Well, time to bring some sad news.

 

Had great run up to Coventry where we're staying for the week, car was running beautifully for the first 100 miles...

And then the gearbox gave out... :crying: the gearbox oil was topped up before the journey but it spontaneously decided to pack up. We were coming to a roundabout and it would just grind horribly. Once it grinded and limped into second it wasn't so bad so we made it here thankfully I guess. We also found there was no reverse gear and neutral/park would grind so the gearbox has had it really.

 

I'll make an effort to limp up to Coventry museum as if the gearbox is toast, I might aswell run it until the cogs become perfectly smooth ;)

 

After that, I don't know, I have to think about it. The plan would be to have a manual conversion as two (or more) auto boxes have gone on this car now and manual was the eventual plan. Here's where it hurts, my wallet isn't that big. It's going to have to sit for a while till I can gather enough funds, but im just gutted.

 

Its a project car and it's 26 years old, things are bound to go wrong, I'm just pissed that the car is now immobilised for probably a year since I was unlucky enough to be the victim (through no fault of my own) of such a costly repair.

 

 

Last picture for a while...

cheap as chips box here get you buy for a while till you can do the manual swap

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NISSAN-300ZX-Z32-VG30DETT-TWIN-TURBO-AUTOMATIC-GEARBOX-/182183645889?hash=item2a6afdd2c1:g:mqAAAOSwzvlW8rYI

feel for ya man mine :thumbup1: mine has been garaged for a few years now, just cos of my expanding family but i knew 1 day it would come to life again, yours will be the same don't get down hearted, last week when i opened the garage up and took the covers of her, i had a big smile on my face.

Sorry to hear you’ve had such bad luck with the gearbox. Hope you’re able to get it back on the road sooner rather than later!

cheap as chips box here get you buy for a while till you can do the manual swap

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NISSAN-300ZX-Z32-VG30DETT-TWIN-TURBO-AUTOMATIC-GEARBOX-/182183645889?hash=item2a6afdd2c1:g:mqAAAOSwzvlW8rYI

Problem is, I don't think it will be worth it as I will spend £300 odd quid buying and fitting it, and then what's stopping it breaking again.

Problem is, I don't think it will be worth it as I will spend £300 odd quid buying and fitting it, and then what's stopping it breaking again.

 

can no one local help you fit it a straight swap it pretty easy

It's more then I'd be prepared to do on the floor, but if you got it to my work one Saturday I could probably get a mechanic to swap it over, we did mine in a morning back when I had autos, already asked one said he'd do it for £80

 

 

I did think it was a bit violent moving off,

Wonder what the actual fault is. Seems a bit weird really. What's the fluid like now you've arrived? Lost any?

 

From what I understand your still in education. It's summer now though, maybe pick up some hours and even a minimum wage job you'd have that conversion paid for with your first pay check. The auto is a waste of your time, energy and resources mate.

Bad news Alic hope you can get it fixed mate.

Wonder what the actual fault is. Seems a bit weird really. What's the fluid like now you've arrived? Lost any?

 

From what I understand your still in education. It's summer now though, maybe pick up some hours and even a minimum wage job you'd have that conversion paid for with your first pay check. The auto is a waste of your time, energy and resources mate.

 

Here's as much as I can piece together:

-I don't know if this is relevant but the exhaust went quiet suddenly, but engine still sounding healthy.

-because of that I took the gearbox off power and turned overdrive off.

-after a while I turned overdrive back on and I just hear grinding so I turn it off instantly.

-when we next get to a roundabout, the car had to go to first gear and it was just grinding loads and not accelerating very much, I had to wait until it shifted to second that it quietened down.

It was like that the rest of the journey, really Grundy in first, one in second there was small grinding but driveable. And of course reverse gear is gone completely.

 

The dipstick was bone dry before I topped it up before I left, so I topped it up.

 

 

I know auto boxes are rubbish and I don't think its worth my effort in the long run, but would it be worth dropping a cheap one in just to have it driveable for the summer?

 

I'm 50:50 about a job atm because I really wanted to spend the summer respraying the car because thats going to take a long time, but I suppose that's out the window and I should really try to save up for manual.

Must be something about going to Coventry lol, my engine started knocking like a fat kid at a sweet shop door on the way up two years ago, got as far as Winchester from Portsmouth, it managed to get me home though. Shame the autobox isnt as strong as the engine, but i feel your pain :yes:

Here's as much as I can piece together:

-I don't know if this is relevant but the exhaust went quiet suddenly, but engine still sounding healthy.

-because of that I took the gearbox off power and turned overdrive off.

-after a while I turned overdrive back on and I just hear grinding so I turn it off instantly.

-when we next get to a roundabout, the car had to go to first gear and it was just grinding loads and not accelerating very much, I had to wait until it shifted to second that it quietened down.

It was like that the rest of the journey, really Grundy in first, one in second there was small grinding but driveable. And of course reverse gear is gone completely.

 

The dipstick was bone dry before I topped it up before I left, so I topped it up.

 

 

I know auto boxes are rubbish and I don't think its worth my effort in the long run, but would it be worth dropping a cheap one in just to have it driveable for the summer?

 

I'm 50:50 about a job atm because I really wanted to spend the summer respraying the car because thats going to take a long time, but I suppose that's out the window and I should really try to save up for manual.

 

Fill her up with fluid and see what happens tomorrow. You may find its over heating with the journey. Pissin thing. Might behave in short bursts.

 

It's up to you bud, but anything you spend now is money you can't save later. You know what they say, do it once...

 

In respect to work, do it. Not only will the money solve your current issue and then some but help your CV. Any experience is a winner at your age. Equally while I realise a home respray is cheaper it won't be free, that cash will cover the ever mounting consumable costs.

Fill her up with fluid and see what happens tomorrow. You may find its over heating with the journey. Pissin thing. Might behave in short bursts.

 

It's up to you bud, but anything you spend now is money you can't save later. You know what they say, do it once...

 

In respect to work, do it. Not only will the money solve your current issue and then some but help your CV. Any experience is a winner at your age. Equally while I realise a home respray is cheaper it won't be free, that cash will cover the ever mounting consumable costs.

 

She was smelling like she*t, of burnt oil etc.

I filled her up and it wasn't better, I'm not back at the car until Saturday morning so I'll see if the fluid circulated a bit more.

If the fluids brown is say you've cooked it, not your fault. Has it got a proper cooler or just the gesture one that JDMs got?

If the fluids brown is say you've cooked it, not your fault. Has it got a proper cooler or just the gesture one that JDMs got?

Pretty sure it's just the overheating JDM one.

I'm at Coventry Friday night, so will be around Saturday morning if you need help. Wonder if it's worth draining and refilling.

I'm at Coventry Friday night, so will be around Saturday morning if you need help. Wonder if it's worth draining and refilling.

I don't know if the box can be saved but I'll be there Saturday morning I believe.

The dipstick was bone dry

 

How long and/or how many miles was the gearbox running with nothing showing on the dipstick???

How long and/or how many miles was the gearbox running with nothing showing on the dipstick???

Not sure, but it was grinding for about 20 miles until we arrived.

I'm at Coventry Friday night, so will be around Saturday morning if you need help. Wonder if it's worth draining and refilling.

 

For the cost of some ATF there's nothing to loose. Worth a go.

Did you not say you checked it on departure? Which would suggest its leaking?

Did you not say you checked it on departure? Which would suggest its leaking?

 

That is why I asked the question.

I couldnt make much sense out of what he posted....?????

The dipstick was bone dry before I topped it up before I left, so I topped it up.

Did you not say you checked it on departure? Which would suggest its leaking?

You would think that but it didn't drink much oil when I topped it up after the grinding, so the level must have been just below the dip stick. It was dry underneath, but smelt of burnt oil, maybe it was a slow leak and just got really hot. I don't know.

 

Td;lr. Yes there was a loss of oil, it want pouring out underneath though as far as I could tell.

So it was a mixture of low oil and overheating I guess?

Insufficient oil=insufficient lubrication=overheating and damage. That applies to pretty much any mechanical process, be it a drill bit or an engine.

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

That is why I asked the question.

I couldnt make much sense out of what he posted....?????

 

Threw me too.

Sorry to hear that Ali....:sad:

 

But before you condemn the 'box, do as has been suggested and re-fill it with oil. And to continue the questions, you say the dipstick was dry when you checked, before you filled, up, before you left home?

 

How much ATF did you put it? And did you check the level with the engine running and the car in D (as you're supposed to)?

 

These 'boxes take something like 8 litres (including the torque converter); so if it was low with the engine off, it would certainly need more ATF than you thought, had you checked it with the engine running......