Club 80-90 Forums

Right, this is bad...

I'm half way down France and 5th gear started jumping out, I held it on for a couple of hours but then it started bucking and trying to jump constantly. Can't use it all now.

Is there anything obvious in the linkage that I can check, or top up the oil or something... Or as I fear, is it dead and I need to abandon this journey and get recovered.

I'm in Hambye in Normandy for a few days.

James
07861 258 268

are the other gears ok ????? if so carry on with 4th as top gear?

at the risk of 'trolling' id run with james on this one, box will be dead in due course, you can live without 5th enjoy the hols and sort it on return, if it dies altogethr then cross that bridge if you get to it
mm

Check the oil and then run on in 4th not many options really.

Broken 4th>5th synchro hub .... Get as near to a ferry port as possible and get recovered home.

Been there done that

Good luck, Ian.

Thanks for the info. Is there a guide to changing the oil, it's pretty rural but I might be able to source some oil.

We're here for a week, I'll change plans and keep to nearby campsites and then try and 4th gear it home.

Is this a complete rebuild job?

Typical isn't it, the bus has been fine in the UK, first holiday with our 6 month old and this. I'm gutted and pretty distraught.

pictonroad wrote: Is this a complete rebuild job?

Our's was. What does neutral feel like ? Our's was 'graunchy' and reverse was really iffy. Be careful and enjoy the week as much as you can.

Ian

PS changing the oil will do nothing at this point ... only show you the parts collected on the magnet.

Assuming you checked the oil before you left, if not top it up.

pictonroad wrote: I'm in Hambye in Normandy for a few days.

At least you're not far from Cherbourg should you need to be repatriated, not a cheap ferry though unless already booked to come back from there ?

Ian

Ferry back from Dieppe, going to stay put for a week and then meander back slowly...

Van is getting sold as soon as I get back, I just can't relax anymore in it anymore now we have a little one, getting stuck on our own was inconvenient but I've had a tension headache for 3 days on my holidays!

It's not a toys out the pram moment, I've been pondering for a little while. I will use the money to hire new vans so I can enjoy myself without so much worry.

Sometimes in life you gotta take stock, spending every weekend and most of my money on something that I don't enjoy anymore doesn't make sense, I'll be back in a T4 in a few years I'm sure.

pictonroad wrote: I'll be back in a T4 in a few years I'm sure.

Oh dear, let's hope things don't get THAT bad

Ian

I have been stressed out by numerous holiday van issues in the past. Many has been the time when I have said 'No more, never again'. Its all part of being a dad and husband. When I got home again it always melted away. My experience of breaking down is that I have shared garage space with cars less than a year old. One of these even had a wrecked gearbox. So a T4 does not guarantee problem free motoring. Try and enjoy your trip and my tip is try and leave your van where it is until you have to go back to the port to save further wear and tear. Best of luck.

Patrick

I forgot to remind you. When travelling back just in case use the N roads not toll roads as your breakdown service is not allowed to collect you from toll roads. Only the local gendarmerie can arrange this and its a pain. I hope you get home without further incident.

Patrick

I broke down in France last year, gearbox got steadily worse and worse when we were on a very hilly motorway. Eventually had to pull into services to try to sort it out. On the slip road couldn't get gearstick to move at all.

Our RAC cover will sort us out, I thought. When I phoned them they told me that as we were on a motorway I had to call the French police, despite them offering 24/7 access to English speaking call centres. The French for I have broken down is "Je suis en panne" - I'll never forget it! Unfortunately the Gendarme could not understand me any more than I him. He insisted that I tell him the number of the telephone box I was calling from, I simply couldn't get across the fact that I was using my mobile. As I was in a services I couldn't see an emergency telephone to use.


We had a lousy experience at the hands of the RAC European Breakdown service. Part of the issue seemed to be that we were more than 250Km away from Calais, our return ferry port, therefore they would not repatriate us and the van at the same time. (It was eventually returned on a low loader about 6 weeks later!!)

If you can nurse your van back to the ferry thats your best chance. Once back in the UK the whole breakdown issue becomes much simpler to sort.

Best of luck.

Chris

Unlucky James, I'd wing it and carry on in 4th.
Good luck.