"AUTOMATIC GEARBOX FAULT"

[peugeot406rapier]

hello all,
the 406 estate 2.0 LX auto i bought a few weeks ago is now ALSO playing up the MFD flashes AUTOMATIC GEAR BOX FAULT and on the gearbox diagram in the speedo the snow and ice and sport mode lights flash and no light where it tells you what gear your in and now it pulls away in 3rd as it crawls away at walking pace and when it finally gets up to speed it changes up only once so thats why im guessing its in 3rd! is this a f*cked gearbox or a switch or sensor or shall i just set light to it and push it into a ditch? i bought this car thinking lovely ive got the auto box i need 7 seats low mileage and excellent condition im sorted for years but no thats obviously asking too much!

thanks all!

[omega]

check oil first this will tell you a lot

[peugeot406rapier]

i thought it was a sealed unit its an AL4 unit theres no dipstick and everywhere ive looked it says thers no dipstick and no access

[TopDonkey]

http://www.peugeot206cc.co.uk/viewtopic.php?id=10013

interesting read about al4 gearbox problems on the 206 on the above link

[peugeot406rapier]

ahh thanks for the link its exactly what im getting so that answers my question.. im gonna torch the heap of sh*t and push it down a ditch ive had it up to my eyeballs with these unreliable cars a hardcore 406 fanatic and lover to strong opposer to the entire french automotive market in just 1 month, its gotta be bad!

[Welly]

I didn't check that link but you may need the advise of a good independant slushmatic specialist, it could be something like a shift solenoid, speed sensor, or ECU fault??

Regular fluid changes seem to prolong good service with auto's

I also concur with your dissapointment at the faults with your 406's; they all seem inter-related and all come at once I sold mine after I sank over £1,200.00 into it and it still required a new clutch/fly and still stank of leaking Diesel for no apparent reason seems you either get a good'un or you don't.

[steve_earwig]

I thought snow and sport lights flashing together means it thinks it's time for an oil change

[STALLED]

I thought snow and sport lights flashing together means it thinks it's time for an oil change

Yes - if the counter has hit the limit...

[STALLED]

I didn't check that link but you may need the advise of a good independant slushmatic specialist, it could be something like a shift solenoid, speed sensor, or ECU fault??

Regular fluid changes seem to prolong good service with auto's

+1 - Ensure it is replaced with the correct oil and don't drive the car until it is sorted. Friction properties through using the wrong oil can and will kill the AL4!

[peugeot406rapier]

thanks all for your replies ive got it booked into a local automatic box specialists for the weekend and im using the D8 ive got for sale and now ive spent £400 on it to sell it i just know something else will die i was reading in the haynes manual and it said pretty much what that link said when snow+ice and sport flash and it only pulls away from 3rd it needs to be plugged into a diagnostic its in a limp-home type thing so it may be the oil or a solenoid or relay etc so the best 406 i thought i ever bought is now just sitting there doing nothing until saturday, it gets me that the oldest, most basic and highest mileage car of the three 406s i have is the only one that has never let me down, its had its niggles but its never been undriveable!

[Welly]

it gets me that the oldest, most basic and highest mileage car of the three 406s i have is the only one that has never let me down, its had its niggles but its never been undriveable!

There's progress for you

[peugeot406rapier]

hello all

I got the gearbox fault sorted today i took it to my local gearbox specialist and it is an inhibitor switch..i say switch but it looked more like the size of a remote control anyways its all sorted now and i got them to change the gearbox oil for me too and it turns out that these "sealed for life" units arent quite sealed for life, they tell people that so amateurs dont touch them because they are such a PIG to change the oil on, and ive never seen gearbox oil like this its a quite a thick greeny brownish gloopy mineral stuff but £160 to run diagnostics on it, supply and fit the switch and drain and refill the gearbox oil i thought was a good price, its never driven so smooth and you can barely tell the gear changes now but word or warning if these switches go on a vauxhall auto box they can cost £200+ just for the switch and although Citroens use the same box most specilists wont touch them because citroen wire them up and program them very weirdly, also on the plus side i sold my white D8 for £700 Monday evening, so thats one less and now it will soon be time for my much loved and much spent on Rapier comes up for sale ill post some pics of the estate after ive posted this