Help! Auto Gearbox repair needed NE Wales

[Teyrn]

Hi

Can anyone help please... I have auto transmission on my T25 and I think its stuck in a gear (2nd)... I need to know if there is any VW auto gearbox specialists in the North Wales/Chester area. If anyone knows of anyone who can help me please I would be extremely grateful as I am a new T25 owner and haven't had the opportunity to even camp in my van yet....

Thank you

[ajsimmo]

Hi, Sorry to hear of your probs so soon after joining our clan!
There's plenty of folk on here who will be keen to help you get back on the road asap.
I'll start...
To figure out what's gone wrong could do with a bit more info first.
You say "stuck in a gear" - can you move the lever from D into N, R & P, or is the actual lever stuck?
If you can move it, does it stay stuck in gear?
If it will select N and R, but just won't change up in D, it could be a badly adjusted gear selector cable holding it in 2.
You mentioned 2nd, what made you believe it is stuck in 2nd, not 1st?
Also, most obvious but worth mentioning, have you checked the gearbox oil level? Bearing in mind this should be done hot, on level ground, and ticking over in Neutral, it will be tricky, but there is also a cold fill level lower down the dipstick. Check the oil is near this level first.

I've had a couple of auto's and never had gearbox trouble, so can only help so much. If you post more detail someone will probably have had exactly the same thing happen.......
Good luck and hope you get rolling soon.

[ghost123uk]

Aiden off here is in Warrington, not far from you (us ) and he has a VERY good reputation with VW gearboxes.

Here he is = memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=151

[Teyrn]

Hi,

Thank you for your replies. I did find Aidan's website and emailed him hoping he could help, but he very kindly emailed me back and unfortunately he does not undertake Auto g/boxes.

I have found another place called the Gearbox Centre in Buckley who do Auto's and its going to them tomorrow.

I am not sure what the problem is as it works fine in R, N, P but when you put it in D it doesn't seem to be changing and making a squealing noise which doesn't sound that nice... like it wants to change to another gear but can't. Gearbox people says it sounds like its in "Limp Home" mode which its designed to do to prevent further damage... Sorry I can't be more specific, but I will post the outcome if anyone is interested... LOL

Thank you again for your replies to my thread.

[Teyrn]

Oh yes, I have also checked all the fluid levels and they are fine. So I think I have covered all the stuff that people have suggested may be a problem. Fingers crossed it isn't worst case scenario..........

[ajsimmo]

Any update? Did you get it sorted, and if so what was it? May help others with future problems...

[toomanytoys]

"limp mode"??? on a 20 odd year old vehicle... yeah right... no electronics on these boxes so is a mechanical fault....

[Teyrn]

Hi,

Just to update what happened to our auto g/box problem. When it was stripped down it appears that the diff section had a leak and lost its fluid... and that was the awful noise which actually sounds a bit like the fan belt slipping... anyway s/hand gearbox sourced from VW Northwest, who delivered it to Gearbox centre and it was fitted into the van and is now running great... It would seem the previous owner left the drip which he thought was oil and did not get it checked out, so by the time it came to us it was virtually dry and we didnt see any drips. Fortunately it did not lock up whilst we were driving (don't want to think about that one...)

Auto gearbox owners..... check your drips out.

[glenn77]

I had a similar problem when i first bought my auto camper. I drove it home and ran it for a few months but had problems with some strange smells and overheating problems coming from the gearbox. I had a quick look around but being a new owner couldnt find what the problem was. Things got worse with some bad noises and a couple of seizes but still i didnt know what was wrong. Eventually the van broke down and after being towed home i got underneath to find the sump on the differential was loose - nearly all the nuts holding it on were finger tight. The oil had been gradually leaking out and had run dry. I found the crown wheel in the diff had stripped its teeth and totally disintegrated. Thanks to several peoples help on here (slugbelly) i got a new gearbox and diff and managed to get all sorted out in a few weeks. I even have a spare autobox and differential in case the old one broke - if anyone wants one ....any reasonable offer and the 80-90 express. The moral - check your oil levels regularly.