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Problem with Automatic Gearbox



  2004 Clio 1.6
Car: 2004 Clio 1.4 16v
Engine: K4J 1.4l (i was told the car has a K4M cylinder block making it a 1.6l [this was done years ago] forgive me if i used the wrong term :p)
Transmission Type: 4 speed automatic (140,000KM+)
Problem:

Car doesn't wanna change to next gear until the very end,
Typical the transmission usually changes from the listed gear to the next gear at the following rpms (approx.)

Slight throttle ~ Med/Heavy throttle:
1st gear - 2500 ~ 3500rpm
2nd gear - 2250 ~ 4000rpm
3rd gear - 2250 ~ 4000rpm


Sometime friday night the car started acting weird, shifting really high, below is the how the car currently acts

Slight throttle ~ Med/Heavy throttle:
1st gear - 2500 ~ 3500rpm (normal)
2nd gear - 3500 ~ 6000rpm
3rd gear - 3500 ~ 5900rpm

The only thing i did earlier in the evening with fill up at the pump and also used a Prestone Synthetic Fuel Injector Cleaner (Gold bottle)
http://www.prestone.com/products/car_care/fuel_additives/product_list?select_region=1
(now i used this before and it has never happened so i doubt it's the Prestone that's causing this)

Problem started happening approx. 1hr 20mins after fillup.
20mins spent at 110km/s ~ 150km/s with slight ~ med throttle (this was done on a highway)
1 hour waiting in stop-go traffic, only after the traffic i noticed the car seemed to be running abit aggressive (also on a highway, road works were in progress)

So can someone answer these questions :
1. Why is it doing this and possible causes for the problem?
2. What may need to be changed/replaced?
Bonus
3. How possible is it to swap in a manual gearbox :), and is it recommended in case the automatic is on its last leg.

I'm heading out soon to make a video that should help clarify the problem.
 
Last edited:
  2004 Clio 1.6
This is a video that hi-lights the shifting issue, notice the 2nd gear holds at 3k rpm, later in the video u can see that 3rd gear runs all the way up to 5000rpm.

Normally it would be in 4th gear at around 3000 ~ 3500 rpm for that speed.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

MicKPM

ClioSport Trader
  Clio16v/Zoe Z.E.50
Automatic gearboxes are not of this world and you would be far better taking it to an auto-box specialist IMO however gear oil level and oil preasure can do things like this.

When was the car last serviced and the box oil checked/changed?
 
  2004 Clio 1.6
i think that would about 20k ago, thanks for the heads up i'll have to mechanic check the gear oil level and pressure.

any ideas on the auto -> manual tranny swap
 


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