Astra 1.3cdti - Cold weather affected gearbox?

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Wed 16 Mar 2011 11:21
Astra 1.3cdti - Cold weather affected gearbox? - Waino

As the cold weather started in December, I noticed that the gearbox on the Astra became very noticeably stiffer. By the time we'd had reached the very cold spells, with a couple of weeks when the car hadn't been used at all, the gearbox became so stiff that my wife wasn't happy about driving the car. Now that the weather has warmed up to 8 to 10 degrees during the day and there are few night frosts, the gearbox has relaxed again.

I must admit, I was becoming quite concerned about this and had wondered if a gearbox problem was developing or, maybe a thinner oil was needed. I've never noticed this cold weather effect on previous cars and I just wonder if anyone else has experienced it. Maybe it's something peculiar to this particular engine/gearbox design.

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Wed 16 Mar 2011 14:26
Astra 1.3cdti - Cold weather affected gearbox? - injection doc

It will be the oil that causing the stiffness cold. It may be that someone has topped up the gearbox with the incorrect grade of oil.

I used to flush gearboxes and fill with synthetic oil, this used to make a superb gearchange.

If its done quite a few miles it may be worth a change .

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Wed 16 Mar 2011 20:30
Astra 1.3cdti - Cold weather affected gearbox? - Lygonos

Had a manual 300zx some years ago - cold winter made the box stiffer - Castrol Syntrax 75W90 made it much less stiff.

If it's not too difficult a job is worth changing the 'box oil unless the car is quite new in which case it's probably normal for your car at very low temp.

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Wed 16 Mar 2011 22:03
Astra 1.3cdti - Cold weather affected gearbox? - Waino

Thanks for the comments. The car was 4 years old in January and has done 55k miles. It has previously been serviced by the local main dealer although the last one, done at the end of January, was with a very reputable local independent. I'll call in and ask if it warrants attention now, or if it will wait until the next service.

I know I shouldn't cast aspersions at the main dealer, but I wouldn't put it past them to have filled the box with lard.

Edited by Waino on 16/03/2011 at 22:04

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Thu 17 Mar 2011 05:01
Astra 1.3cdti - Cold weather affected gearbox? - oldroverboy

Not casting aspersions Hey! I can cast one, Evans Halshaw, St Albans did put semi synthetic 10w 40 instead of fully synthetic 0w40 during an oil and filter change, but did refund me when i noticed on the invoice, needless to say not going near them again!

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Thu 17 Mar 2011 11:52
Astra 1.3cdti - Cold weather affected gearbox? - Collos25

Don,t get the two mixed up engines and gearboxes are not the same thing.

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Thu 17 Mar 2011 14:06
Astra 1.3cdti - Cold weather affected gearbox? - Waino

I was talking specifically 'gearboxes' in my post(s). I took it that Orb was simply referring to the possiblity of garages getting their oil grades mixed up - wherever the oil was intended for.

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Thu 17 Mar 2011 15:05
Astra 1.3cdti - Cold weather affected gearbox? - oldroverboy

Don,t get the two mixed up engines and gearboxes are not the same thing.

And GM, chevrolet in my case told me that the warranty WOULD NOT cover damage due to incorrect lubricants, GEARBOX OR ENGINE. Vauxhall and chevrolet have many shared components and i am quite sure that if one GM dealer who is actually ford vauxhall and chevrolet at the same branch is capable of using incorrect lubricants then another is too.

I remember in the early 80's in switzerland when i worked in an Opel dealers we changed hundreds of gearboxes that had been wrongly filled with lubricant at the factory. we also changed the indicator switches, and the wiper mchanism too, and lots of batteries. Component quality is supposed to be better, but mistakes can still happen

Perhaps in this case there is something, perhaps not,

as someone else suggested, if you are in doubt get the gearbox oil changed.

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