my car eats gearboxes!

[Zeemon]

But I don't know why...

Its a delicious '98 felicia, served with a large helping of 1.9D and a side of crispy Gli, with free refills of medium rare gearboxes.

Basically, when I got the car some bearing was on its way out in the gear box, and it whined in fifth, this duely got worse until it sounded like stirring a bucket of spanners, and the gearbox was replaced. The replacement gearbox started off sounding like stirring a bucket of marbles, and then also worked its way up to stirring a bucket of anchor chain. This was also replaced. The third and current gearbox sounded like stirring a bucket of water at first but is now slowly starting to sound like stirring a bucket filled with fingernails going down a chalkboard in 3rd and 5th gears (Rheeeee!! type noise).

The only thing that is at all untoward that I can see is the top anti-vibration mounting on the gearbox, where almost all of the rubber has perished. However I annoyed my local skoda garage and they said that it was fine. Could the lack of a bit of rubber cause such heinous problems, or are the gearboxes on the diseasels just very, very weedy?

Halp!!

[TeflonTom]

the trouble is when you buy a second hand gearbox from a breakers yard you never know what you are getting, and the skoda boxes are none too strong anyway

[anewman]

Not that it helps much now but for future reference there have been numerous posts on whining in fifth gear and a guide by pinkskud on how to easily sort the problem (leaving it and using the 5th gear will spell the end of the gearbox unfortunately).

My understanding is the gear stick is designed to allow for movement of the gearbox (hence the steady bar in the linkage bolted to the gearbox). So I doubt any of the engine/gearbox mountings would have any sort of effect as you describe.

I assume the gear oil level has been checked?!

[gadgetman]

What's the condition of the gearbox oil?

[wartburg353]

I believe the 1.9 gearbox is from the polo and is way too weak to cope with the amount of torque- I have a mate with a diesel polo who is on his third (new!!!) gearbox- the first shot bits through the case- I believe he was told by the garage that there is something in there held in with rivets instead of bolts as a thoughtful VW cost cutting measure. At least in the old days the Czechs skimped on the seats, rustproofing and trim rather than the mechanicals.

-Brian

[TeflonTom]

nah the gearbox is a skoda one, they are almost identical to the petrol ones..

the rivetted part you refer to in the vw boxes is the crownwheel and the differential housing

[Zeemon]

Not that it helps much now but for future reference there have been numerous posts on whining in fifth gear and a guide by pinkskud on how to easily sort the problem (leaving it and using the 5th gear will spell the end of the gearbox unfortunately).

Got link?

Ill have a search shortly anyways

What's the condition of the gearbox oil?

how do I check this? Remove speedo attachment and peek in? The gearbox was fresh on less than 1k miles ago with fresh oil, I assume you are thinking if there is water in the oil? I will check!!

I believe the 1.9 gearbox is from the polo and is way too weak to cope with the amount of torque- I have a mate with a diesel polo who is on his third (new!!!) gearbox- the first shot bits through the case

thats just a bit crap, but at least if there is a case history of this nonsense it means that my driving is vindicated!!

[mannyo]

5th gear is a very common problem, my brother had the same issue. Until he got it fixed he just drove the car normally but did NOT use 5th gear, if you continue to use 5th then you will destroy the box and all because of a loose nut. Very cheap to sort as long as you catch it in time.

[Zeemon]

Humm...

I have to do about 500 motorway miles next week... that could be fun using only first, second and fourth gears. :eek:

I am a bit upset with my local skoda garage not mentioning this to me when I asked them to take a look at the car, instead they told me I needed a new gearbox! Twice!! :rotz:

Hopefully this will be the end of it... if not I can see the car going to scrap in all honesty :thumbdwn:

[pinkskud]

I am a bit upset with my local skoda garage not mentioning this to me when I asked them to take a look at the car, instead they told me I needed a new gearbox! Twice!! :rotz:

i would have words with your dealer if i were you.

the 5th gear retaining nut is a common problem yet one easly fixed, as mentioned befor, i have posted a compleat guide to fixing the problem.

if your dealer pretends not to know of the 5th gear retaining nut problem. then i would take your custom to another garage.

all the best.

[anewman]

Got link?

http://briskoda.net/favorit-felicia-fun-forman/noise-fifth-gear/79018/#post1276901

how do I check this? Remove speedo attachment and peek in? The gearbox was fresh on less than 1k miles ago with fresh oil, I assume you are thinking if there is water in the oil? I will check!!

Yep, undo the nut holding the plate in with a 9mm spanner, slide the plate out and pull the speedo drive out (being careful not to let the bit on the end fall into the gearbox).

[KenONeill]

I endorse all this advice. I mean I've never even driven a Felly (much less owned one), and I still know about the 5th gear nut!

[Zeemon]

An update -

the car is due in to the garage on tuesday next week (blame easter for the delay ) and although the garage hadn't heard of the 5th gear nut :thumbdwn: they did make the fair point that I would have to be fantastically unlucky to have had three gearboxes all fail due to the same thing in such quick succession.

They suggest that it may be the bearings in the engine (driveshaft?) that have gone or are misaligned, causing wear on the gearboxes. :magnify:

In my little head that seems to make a bit of sense. However, if it does turn out to be the engine at fault, would that mean I am going to pay AHELLUVALOT :eyepop: to get it stripped down and sorted? Or is such a thing still a relatively simple task?

Muchas gracias for your advice, senôrs :hippy:

[mannyo]

You'll be fine after the 5th gear nut fix.

[Zeemon]

Well I got the car back again a few days ago and the garage said that they think I have been unlucky with my second hand gearboxes. They also said that I shouldn't expect it to be as quiet as a modern-er (is that a word) car and that basically it was all in my head. :rotz:

One good thing was that they are aware of the gear retainer bolts coming of but said it wasnt likely to be that since (apparently) you can hear them rattling about in the gearbox casing if they do!

Looks like I will be running the car untill it dies, more or less, and then either getting yet another replacement or just binning it, depending on my... errr.. capital at that time

[pinkskud]

my gear box runs silky smooth and quiet

[Zeemon]

my gear box runs silky smooth and quiet

Im jeallous!

Want to swap?

To be fair I am dead happy with the car... apart from this one thing that it keeps doing wrong... :P

Im considering getting the 1.3 petrol if I do end up scrapping this, from what Ive heard those are a bit nippier, and hopefully the gearbox is a bit more resillient?

[KenONeill]

I don't see any way it could happen 3 times if they're genuinely exchanging boxes, and checking the 5th gear nut on the new ones.

[surprising_skod]

Im considering getting the 1.3 petrol if I do end up scrapping this, from what Ive heard those are a bit nippier, and hopefully the gearbox is a bit more resillient?

it's the same 'box :rotz:

and they are very tough boxes. properly tough. no matter what anyone thinks - either they aren't treating the car right or they've only had a broken one!

your engine wont be at fault. Misaligned shafts had come to my mind but to be honest that would be pretty hard to do. If you suspected that, the most likely cause would be accident damage, so I would be inspecting the inner wings looking for accident damage on a front corner.

and a good mount will help no end. once fully sorted, you can expect wonderfully peaceful boxes. it is a modern car, with modern noise tolerances. i.e. quiet. Even my favorit mk1 box was pretty quiet after I snapped the selector ...

[Rob_T]

Hiya guys, really great useful forum hiding away here !!! I was debating whether to spend out on a new gear box or sell felly for spares when I found on here the description of the 5th gear nut. I'm just wondering if there is chance of getting some pictures and slightly more details expanding on pinkskud's guide? All of the garages local to me say its a bearing causing the whistling noise in 5th and aren't prepared to take the gear box apart however it is exactly as you guys describe, it appeared while on a motor way only happens with foot on accelerator in 5th gear and is louder the more I press the acc'. I really want to give this a go I've got a generic car tool set from halfords & a felly haynes just a bit unsure where to start any help would be very greatly appriciated.

[anewman]

The mount/end cover described by pinkskud is a combined thing. Follow instructions in Haynes for removal of transmission mount, there's probably one or two pics in there. Avoid use of 5th gear until fixed

[TeflonTom]

i've got a couple of spare gearboxes knocking about in the garage, i'll crack one open and take some pics when i get a chance

[KenONeill]

Rob T, the car will run forever with this issue as long as you don't use 5th gear.

[Zeemon]

it's the same 'box :rotz:

and they are very tough boxes. properly tough. no matter what anyone thinks - either they aren't treating the car right or they've only had a broken one!

your engine wont be at fault. Misaligned shafts had come to my mind but to be honest that would be pretty hard to do. If you suspected that, the most likely cause would be accident damage, so I would be inspecting the inner wings looking for accident damage on a front corner.

and a good mount will help no end. once fully sorted, you can expect wonderfully peaceful boxes. it is a modern car, with modern noise tolerances. i.e. quiet. Even my favorit mk1 box was pretty quiet after I snapped the selector ....

I will have a check for accident damage later :eek: hadn't thought of that !

The thing is that this car has been to two skoda garages, and an independent, and none of them have pointed me in the direction of the bolts, although the last skoda garage did actually know they existed! I am wondering if it's not better to sweet-talk a briskoda member with some experience of the cars into taking a look. Possibly entice them into it with the offer of a beer I don't really want to replace the car, but obviously unless I can actually sort it it must go, I can't keep pouring money into it :rotz:

[pinkskud]

i would offer to help, but your in Bath and i'm in Bedford.