Smoke from auto gearbox

[dirtyroger]

I have been having problems recently, most annoying the knocking sound coming from my van when i sometimes pullaway slowly.

I'm very paranoid that my auto box will die a painful death sometime.

Today when i stopped driving, i quickly looked at the gearbox from the rear wheel arch and noticed a little smoke coming out of the top. It seemed to be coming from a join, there was a copper hose next to it coming out of the top of the auto box.

Any ideas what this could be??

Thanks

[Mr Bean]

I have been having problems recently, most annoying the knocking sound coming from my van when i sometimes pullaway slowly.
I'm very paranoid that my auto box will die a painful death sometime.
Today when i stopped driving, i quickly looked at the gearbox from the rear wheel arch and noticed a little smoke coming out of the top. It seemed to be coming from a join, there was a copper hose next to it coming out of the top of the auto box.
Any ideas what this could be??
Thanks

Oh dear! I bet you are wondering if this has anything to do with that grinding noise. I am looking at the picture on page 38.2 of my Bentley manual and I see that the casing is vented around the torque converter. I might expect this to mist a bit if worked hard in the damp. The only other place I can see is the joint between the final drive housing and the transmission. This join is supposed to be a gasketed join so short of the fixings being loose the gasket will be leaking. At this stage I would suggest a close up and intimate visual inspection of the whole transmission system checking for loose fixings and evidence of oil leaks. I am no expert but believe that this is one of those situations which will definatelly not benefit by being left to fester.
Good luck
Ken
PS Get a Bentley and frighten yourself"

[1664]

Ever the pessimist (realist?), I'd make sure you have 'recovery' cover. My auto box disintergrated stranding me on the M6 and had a knocking (only briefly though) just before. Once those things break, you ain't going nowhere!!

[dirtyroger]

It was a wet day, and it was just after i had stopped so i;m hopeing it was just mist not smoke.

The knocking seems to happen more often as i turn a corner. do you think bearings?

Thanks ya'll i'm gonna take to my mates garage ASAP (money permitting) and luckely i do have breakdown cover.

[1664]

What I did notice while trawling yellow pages etc etc was that when I phoned 'VW Specialists' the phone would go dead the moment I mentioned the word "automatic".

[caveman]

The knocking could be from your CV joints. I would check them first before pulling the gearbox only to find nothing wrong. Auto boxes do get hot [all that oil slipping between plates] and any auto box would benefit from an extra oil cooler.

[caveman]

especially if you have a camper and go traveling with 2 adults, 6 kids ,2 dogs, 800 beers and food etc etc.

[dirtyroger]

What I did notice while trawling yellow pages etc etc was that when I phoned 'VW Specialists' the phone would go dead the moment I mentioned the word "automatic".

So where did you get it fixed eventually and how much was the work?

[1664]

I couldn't get anyone to fix it. I had to get a replacement box from a scrappy and have that fitted. Costwise, the box was £250 but I can't remember how much it cost to get it fitted - probably so traumatic my brain has erased all memory of it

[splity61]

I have an auto 2.1, it started smoking. I had not pushed the dipstick home far enough, it had presurised and leaked down the tube onto the top of the box. OOOPPPPPS!
The knocking sounds C>V joint, I had a 2.0lt bay that started knocking on a holiday in Germany, when I returned it had gone from every so often to constant. Its quite straight forward to do, the problem is working out which one! I could'nt be bothered so changed all four. Problem sorted!
Have fun.