1.6HDi coming our way - Please Help!

[Welly]

We just recently chopped the Wife's Duster in for an Sandero to reduce our monthly outgoings a bit.

Are you leasing?

This turbo shut down noise, I'll have to video it and show you all, confused now.....

[Bailes1992]

We just recently chopped the Wife's Duster in for an Sandero to reduce our monthly outgoings a bit.

Are you leasing?

This turbo shut down noise, I'll have to video it and show you all, confused now.....

Without going into too much detail...

We had a bank loan to buy the Duster. We had 3 years left at £230/month.

We part-ex'd the Duster and got £8,600 for it (impressive considering we had it for nearly 2 years and paid £10,000 for it).

It cost us £7600 to pay off the bank loan and we put £1,000 down on a PCP deal on the Sandero.

The Sandero is £149/month for 4 years, a monthly-outgoings saving of £81. The PCP breaks even when it turns 3 years old (so the cars value and the outstanding balance of the PCP should 'meet') and we can either part-ex it, put another £1,000 down and get a new one when it's 3 years old. Or, we can wait till the 4 year plan is up and part-ex it and probably have a few hundred quid in equity to put down on the new car. Or, we can purchase the car for £3,000. Or, we can just hand the car back.

The Duster was a superb bit of kit and took no end of abuse including moving house, loading it up with nearly a ton of plasterboard and sitting it flat out on the motorway for several hours and pretending to be Colin McCrae in the snow. I was a bit gutted to see it go. BUT, we didn't need a car that big and for my Wife's type of driving a diesel was the wrong choice and it made sense to downsize financially.

Interestingly the Duster with it's 1.5DCi lugging around a four wheel drive system and doing short journeys managed to average just 32mpg over our ownership. The Sandero with just 1800miles on the lock is already averaging 37mpg and it doesn't get driven gently.

[steve_earwig]

YoyoII's like that, I seem to get better economy of I thrash it than I do if I drive it like an old lady...

Re. the gearbox seems to be a U140F, not sure who makes it but it seems to be on Haiundies and Keers too. Not sure what you mean by idle, engine or gearbox? What it's done a couple of times is if I let off going up a hill and coast almost to a stop, when I press the throttle again there is no drive, the engine revs up and, before I can do anything about it, suddenly it's in gear again and we're off, BANG!

Also, it does seem to take a while to change into top gear when it's cold, the car doesn't interest me very much but I presume this is the lock up waiting for some heat as you say.

[Bailes1992]

YoyoII's like that, I seem to get better economy of I thrash it than I do if I drive it like an old lady...

Re. the gearbox seems to be a U140F, not sure who makes it but it seems to be on Haiundies and Keers too. Not sure what you mean by idle, engine or gearbox? What it's done a couple of times is if I let off going up a hill and coast almost to a stop, when I press the throttle again there is no drive, the engine revs up and, before I can do anything about it, suddenly it's in gear again and we're off, BANG!

Also, it does seem to take a while to change into top gear when it's cold, the car doesn't interest me very much but I presume this is the lock up waiting for some heat as you say.

Ah, yours is some Toyota 4 speed. I assumed you'd have a later 6 speed.

The gearbox in mine was actually fitted to some PSA cars as an AT6. Although mines a bit beefed up, it's the same family of gearboxes.

I think you'll find the gearbox is actually in top gear but the torque converter is slipping making the revs slightly higher.

Torque converters generate quite a lot of heat, in mine the torque converter is open until the gearbox oil temperature reaches 25°c. I guess this is to warm up the gearbox oil faster. Once the oil is up to temperature the only time my torque converter is open is when you pull off from standstill or are going slower than 5/6mph. As soon you pull off the torque converter locks up and you have a direct drive much like a manual gearbox.

The ZF 8HP in my Fathers 320d only locks up the torque converter when you lift off the throttle and are engine braking. When you lift off the accelerator the revs drop about 500rpm (which is the torque converter slip) and then the torque converter locks up to keep the engine spinning. When you're braking downhill it will drop a few gears to assist the slowing down.

I must admit the ZF 8HP is light-years in front of the Aisin Warner TF71-SC in my car. My gearbox is very smooth, quiet and efficient but can be slow and dim witted when you need to make progress. The ZF 8HP always seems to be in the right gear.

[steve_earwig]

Ah, yours is some Toyota 4 speed.

We know a song about in-house automatic gearboxes in this very thread 4 speed with underdrive apparently, I only know that because it's in the service history, being replaced at 42,685km. I dunno how it works but it seems to change gear rather a lot and I seem to get different gears if I select them manually. I don't think reverse goes through this underdrive as it's pretty fierce, especially when cold.

Before this I've only owned cars with BW's that had no electrickery, just fluid pressure. They seemed to run fine to me, so I'm not sure whey they need computers now. I suppose how they run is only as good as the programming and if you do something that falls outside what they expect they will have a bad hair day.

[Bailes1992]

Ah, yours is some Toyota 4 speed.

We know a song about in-house automatic gearboxes in this very thread 4 speed with underdrive apparently, I only know that because it's in the service history, being replaced at 42,685km. I dunno how it works but it seems to change gear rather a lot and I seem to get different gears if I select them manually. I don't think reverse goes through this underdrive as it's pretty fierce, especially when cold.

Before this I've only owned cars with BW's that had no electrickery, just fluid pressure. They seemed to run fine to me, so I'm not sure whey they need computers now. I suppose how they run is only as good as the programming and if you do something that falls outside what they expect they will have a bad hair day.

Have you replaced the transmission fluid in your slushbox yet?

I'm going to do the Volvo at 20k, and then at 20k intervals after that.

[steve_earwig]

I can't find the specs now but the transmission takes something like 9 litres but if you drain it you only get about 3. When we got the car it looked a bit cloudy, maybe something to with the underdrive failure (it looked fine when we were buying it ) There's probably a way to pump out the whole lot while pumping new in but I thought it would probably be easier/less risky just to dilute the contaminants by changing those 3 litres every service. On the last service it was looking pretty clean so I'm thinking perhaps it's not so important now, maybe every other service would be ok.

It's probably complete overkill to change the oil, Toyota says it should never need changing (yeah, right), but as I'll be keeping this for quite a while it's worth it to me for peace of mind, if nothing else.

[trufflehunt]

On my Golf TDI, there are no recommended intervals for changing gearbox oil. In fact,
there is no mention at all of changing it. Nothing in any of the VW servicing/maintenance/owners
handbooks that the previous owner passed on to me.

Last summer, at 225,000 miles, going from 2nd to 3rd, 3rd to 4th.., and back down, was becoming
a real problem.., baulking all over the place. On the forums, and fbook places..., it was all adjust this,
tighten that. I just kept looking at the mileage, and thinking that's a lot of miles.

So I changed the oil. Gear change now completely smooth.

[Bailes1992]

I can't find the specs now but the transmission takes something like 9 litres but if you drain it you only get about 3. When we got the car it looked a bit cloudy, maybe something to with the underdrive failure (it looked fine when we were buying it ) There's probably a way to pump out the whole lot while pumping new in but I thought it would probably be easier/less risky just to dilute the contaminants by changing those 3 litres every service. On the last service it was looking pretty clean so I'm thinking perhaps it's not so important now, maybe every other service would be ok.

It's probably complete overkill to change the oil, Toyota says it should never need changing (yeah, right), but as I'll be keeping this for quite a while it's worth it to me for peace of mind, if nothing else.

I'm planning on 20k intervals, like yours I'll only be able to drain 3-4 litres out of ~10l capacity. I figure changing out 3-4 litres every 20k will still leave me with a much better maintained gearbox than 99% of automatics on the roads.

I know in the US, as most gearboxes have an external oil cooler they disconnect one of the cooler lines, turn the engine on and let the gearbox oil pump drain the gearbox. They then add the same amount that came out and keep draining the gearbox till it comes out the correct colour. I like this method but the Aisin box in mine doesn't have an external oil cooler so it's no where near as easy to do. It has a coolant/oil heat exchanger so the gearbox oil usually very closely follows the coolant temperature. There is options out there to retrofit an external oil cooler but it's not something I would consider unless keeping the gearbox oil temperatures down became an issue (towing etc).

On my Golf TDI, there are no recommended intervals for changing gearbox oil. In fact,
there is no mention at all of changing it. Nothing in any of the VW servicing/maintenance/owners
handbooks that the previous owner passed on to me.

Last summer, at 225,000 miles, going from 2nd to 3rd, 3rd to 4th.., and back down, was becoming
a real problem.., baulking all over the place. On the forums, and fbook places..., it was all adjust this,
tighten that. I just kept looking at the mileage, and thinking that's a lot of miles.

So I changed the oil. Gear change now completely smooth.

I don't believe for a second that any fluid is 'fit for life'. I feel that we got to a point in the 90's and even into the 00's somewhat where cars almost became too reliable. The B5 Passat is bullet proof, Peugeot 406 is bullet proof, Peugeot 306 is bullet proof, MK1 Focus is mechanically bullet proof, All Mondeos are renown for being utterly reliable and it goes on and on.

You see now the trend towards the life-time fills, extended engine oil changes, thinner engine oils etc. Manufacturers have seen how long they can make a car last, and now seem to be going backwards.

It's as if they're working out that an engine will still last 150k-200k on 20k intervals with a thin *w20 oil and over the course of that 150k-200k the owner will have saved some money in oil changes, fuel economy will be improved, emissions will be less and the engine will have a few more horsepower as there is less drag from the oil. I get it, but I want my car running 100%, completely reliable until it ends up in a scrappy due to rot or an electrical failure.

My MK4 Mondeo always had an issue from the day I bought it (3 years old 97k on the clock) with dropping into 1st gear while you are still moving. Once you were stopped it would go into 1st no problem. Changed the gearbox oil and it was perfect after that!

[Welly]

What's all this? a car manufacturer not concerned about long term ownership? who'd have thought.

It's possible, I would say, to keep a modern car running at least 20 years or more if you want to with proper maintenance. The only reason to ditch it would be that you're thoroughly bored of it and can afford something 'better' or you get taxed off the road by the gubbermint.

[Bailes1992]

Another interesting one that lots of people have different opinions on, do you change out the factory fill early or not?

A thread I did on Bob Is The Oil Guy when I dropped the oil in our Sandero at 1000miles...

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/u ... ost5060284

It's been suffering with a surging/chugging sensation since 1200-1300miles, I dropped it off at Renault on Monday (1800 miles on the clock) and that apparently was a broken spark plug. They've replaced the spark plugs and apparently it's all better. I'll reserve judgement until I pick it up tomorrow as it didn't feel like a misfire to me!

If it is fixed, it was a misfire then I'll be dropping the oil again at a fear that the oil has fuel in it. That said, when I checked the oil the other day it did smell quite strong of petrol.

[Welly]

A thread I did on Bob Is The Oil Guy when I dropped the oil in our Sandero at 1000miles...

Bloody hell, look at all the comments slagging each other off about what's right or not right

It's interesting though, in the past new engines always had an oil change at 1000/1500 miles from the factory but they don't seem to bother now, I guess they'd say the manufacturing tolerances and oil is better so no need.

I've got to change the oil on the Twingo it's been 12 months (2000 miles ) funnily enough that takes 5W/40 too.

Which other Nissans/Mercs use this 3-cyl engine?

[Welly]

Decided to tackle the infamous DV6 Fuel Filter replacement, bejesus what a faff!

All of the flimsy snap-me intake piping out, part of the windscreen scuttle panel, the main Battery....and finally you're greeted by a black plastic 'box' with 2 x Bayonet-type connectors, a drain tube and a couple of sensor connectors - all with very little access and hanging on the vac-pump end of the head.
Drain the filter into a bottle by unscrewing the drain plug thing, then squeeze-release the fuel hoses and lift the whole unit from its mountings. Then the awkward bit of liberating the fuel heater from where it has happily been for 40,000 miles so you can refit it with new O-rings onto the new filter housing.......reconnect all hoses and connectors and then begin priming the diesel lines using the 'squeeze me' priming bulbs (what is this? 1986?) you squeeze that thing like you're life depends on it....after about 5 minutes the process goes from sounding like bubbly 'nothing there' to actual fluid....keep priming until you can't hear bubbles.

Whilst in the same area I replaced the engine air filter and also the cabin filter which looked very sorry for itself

All in all about 2.5hrs spent and quite satisfying, also pretty cheap with everything costing about £40.00 max - figured I saved maybe a 2-hour garage bill perhaps. I also improved the intake air ducting so it actually pipes air to the filter box rather that 'somewhere near' and used tie-wraps to stop it rattling itself loose, something I don't suppose a Garage would offer to do.

[OllieNZ]

I think I've got a C-MAX intake boot in the shed still if you wanted to simplify the intake system? It would require extending the MAF wiring but it gets rid of all that awful plastic piping and then puts the filter behind the head light......

[Welly]

I forgot to mention removing the engine/bulkhead 'blanket' which is held in by about 7 plastic studs.

The air filter behind the engine is a truly awful idea on the 1.6 HDi, oh and, like last time, I lost an Allen Key somewhere behind the engine that's probably lying on the M1 now

Thanks for the offer Ollie but I won't want to be modifying the air intake any further on this car.