TD5 auto box reliability

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biolandy

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Thinking about moving up to a TD5 as my next bio toy(home brew excellent quality-I'll worry about the engine side).Thinking about being lazy and going for an auto,but what are auto boxes like longterm?Anyone got any input?
 
thats the risk with a used motor ,but if you give it a good test run till its up to temp at least youd have a reasonable idea
 
Bit off topic,but do the timing chains have a change interval or are they considered good for life-thanks
 
I've had 3 td5's first 2 manual then bought this auto, first few drives i didn't like it seemed too revvy but now i don't think i'd go back i love it, not as good on fuel but a much nicer drive, best thing drive both, but the auto wins for me,

Paul
 
I had problems with my auto box at 50k . Noticed a drip of oil hitting the exaust pipe and making smoke. Took it to a specilist auto box guy. He said it was a leak on the pipe from the box to the oil cooler. 150 euros to fix, a common problem where the clips rub on the pipe....Apparanly it wasnt that. The oil seals had failed on the pump and that means a rebuild as the box has to be stripped out to get to it. Then he found out the tourqe converter was knackered.Had to get the part from Amsterdam blah blah. End result was a bill for 2500 Euros !!! I asked about changing the fluid at sevice periods. His take was only change at 80K and it can not be done without expert knowledge and eqipment. Trapped between rock and a hard place I paid or not get the vehicle back. That said it is nice to drive an auto.
 
spanishlair said:
I had problems with my auto box at 50k . Noticed a drip of oil hitting the exaust pipe and making smoke. Took it to a specilist auto box guy. He said it was a leak on the pipe from the box to the oil cooler. 150 euros to fix, a common problem where the clips rub on the pipe....Apparanly it wasnt that. The oil seals had failed on the pump and that means a rebuild as the box has to be stripped out to get to it. Then he found out the tourqe converter was knackered.Had to get the part from Amsterdam blah blah. End result was a bill for 2500 Euros !!! I asked about changing the fluid at sevice periods. His take was only change at 80K and it can not be done without expert knowledge and eqipment. Trapped between rock and a hard place I paid or not get the vehicle back. That said it is nice to drive an auto.
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that sounds more like you were taken for a ride , oil pump sit just inside bellhousing ,and is a simple job too fix without stripping the whole box ,you just remove belllhousing ,though that would leak out of lowest part of bell housing ,cooler pipes are the most common leak , torque converttor issues would have been obvious to you before you took it in for a leak fix , 80k is possible but only a gambler would take it , things allways work and last better running with clean oil 10k id think is plenty , of course he could be right and you needed a new t/c and rebuild but sounds not likely with your symptoms
 
Thanks James. With hindsight I have to agree. He was sold to me as an expert (he says he has been dioing autobox work since he was a child, worked for rolls royce etc) and he was the only player in the game. I am in the middle of nowhere and auto cars are almost unknown. If its not 4 cylinder diesel less than 1.8 and manual no one has much of a clue. When I first saw the oil drip I thought it best not to drive it as I had no idea how much fluid I had lost and could find no way of dipping it or getting more fluid in. On the subject of oil change, he has told me that I should go back to him to change the oil as most of it is in the T/C and you have to strip it to get the oil out. More flannel?
 
yes ,you would have to remove gear box then t/c and suck the oil out of it ,but no one does that even lr , changing the 4.5 litres in the main box is all thats needed as i said i do it yearly or 10k ,just slacken level plug on front of the box sump 8mm allen key then remove drain bung 5mm allen key , then fill through level plug hole 4 litres of atf dexron 2 or 3 , but level bung in loose run engine and pull selector through all gears pausing a little in each ,place selector in neutral ,leave engine running and fill box through level plug until it just runs out ,job done , if oils been in a long time and is dirty (not black as tha means a lutch pack is burnt and rebuild or repair is necessary)run the car a few miles then repeat with another oil change
 
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Change the oil every 20k.

Mine was a bit brown when i got it, took a couple of changed to thin it out as you never get all the oil out.

Buy a big metal syringe, they're about the size of a grease gun, makes getting the oil in a doddle,

As for special tools, a couple of hex sockets are the height of it

I tow a trailer a lot, and do the gearbox oil at annual services, less than 20k, and apart from it being a bit revvy, it doesnt miss a beat
 
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