Smoke inside the car! Clutch?!

[Sam16hutch]

Hi,

My girlfriend has a 2003, MK2 PH2 1.4 16v Clio Automatic... The gearbox seems to be fine up to speeds of around 80mph....

Yes, I know the speed limit is 70! But fears of this problem getting worse is the need for a solution.

As soon as you hit anything over 80mph, a light next to the D (Drive) gear on the dash comes up, a sort of weird looking watering can image. Then the car limits itself to 3 gears and won't change up anymore...

Then when slower speeds occur, it would seem as if the gears slip in and out? Perhaps a small clutch issue involved in the gear box?

The other day she was driving a long journey and was cruising at 85mph, then the car filled with what seems light smoke? And the smell of burning clutch...

Took to my mates garage, and he just said its a big job even getting to the transmission and referred me to a specialist.

Any ideas at all guys? Would be a big help!

Thanks, Sam

 

[Dunn]

a big job getting the clutch out? Nah

 

[Rob]

On an auto??? I think it may be a bigger job? Most won't have a clue.

Hopefully someone can help.

 

[Sam16hutch]

Yeah it's an Auto (Apparently you can't do a clutch in heels - so what's the point?!) - And calling it a go kart and not a real car doesn't go down well either. Lol.

But there is only a clutch, if not a few small ones inside the small auto gearbox transmission if I'm not mistaken? Well that's what my mechanical friend told me... - Would be a 4 hour job to get it out, let alone fix/repair/replace anything!?

Any help would be great guys! Heard it could be a £1,000 repair job too!

Thanks, Sam

 

[olliewebbuk]

Sell it quick!

 

[plasticmorph]

Take it to an auto transmission specialist? Auto gearboxes can have hissy fits over the smallest things. My follks car flipped out due to a dodgy engine speed sensor. Some auto boxes have their own ECU's that produce fault codes in the same way that your engine will so it might be something really simple.

 

[bmh.01]

The box is going into limp mode, wants the codes pulling from it. Although i'll say it now, this won't end cheaply.

 

[Rob]

Pull the auto box out and attached a proper box?

 

[olliewebbuk]

Pull the auto box out and attached a proper box?

I'd go for this. Tell her to get a pair of driving shoes, my girlfriend manages to drive my 172 in all manner of shoes without any issues.