I have three pre-plastic MBs -- 1990, 1992 and 1996 -- all with autoboxes. The two older ones are at 180k and 145k respectively; the 180k had a new box installed by the previous owner at 105k (as far as I can tell from very detailed documentation, it was a precautionary act in view of the high torque generatedd by the twin turbos). I have experienced no problems whatsoever. Both cars were inspected pre-purchase and both had all fluids changed on arrival, including ATF.
My former partner bought an R-reg Rover 220 with low mileage in 2001. Syncromesh had already gone on third gear.
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the 180k had a new box installed by the previous owner at 105k (as far as I can tell from very detailed documentation it was a precautionary act in view of the high torque generated by the twin turbos)
That wouldn't be one of those TurboTechnics W124 300E conversions claimed to push out more than 330bhp would it?
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That wouldn't be one of those TurboTechnics W124 300E conversions claimed to push out more than 330bhp would it?
'claimed'? they DO push out 330bhp.....
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I reckon it depends on the car.
We had a 1993 Volvo 940S estate with an autobox. Just kept on going, sold at 158k felt like it was barely run in.
Choose a reliable car and the box won't matter really; auto will be much slower and much juicier of course.
HTH,
Alex.
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I'd have thought that as long as the box engages ok without thumps, is reasonably smooth, locks up in the lower ratios and kicks down when asked, it's likely to be as ok as anything else on a car of the vintage OP has in mind.
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The box on our Proton 1.5 1996 has never had anything done, 60,000 miles and it seems OK, half of me thinks getting it done would be a good idea but the car doubles in value every time I fill the tank up...so is it really worth it?
The mechanic in me says yes, the accountant says no!
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You can bet your bottom Euro that the older the car the less reliable it will be compared to a younger model with similar miles. Also any car in that sort of price range will be suspect. I wouldn't have thought an older auto-box would be any more or less reliable than a spanish waiter, just more expensive. But on the other hand it won't have cost you much when it does pack up
As with all second hand buys, try to avoid sporty boy racer types (not many autos, I grant you!) anything with a tow bar - "just a trailer for garden rubbish, honest Guv" and anything with a 1.8 Rover petrol engine!
Good luck
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On a positive note, there's no clutch to give you any bother.
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The colour of the fluid in a autobox is another good indication of its condition. It should be a clear pink/red colour, if its brown or black or smells burnt, walk away !
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I had a 1992 Mazda 626 and now a 1999 Mazda Xedos -both with auto box's and neither have shown any sign of problems - however I had a 1998 Mondeo 2.5 V6 auto and gearbox had been changed before I had it - seems Ford auto's from that era were prone to faults -
Mate has a Jag X type and his box has packed up to tune of £1200. - give it a good thrash holding in all gears - kickdown - if you can use it in L-S-D hold in each then change to next - if it sounds OK then go for it.
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>>You can bet your bottom Euro that the older the car the less reliable it will be compared to a younger model with similar miles <<
Rubbish. Older means the car is older, but many componenets will have been replaced over time and may be younger than those on a car half its age. It is quite possible to have trouble-free budget motoring if you are smart about what you buy. Its only ignorance that leads to disaster and horror stories.
My ex wife owned a Talbot Avenger automatic - not a car known for its solid build even when new, but at 25 years old, it would still do 10k per year including several motorway jaunts sitting at 80 for a good 3 hours. Gearbox, despite its age, was both smooth and clonk free.
My dads Astra, just turned 16 years old, original autobox, had one gearbox oil change in its entire life and it still works just fine.
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Any one know how much a fluid change costs roughly?
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Any one know how much a fluid change costs roughly?
>>>>>>>>>> hj doesnt recommend garages that do jobs roughly so im afraid you wont get an answer on this forum on this occasion ;-)
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hj doesnt recommend garages that do jobs roughly
Why? Changing auto box is very much like making love to a beautiful woman... ;-)
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>>Any one know how much a fluid change costs roughly?<<
It does depends on the gearbox capacity and what fluid it takes, but my dads 1993 Astra cost £40, so its well worth doing and easy to remember as more often than not, its due around same time as cambelt.
My Daihatsu has to have its done every 6 years albeit its a manual. Peopl often neglect gearbox oil changes, so if you find evidence of them, its always a good sign of a good owner.
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i find that most people that drive autos tend to thrash them
im the opposite and treat them like a beautiful woman and always treat them gently
how do i put this to buying a banger auto?
for starters if its a privarte sale check the sellers attitude out and if he passes muster let him take you for a spin,if he thrashes the thing then time is against you before the box goes pop
or you could buy at auction,find the box pulls in all gears as it goes to the rostrum but find it has no 3rd gear once on the open road
or it has no reverse once the box has warmed up
ive bought bad autos
all of the above threads are good advice except the one stunorth picked up on as i agree older doesnt mean worse but hey im just being picky-----:-)
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Thanks for all your replies, some great advice there, especially bonzodog - your point about the tow bar is noted!
The car in question is a Mazda 626 98/R , with under 70k on the clock. The trader took it in p/x but there's no service history with it apparently.
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The trader took it in p/x but there's no service history with it apparently.
That doesn't always mean it hasn't been done, my old MB is very low miles for its years i haven't had my indy stamp the book for probably 4 years but the car has been maintained meticulously.
Coincidentally i had the box fluid and filter changed couple of weeks ago, must be about 6 years and maybe 30K since the last time (which is about right anyway) and the box feels so much nicer for it, engages gear quicker and changes smoother.
I prefer older auto's, simpler and more robust, TBH i wouldn't want a manual anymore and wouldn't entertain an automated manual at any cost.
Like everything else they don't like being neglected though.
Always liked those 626's, don't suppose there's an MOT trail you could follow to check the mileage? They worryingly make a very good minicab.
BB i treat all of the fair sex gently and with respect, not just the beautiful ones..;)
Edited by gordonbennet on 06/04/2009 at 22:02
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Always liked those 626's don't suppose there's an MOT trail you could follow to check the mileage? They worryingly make a very good minicab.
I'll find out tomorrow morning: it's a long way away, so I'll call the trader and see if he'll provide the logbook number so I can check online.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could check the MOT history of any car just from the reg mark alone!!
I've also got 4 auto/hpi type checks to use up in the next couple of weeks, so that may provide some useful info (hopefully not another Cat C like the last one I checked!).
BB i treat all of the fair sex gently and with respect not just the beautiful ones..;)
Ditto :)
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Well Dave, I have to admit if I was looking to spend a grand on a family sized auto a 626 would be one I would consider
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Hi Stunorthants - I'm very pleased to hear that your ex-wife's 25 year old Avenger was still going, but your tale simply confirms that my comment was not rubbish - how many other 25 year old Avengers are knocking around compared with 15 year old 405's, or 5 year old 406's?
As a rule, the older the car the less reliable it is LIKELY (not certain) to be.
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>>As a rule, the older the car the less reliable it is LIKELY (not certain) to be.<<
Rust killed Avengers, not mechanics or electrics which if you know anything about cars, you would well know.
I suspect there are rather alot of people with 2005 Corsa 1.2's that would wonder why their camshaft had failed when my dads supposedly more unreliable Astra still has its original. A look through the CBC suggests modern means different problems ( and often more expensive ), not less.
Modern means nothing. Its engineering and how you take care of it.
There is a BIG reason why older cars are less numerous but it has little to do with reliability and alot more to do with poor maintainance leading to uneconomic repair, rust and cars dying of natural causes such as write-offs.
A look at the number of old Volvos and Mercedes on the roads is proof that its the car, not the age that counts.
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I recall reading some time back that if you buy an old automatic it's best not to drain and renew the fluid because it's the old gunk and bits and pieces in the fluid that's making the automatic go.
Urban myth?
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yeath
but i like urban myths specially brunnettes
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In response to the OP, older automatics are ok as long as the fluid isn't dark coloured or smells burnt as has been mentioned before. First job on my list would be a fluid and filter change. If the car has been used for towing, check fluid changes have been done every two years. If not, walk away. If it's a Borg-Warner box, run. Absolute junk IMHO
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Another heap of rubbish was the Ford 4-LD autobox fitted to Sierras and Granadas from the mid 80's/early 90's, it seldom lasted longer than 45/50000 miles before giving trouble, and towing a caravan resulted in almost certain failure. Poor cooling was reported to be the problem.
IIRC the RAC complained to Ford about the numbers they were having to recover especially the ammount they had to bring back from the continent which was costing them a lot of money !
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Copied from wikipedia (you can vouch for its accurateness??) "Though the manual transmission was highly regarded, 4-cylinder 626s from 1994 onwards used Ford's CD4E automatic transmission, which quickly became known for its extremely high failure rate. All 626 automatic transmissions, meanwhile, continued the previous generation 626's habits of ill-timed shifts and indecisive kickdowns"
I would buy a manual 626, i just have and it is an excellent car.
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