F**king tipbox shagged

[soc]

Well peeps, it looks like my tipbox is shagged. I'm just in after the AA rescued the car from the side of the road (booterstown avenue to be precise)!! The damn box dropped into "linp home" mode not to mention the horrible grinding it was making in first gear. And there I am with 10 lts of dextron III and 2 tipbox filters (not to mention my share in the Dextron III bulk buy)..... arrrrrccccgggggghhhh!

So the story is, the box was play acting most of the way home from work - mostly wouldn't drive in 1st and when it did it dropped in really heavy. Spent most of journey trying to stay in 2nd (or 3rd or 4th) but then the damn box decided it didn't want to drive anymore and N started to flash at 1 per second (I believe this is bad news)!

So now I'm looking at the following options:

1) Recon tipbox from A&F (they come highly recommended and have done many other FTOs)

2) Source manual box + all ancillaries and get garage to have a crack at a conversion (anyone know offhand how hard this would be?)

3) Get rid of GR with broken box (at low price) and get a nice EVO V or WRX STI (was thinking of getting one this summer anyway but not until after I got married)

4) Get box recon and then sell immediately and get a nive EVO V or WRX STI...


Either way I'm looking at some big bread.......... not really what I wanted 6 months before getting maried.

[CJ]

Not good Shane, more bad news! Neutral light flashing @ 1hz normally indicates a sensor problem, don't lose hope yet. Try getting the sensors (Camskill, U-save) and fit them in the mean time, a long shot I know, but reset the ECU for the sake of it. If I where you, I'd get the gearbox sorted before you sell it (if you do decide to) and take it from there.

Keep us up to date

Ciaran

[soc]

Not good Shane, more bad news! Neutral light flashing @ 1hz normally indicates a sensor problem, don't lose hope yet. Try getting the sensors (Camskill, U-save) and fit them in the mean time, a long shot I know, but reset the ECU for the sake of it. If I where you, I'd get the gearbox sorted before you sell it (if you do decide to) and take it from there.

Keep us up to date

Ciaran

Car is now at the garage in Lusk so I'm sure I'll find out more tomorrow. Think is I read that flashing at 2hz usually means overheating but at 1hz can mean big trouble. I'm sure though the "experts", mechanics and autobox specialists will figure it out. I just hate being without a a car.

At this stage if the box does need reconditioning I think I'll try for a manual conversion - then probably sell and get a WRX STI.

[adrian]

Shane,

When I was having those problems with mione (that turned out to be nothing but dodgy plug leads!!) I ordered 2 speed sensors off Jiles in Japco so I still have my old ones (which are perfect).
You can have those if you want to try em....... they're for the 4 sp box and very easily fitted mate.
WELL WORTH A TRY!!

A

[soc]

Shane,

When I was having those problems with mione (that turned out to be nothing but dodgy plug leads!!) I ordered 2 speed sensors off Jiles in Japco so I still have my old ones (which are perfect).
You can have those if you want to try em....... they're for the 4 sp box and very easily fitted mate.
WELL WORTH A TRY!!

A

Cheers Adrian - I just mailed Camskill to see if I could get some off them for tomorrow to try that - it would be cool if I could try your old ones. Although the whining sound the box was making is kinda disturbing me. I have to ring my mechanic to see what he says but it would be cool to try changing the speed sensors - where abouts are you working?

[adrian]

I'm in the IFSC but my car is parked near Donnycarney Church (cross between Malahide Road and Collins Ave) at the moment. Mail me your mobile number and I'll call you to arrange......

[steelroe]

Shane,

I have a tip box in perfect working order for sale if it turns out that you need a new one. If you want I can also loan you what ever sensor you might need to do testing.

I don't like the fact that the gears are grinding in the box though.

Good luck

Rory

[soc]

I'm in the IFSC but my car is parked near Donnycarney Church (cross between Malahide Road and Collins Ave) at the moment. Mail me your mobile number and I'll call you to arrange......

Cheers Adrian but now there is no need. Just talked to mechanic who has driven car and then talked to gearbox place (Automatic Transmission Services Ltd off clonliffe road) and they both reckon it is knackered It's making a whining in 1st gear which is bad news. They reckon I might have shagged it when I drove through a deep puddle a few weeks back (didn't see the damn thing).

So they are gonna change the gearbox oil and filter anyway and then drop the car into ATS on monday when they (hopefully) should start work. Looking at €2000 (give or take) for a full recon.

So what about the manual conversion - well I'm still looking into it but my mechanic does not reccommend it. I did mention my fear that the box would break again (lots of threads on SG) but he was 100% confident that would only happen if the job is not done properly. He said I should get another 100,000 miles on the recon'd box.

Basically he highly recommends this crowd, has dealt with them for years, they've done a few FTO's and are also the main place for all Merc autoboxes in Ireland. He didn't rate any of the other places in dublin.

Damn I really wanted that manual conversion but mechanic reckons that the risk of not getting all the parts and then things not working when the parts do arrive would be too great. Well I suppose I have all weekend to look into it as the car ain't doing nothing until Monday.

On the plus side now I can do 1 of 2 things:

1) Get box recon'd (or manual conversion) and then sell car after wedding (July) so I can get a WRX STI or an Evo V

2) Get box recon'd (or get manual conversion) and then hold onto car and run into the ground - in this case I'd use the opportunity to get some nice things done to car such as, new shocks, exhaust + decat, upgrade brakes, paint touch-up, new wheels, interior, ice, etc. etc.

I have to say option 2 appeals to me but I think the WRX - Evo option is nicer!

[soc]

Shane,

I have a tip box in perfect working order for sale if it turns out that you need a new one. If you want I can also loan you what ever sensor you might need to do testing.

I don't like the fact that the gears are grinding in the box though.

Good luck

Rory

Looks like the tipbox is definitely gone so how much we talking Rory? How'd you know it's working perfect - is there some testing that can be done on it? Is it a 4 spd?

Cheers mate.

Shane

[adrian]

Shane,

There is a posting from the time I had the symptoms on this site. U-Save Autos (or Rory) do used boxes so if you are going to sell the car in July THAT should be your option....... if you are going to hold on to it then recon better. But,not stating the obvious..... don't get a full recon and then sell it in July!!

A

[adrian]

Off topic... how much would you spend on an EVO V or WRX??

[soc]

Off topic... how much would you spend on an EVO V or WRX??

probably spend upto €20K max - there are a few STI's at byrne autos in coolock - these ones look good

http://www.4buyingcars.com/byrneautos/s ... eg=b1ac142
http://www.4buyingcars.com/byrneautos/s ... eg=b1ac144


as well as some Evo V's

http://www.4buyingcars.com/byrneautos/s ... eg=b1ac278
http://www.4buyingcars.com/byrneautos/s ... eg=b1ac273

I know the Evo's are more expensive but my mechanic was feeling sorry for me and said if I was going this route he'd take me down the docks to get a car at trade price... one of the younger guys working there picked up a white 1997 STI (4-door) straight from the docks for €14K.

[soc]

Shane,

There is a posting from the time I had the symptoms on this site. U-Save Autos (or Rory) do used boxes so if you are going to sell the car in July THAT should be your option....... if you are going to hold on to it then recon better. But,not stating the obvious..... don't get a full recon and then sell it in July!!

A

yea I hear the logic but I reckon the car might be worth more with a guaranteed recon'd box - or would it?

still the annoying thing is the fact that I'm carless for a couple of weeks now!

[adrian]

I don't think a recon would get you hugely more selling a 1996 (think thats what you have) then a transplanted box....to some folk it would....to others it would not.

You'd never go for a Subaru over one of those EVOs would ya?! That white one is sooooo nice.

A

[soc]

I don't think a recon would get you hugely more selling a 1996 (think thats what you have) then a transplanted box....to some folk it would....to others it would not.

You'd never go for a Subaru over one of those EVOs would ya?! That white one is sooooo nice.

A

Depends on how "cheap" the transplant box would be compared to the recon.

As for choosing a WRX over an Evo - it would all come down to price really - Evo's are mad money right now - the Evo IV (which I think looks horrible) is touching €20K.

Anyway those STI's are both 2-door models so would be pretty rare. Also the performance difference between an STI and an Evo is negligable but the Evo is much harder to insure. Was out in that mechanics STI and I swear I s**t my pants.... it made the FTO feel sluggish to 80mph

[soc]

Shane,

I have a tip box in perfect working order for sale if it turns out that you need a new one. If you want I can also loan you what ever sensor you might need to do testing.

I don't like the fact that the gears are grinding in the box though.

Good luck

Rory

Just waiting for my mechanics to get back to me - but all going to plan I'll take that box and hopefully should be back on the road soon. And having already come to terms with having to shell out the €2K recon cost I might just use the diff to splash out on some new mods

[adrian]

What is the diff in price then from recon and transplant?

[soc]

What is the diff in price then from recon and transplant?

probably over €1000 (depends on labour)