Start engine move through all gears several times. Top up until level is reached. See what you have then. If it drives ok, run for a week or so then change oil again along with filter. Add a bottle of Lucas transmission fix first before filling. Then put 3.5 litres in run through gears and top up til level is reached.

I must be doing something wrong. although i cant see what. when i take the bung out of the bottom i only get around 2.5 out. then when i refill from the side it will only take 2.5. ivg done through the gears and the level stays the same... could there be a blockage or something like that?

drewsp38 said:

I must be doing something wrong. although i cant see what. when i take the bung out of the bottom i only get around 2.5 out. then when i refill from the side it will only take 2.5. ivg done through the gears and the level stays the same... could there be a blockage or something like that?

Click to expand...

Refill from the side. 1999 you should be filling from the front of the box sump. Your not draining the transfer box by any chance are you? That fills from side and takes about 2.5 litres. You have to remove the shield below the gearbox to get at the filler/drain for that.

Which side was the damage? The gearbox cooler is behind the bumper grill on the nearside.

Just seen Wammers post.

hehehe.. Oh dear think somone is feeling a little stoopid around about now..

If they have been draining and refilling transfer box..

Lol, sorry my mistake. I ment the front, as apposed to the bottom where I'm draining it. It def is the gearbox. The oil cooler was fine no issues there. So I'm starting to think about a possible blockage?

drewsp38 said:

Lol, sorry my mistake. I ment the front, as apposed to the bottom where I'm draining it. It def is the gearbox. The oil cooler was fine no issues there. So I'm starting to think about a possible blockage?

Click to expand...

Where can there be a blockage. On yours you drain sump. Fill until oil runs out, Start engine, move through gears, put in park and with engine still running fill til oil runs out. Replace filler cap Job done. Is that what you did? The system holds 9.7 litres 5 of which should be in the sump. Unless the filter is totally gummed up and there is no circulation.

Could the transfer box netural fuse have been installed by a recovery firm if/when the vehicle was moved???

zzr1200 said:

Could the transfer box netural fuse have been installed by a recovery firm if/when the vehicle was moved???

Click to expand...

There would not be any drive at all if that was the case.

drewsp38 said:

Lol, sorry my mistake. I ment the front, as apposed to the bottom where I'm draining it. It def is the gearbox. The oil cooler was fine no issues there. So I'm starting to think about a possible blockage?

Click to expand...

You are checking the level cold with the engine idling I suppose?

I think it may be the filter inside the box. I am checking it cold on idle. Car is level and been through the gears. Im going to drop the sump later today and change the filter etc. I'll keep you all posted

Have to check oil level with engine running.....

If you only get 2.5 in and out...maybe the gearbox pump is fecked and it is not pumping oil around the system....

I made the mistake of switching off the engine with the level plug out...as the oil drained back into the sump it all came flowing out again....quickly started the engine and the pump pulled it allround the system again and I could top up what was lost....

If the pump is fecked (easily damaged when removing and replacing the box) it won't be filling the whole system and obviously no pressure for the gear changes....all you would get is drive from the mechanical clutch and not the hydraulic drive clutches.....

Or am I way off the mark?

Saint.V8 said:

Have to check oil level with engine running.....

If you only get 2.5 in and out...maybe the gearbox pump is fecked and it is not pumping oil around the system....

I made the mistake of switching off the engine with the level plug out...as the oil drained back into the sump it all came flowing out again....quickly started the engine and the pump pulled it allround the system again and I could top up what was lost....

If the pump is fecked (easily damaged when removing and replacing the box) it won't be filling the whole system and obviously no pressure for the gear changes....all you would get is drive from the mechanical clutch and not the hydraulic drive clutches.....

Or am I way off the mark?

Click to expand...

No mechanical clutch Ant, just manual selection of main forward and reverse engagement. Rest are electrical engagement. His description of the oil that came out and quantity does not bode well to be honest. Maybe recoverable but a slim chance.

Certainly doesn't seem like good news....