Club 80-90 Forums

1.Prob been answered somewhere but what does the buzzing from the dashboard (like an alarm clock) mean again? It doesnt happen straight away but couple of mins into the journey. It happened today for 1st time.
Also, the little red light to the rh side of the oil symbol is also flashing at the same time... Have just changed oil btw. Are they related?

2.My starter motor is not springing forward to engage the fly wheel... At the mo it just spins and makes a spinning noise when i turn the key without engaging. Its a newish starter. Was wondering what was wrong with it. Cant take it back as it was bought ages ago (new) but have only just fitted it.. any ideas. Solenoid?

3.Lastly, i have a prob with my gearbox. It is a 5 speed but i only have 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and Reverse... but no 1st gear.
I have checked all the other bits including linkage, gearstick and the clutch. All the other gears work fine and locate nicely (so assume its not the clutch)..except 1st!
My question is: can i, as a amateur mechanic do anything about it? I happen also to have an identical box on my bench which is half taken apart so i know generally what it looks like in there but dont obviously have the expertise. Has anyone got the same prob? Has anyone fixed a gearbox with the same symptons?
I can obviously "send it away" to the specialists but would like to know if i can fix it myself and at the same time learn another skill.

Any help would be much much much appreciated


1600 turbo diesel 5 speed 1989

Thank you

Buzzer and flashing red to me is pretty terminal. This indicates no oil pressure. Need to check with oil pressure test gauge to make sre not faulty switch. Would not recommend driving until investigated further.

When starter fitted did you change the brass bush that the end oif the starter sits in? Check all conection on to starter are good and clean. If so sounds like starter knackered.

No 1st gear. More than likely just an adjustment problem. Follow the gear change shaft underneath and there is a clamp with a 13mm nut and bolt through it. This is were you adjust the gear change. Have a look in the wiki for how to do this.

Hi on the subjext of no 1st gear.
Have you checked that it is actually a 5 spped box, my last van had a 5 speed lever and I couldnt get 1st then when I checked the box found it had been changed to a 4 speed . So after trying all possible adjustments I had been wasting my time. I bought a 4 speed gearknob and sanity was restored

thanks for the answers.

Qu1. A bit more info..I have just replaced the cylinder head (3 days ago) with new gaskets on exhaust and inlet and obviously a new head gasket. Replaced the timing belt. Before i changed oil i used engine flush to flush the engine and clean out any water that was mixed with the old engine oil. Have changed the oil filter and oil..and the oil level is normal. I have no oil leaks and engine is running ok with good compression. Aprt from the starter and gearbox issues nothing else wrong. It all sounds sweet until the buzzer of doom and oil light comes on! Hummm!?

Does the buzzer only come on when there is low oil pressure or does it come on for other things too?
Also, the actual oil cymbal isnt lighting up its a little light next to the oil symbol (to the right of it). Ive never had the oil light come on before so im not sure if the ACTUAL symbol lights up or the red light next to it.(which could mean something else) Just clarifying.
Could it be as simple as a faulty wire or connection? Cant understand why there would be oil pressure issues. Is there any other more mechanical signs or sounds relating to low oil pressure that i can check out?

Qu2. I dont think i did change the bush on the starter motor no. You got me thinking now???!!!
Ill take it out and have a look.. but im not sure what im looking for to be honest..anyone got any pics of the offending brass bush at all?
Sounds right tho as i just read it on Justcampers that it is recommended to change the bush.. ill give that one a go. thanks.


Qu3. is that the 13mm bolt on the opp side to the linkage...on top. If so how do i adjust that? Tighten or slacken a lot or a little bit at a time. I dont want to upset any of the other gears as they all work just fine. All of the linkage seems ok too. Cant find anything specific on wiki to do with the 13mm bolt..any links?
The gearbox that came out is identical to the gearbox thats in question (the one that currently in there) so issume its not a 4 speed box altho i dont know. Why would anybody change a 5spd to a 4spd box anyway. It was bough off of Futbus in Devon, which is where i got the cylinder head from also. He sold it to me a s a 5spd box. I was thinking maybe it needed some work internally which is what my original question was. Any ideas help?

re buzzer of doom.
check all earth connections in engine bay, and check the pressure sender at the front of the head....

when you flushed the engine, you may have washed deposits around that are now blocking the filter, so change oil and filter again.....

oil light should come on when ignition on but engine not running, its the red led, not the picture

as for gearbox, the code is on the o/s lower flange infront of the driveshaft

Cheers for that. will do..makes sense. When you say pressure sensor at front of head, is that the one with the little spade connector on it which has a blue lead going to it?
The code is the same on the gearbox and it looks identical. Does the 4spd box and the 5spd box look identical (externally that is)?

thanks

ROB

yep, gearboxes look the same, (Never really paid that much attension side by side TBH) but codes the same, means box the same.
(You are pushing it past the gate into first ??)

and yes the oil pressure sender with the spade connection, coz if you changed the head, you may have damage the connection, or indeed the wire..........also check for damaged wire further along, it may have been nipped or melted

just another thought, check the "W" connection on the alternator too, the BoD needs a rev signal to operate correctly

ok will add those checks to the list. i still have the old sensor off the old head which i know worked ok so i could try that one on there in between changing oil.
Regarding the box, i think someone mentioned "the box might have been converted to a 4spd" earlier which made me think even if it looks the same and has same code that someone mite have changed it for some (unknown) reason..and was wondering if it was possible to do that and if it was common? HummmmH. :@

Oh what fun..

Cheers
ROB

no, they ment changed the box, as in swapped boxes over in the van.

yes, change the sender first......

Oh right of course. Cheers. Its easy to get the wrong end of the old stick on here. Now you mentioned the sensor it makes me think that it is prob the problem. I was thinking more the one on top of where the oil filter is..which is a yellow cable. Ones prob oil pressure and the ones temp no doubt (please correct me if im wrong :/)

just to clarify,, you are aware that to get 1st gear on a 5 speed you have to go across the "gate" with the gear lever?

what oil did you put in when you changed it? i don't think they like the modern synthetic stuff from what i've read?

good luck sorting it and hats off for trying to do it yourself

Thanks for the reply. I put the correct oil in im sure as i got info from this site. Yeah im also aware of the 1st gear action. Ive had camper for a long time and my old box was 5 speed. When i try to get it in 1st it just seems like it isnt even there! I also took off the linkage and tried to click it in gear by hand at the box. All the gears go in fine and smooth...but when i try to put it into 1st it just isnt there..not even a little bit in 1st. So...
Its left me thinking its internal rather than external. Which was my original question really...can i fix 1st gear or replace the internal parts (just for that particular gear) myself?
I still have the old box on my bench with all the bits. The prob with that one was 3rd and 4th when it went so i opted to buy a second hand box. It was only when i got it in (3months later) did i realise the 1st wasnt working! Anyway, i was thinking that if its not too difficult a job i culd use the bits from my old box to repair the current one (not current bun!)
Has anyone ever done anything like this? Im quite hady with my hands and am willing to give it a go as there are no time restrictions at the mo.

The only other possible thing would be the clutch. The clutch as far as i can make out is fine. I had a new one put in about year and a half ago and it works for all the other gears just fine. So i assume it would not be the clutch..although im open to suggestions.

The sensor on the oil filter housing [yellow wire ] is the high pressure oil switch [its switched on when the engine is running] any loose connection here or anywhere to the dash pod could cause the buzzer and oil light to come on. Use theWiki for more info!.
sorry i cant help with the gearbox.