Transmission life?

stickytape

stickytape

Suspended / Banned
Messages
2,523
Edit My Images
Yes
My car is getting up to quite a high milage.. its just hit 99,250 miles. I'm getting cold feet that the trmaission may need some work or replacement - but I'm hitting dead ends. Akin to the cameblt being replaced every 10 years or every 100,000 miles (which has been done) what is the recommended gearbox maintainence? The car is a 2011 Vauxhall Astra 2 diesel auto with the 6 speed. Online seems to draw a blank - th GM 640 trmasisions doesn't get good reviews though...

The car has always been service on time, but apparently the gearbox is sealed and doesn't require anything doing to it.. I'm not so sure though!?

Does anyone have any good points about this? Essentially, I'm just having nightmares that one day the gearbox tramsniions will blow and I'm keen to prevent it.. 100,000 milles seems a long way to go on original parts!
 
Bottom line how much is the car worth? If it went bang it could be scrap so you would just have to bin it but it could do another 30k no hassle
 
stickytape said:
Does anyone have any good points about this? Essentially, I'm just having nightmares that one day the gearbox tramsniions will blow and I'm keen to prevent it.. 100,000 milles seems a long way to go on original parts!
Click to expand...

Transmissions can last. My car is 17 years old, has 123,000 miles on it and is still on the original transaxle. My other car is younger at 15, but has 193,000 miles and is also still on the original gearbox, transfer box, propshafts and diffs (there are three). Neither cars are GM products though.
 
The car is probably worth about 3500..? I just don't know what would be the expected life of it, is it going to blow up the next day or what! Do I invest in a new car now or see how it goes...? Stressful!!
 
onomatopoeia said:
Transmissions can last. My car is 17 years old, has 123,000 miles on it and is still on the original transaxle. My other car is younger at 15, but has 193,000 miles and is also still on the original gearbox, transfer box, propshafts and diffs (there are three). Neither cars are GM products though.
Click to expand...

Is this the auto one? This is what I'm keen to learn about really..
 
stickytape said:
The car is probably worth about 3500..? I just don't know what would be the expected life of it, is it going to blow up the next day or what! Do I invest in a new car now or see how it goes...? Stressful!!
Click to expand...
3500 are you sure old car with a lot of miles I was thinking more 1500
 
This was just a quick look on autotrader which seemed to value the same spec model and all at a higher price than hat with similar mail he?
 
stickytape said:
This was just a quick look on autotrader which seemed to value the same spec model and all at a higher price than hat with similar mail he?
Click to expand...

OK maybe just seems a lot in today's world. Look on ebay and look at sold ones as at the end of the day it is all about the cost to change versus the value to you.
 
Slightly different, my motorbike had done 100K (BMW R80 inline engine/gearbox, driveshafts) and the dealer reckoned to pull it apart at that mileage to change the clutch (its first) and do a recon on the box at the same time as it was in the way anyway as a preventative measure (or money making excercise as its also known)
Tbh I wouldnt do a box recon on a car unless it was coming out for some other reason. Its almost a sealed system and everything runs in oil, so very little wear will take place over the lifetime of the car.
Its more likely the dual mass flywheel will start to give you grief if it has one (my Focus had one that was starting to fail at 100K, so I traded for a newer car), the Diesel Particulate Filter (is yours diesel?) will be getting on a bit and so will a lot of parts other than the gearbox.
If you have the money I think I would p/x it, unless you only do 50 miles a week in it then I'd keep it.
 
Last edited:
Just drive it until you hear a whine in the top gears as at that point it is the sound of the gearbox bearings hatching a plan to make a bid for freedom!
 
How does it run the moment ? Does it change smooth any racket from it
 
99k miles may be high mileage for a 6 year old car, but it isn't high mileage over all. I had a car that had managed 269k in 12 years and engine, gearbox and clutch were all original. all mechanicals were all still going strong when I scrapped it as it was starting to rust badly in a few areas and the car was worth more in scrap at the time and not worth the cost of welding.
Unless your car is showing signs of wear, etc. I wouldn't be concerned.
 
99k is barely run in for a diesel. Auto boxes are generally pretty reliable, if it's not whining, lurching or juddering, then it's fine and likely will be for another 99k.
 
I have a Volvo S60 2.5 auto with manual override ,it's a big comfortable car to drive and coming up to 100,00 miles ,after reading the comments rec,juddering ,noises etc it put my mind at rest .as long as it passes the m.o.t it a keeper and it's a bloody good tow car tom
 
stickytape said:
Is this the auto one? This is what I'm keen to learn about really..
Click to expand...
Mine are both manuals. When I buy another van it will probably be an auto (DSG), but don't have one at the moment.
 
I have had a few cars with more than 150K on the clock, all running on the original gearbox. The latest is my Skoda Octavia with 160K on it.
 
stupar said:
Just drive it until you hear a whine in the top gears as at that point it is the sound of the gearbox bearings hatching a plan to make a bid for freedom!
Click to expand...

Thats a good tip... note no radio on the motorway every again now haha
 
Mr Bump said:
How does it run the moment ? Does it change smooth any racket from it
Click to expand...

It seems fine to be honest - shifts as well as it always had? Sometimes in the morning on the first start it seems to hold on to first (?) or second (?) a little longer and stays on it till about 2300 - 2500 revs perhaps? I've alway noticed that though, I think!
 
nilagin said:
99k miles may be high mileage for a 6 year old car, but it isn't high mileage over all. I had a car that had managed 269k in 12 years and engine, gearbox and clutch were all original. all mechanicals were all still going strong when I scrapped it as it was starting to rust badly in a few areas and the car was worth more in scrap at the time and not worth the cost of welding.
Unless your car is showing signs of wear, etc. I wouldn't be concerned.
Click to expand...

Nothing is showing wear to be honest, all seems well with the car - nice condition, no marks and engine etc appears fine - cam belt was changed a few months ago etc as well. For me, so long as it lasts another 2-3 years, I will be fine with that! So touchwood, it will!
 
the black fox said:
I have a Volvo S60 2.5 auto with manual override ,it's a big comfortable car to drive and coming up to 100,00 miles ,after reading the comments rec,juddering ,noises etc it put my mind at rest .as long as it passes the m.o.t it a keeper and it's a bloody good tow car tom
Click to expand...
yes if I'm not noticing any juddering thaen touch wood! Second it does, off to FOW with it I think! Ha ha
 
andy700 said:
I have had a few cars with more than 150K on the clock, all running on the original gearbox. The latest is my Skoda Octavia with 160K on it.
Click to expand...
Ahhh the germans hey! Certainly on the list for the next one!
 
stickytape said:
It seems fine to be honest - shifts as well as it always had? Sometimes in the morning on the first start it seems to hold on to first (?) or second (?) a little longer and stays on it till about 2300 - 2500 revs perhaps? I've alway noticed that though, I think!
Click to expand...

I would stick with it if you are happy with it.
I have an old 2007 Citroen C3 which we bought 5 years ago with 20k miles on it.
Now has 75k miles on it never been thrashed or beaten treated well and it still drives really nice.
my attitude is try to get the value out of good cars, yes you could trade it but you would lose xxx amount of pounds to change.
if you really were nervous and it was starting to make you have concerns then move it on.
 
Spoke to a couple of trusted garages and they essentially put my mind at rest with the car which helps! I got spooked originally by looking on auto trader and there appearing to be very few (read none!) cars with the 2 litre diesel auto with about 115k miles plus.. meaning they're either dead or loved that much they're not ever sold!
 
Mr Bump said:
I would stick with it if you are happy with it.
I have an old 2007 Citroen C3 which we bought 5 years ago with 20k miles on it.
Now has 75k miles on it never been thrashed or beaten treated well and it still drives really nice.
my attitude is try to get the value out of good cars, yes you could trade it but you would lose xxx amount of pounds to change.
if you really were nervous and it was starting to make you have concerns then move it on.
Click to expand...
Good point Mr Bump! I would have to stump up probably another 2-3k anyway if I were to trade it in or sell it to get something similar (auto, diesel, same age/bit newer) which is a lot for just worrying when there are no error messages or "bad behaviour" from the car currently!
 
As I have a fairly large two berth caravan to tow ,I always go through the tow car results first my choices if I was in the market would be 2.0ltr mk4 mondeo diesel or a v.w touran 2.0ltr diesel .
I will stick with the Volvo as long as it passes the m.o.t ,and as it didn't cost me a penny it's probably worth getting sorted anyway
 
I have a Toyota Hilux 09 reg, it has done 120,000 miles and the only thing that I have ever had done to the auto box was 2 years ago, the garage changed the transmission fluid, I didn't notice ant difference and the garage said Toyota would tell you to do this every couple of years but that really isnt needed.
 
I wouldn't worry about it, it could go today or never. You'll know when it's about to.
 
I thought auto boxes had a filter and oil changes were recomended at time intervals ?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top