Crunchy Third Gear

BrianM · Post by **BrianM** » 08 Nov 2004, 17:41

Getting third gear in my recently acquired 97 Xantia TD is crunchy [V]. Its not so bad if I go gently into gear ( let the speed down to about 25) but this is not always possible. I did the clutch last week and have replaced the gearoil with API-GL 5. ( had never driven the car in anything higher than first before last week ! ). All the other gear changes are fine. its just changing into third, either up or down. Anyone any suggestions ? Would worn linkage cause only one gear to be hard got or is it box out time again ?

beezer · Post by **beezer** » 08 Nov 2004, 17:53

Worn synchromesh would be my first thought.

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 08 Nov 2004, 17:58

My 97 Xantia TD occasionally doesn't want to go into third, I changed the gearbox oil which improved things, but still occasionally it feels "gritty" or won't go into third nicely.
My '97 Xantia is relatively low mileage compared to my '95 which probably means its been doing a lot of short journeys in town, stop start traffic and lots of gear changes.

mezuk04 · Post by **mezuk04** » 08 Nov 2004, 20:49

My third gear is also the same but not really bothered about it aswell as my mates ZX 1.9td sx

fordsone27n · Post by **fordsone27n** » 08 Nov 2004, 22:05

Mine was the same. I reckon this must be a fairly common problem, because I could not believe it when I went to my local citroen dealer and they had the 3rd/4th gear synchro unit in stock. It was something like £85 + vat. Pulling the box out and apart was the easy bit, putting it back togther took a bit more figuring, but a well worth while job in the end. When I got it stripped down it was obvious the aluminium cone was worn out.

BrianM · Post by **BrianM** » 08 Nov 2004, 23:34

Do any of you know if the box in a 93 TD is the same ?
I think I'll have to change the bell housing, to accomodate the sensor, also the sender for the speedo is different. Will the electronic one interchange with the cable one ?. Apart from this are there any other differences ?
Thanks
Brian
97 Xantia TD 112K
93 Xantia TD 215K

Post by **martyhopkirk** » 09 Nov 2004, 00:28

Same on my ZX - never really worried about it as it still goes (driven Morris Marina with NO syncro and no 2nd gear so i'm used to this sort of thing!)
All depends on what sort of time and money you want to throw at the car....

bernie · Post by **bernie** » 09 Nov 2004, 00:58

A very notchy gear change, baulking and slow synchro could all be caused by the wrong gearbox oil.
If the oil spec. is the same as BX gearboxes then ONLY use Total BV oil available at GSF

uhn113x · Post by **uhn113x** » 09 Nov 2004, 13:15

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by mezuk04

My third gear is also the same but not really bothered about it aswell as my mates ZX 1.9td sx
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Why should you be bothered about your mate's ZX? [}:)]

uhn113x · Post by **uhn113x** » 09 Nov 2004, 13:17

It will not be the linkage. If you double-declutch when you change into 3rd it will not crunch, which causes small bits to be chipped off the dogs every time it does it. Try changing the oil for the right stuff first, though.
<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by BrianM

Getting third gear in my recently acquired 97 Xantia TD is crunchy [V]. Its not so bad if I go gently into gear ( let the speed down to about 25) but this is not always possible. I did the clutch last week and have replaced the gearoil with API-GL 5. ( had never driven the car in anything higher than first before last week ! ). All the other gear changes are fine. its just changing into third, either up or down. Anyone any suggestions ? Would worn linkage cause only one gear to be hard got or is it box out time again ?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

MW · Post by MW » 09 Nov 2004, 13:25

Peugeot/Citroen gearboxes have always been famous for being sturdy, if a bit agricultural sometimes. So it doesn't especially worry me that my Xantia (95, 1.8 16v, 105K miles) makes the occasional grungy change. It would have to get a lot worse to make me think about fixing it.
To tell you the truth, I don't always use third anyway when I'm changing up. By the time I'm spinning along nicely in second, it slots into fourth without a murmur. Dear Marge, should I be concerned about this growing habit, and will I go blind?

adzbaby · Post by **adzbaby** » 09 Nov 2004, 13:44

I had a bit of a crunchy 3rd gear for 4 years in my Xantia 1.9td and before I got the car the 3rd/4th gear synchro unit had been replaced (had the paperwork)!! After fours years thou the g'box died and was crunching in all gears and kept seizing so I had to change it. I think the box was doomed (and was put together by some frenchman who had just had a bumper grape harvest and had been celebrating by consuming his seasons finest!), as these boxes normally outlast the cars.

BrianM · Post by **BrianM** » 09 Nov 2004, 15:07

I changed the oil after doing the clutch, put in Vavoline API-GL5 ( GSF do not mail order fluids in Ireland ). The other gear changes ar quite smooth.

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 09 Nov 2004, 16:13

Mine is crunch / gritty even with the correct Total Transmission BV 75 W / 80 W.
I was thinking about replacing it with something else to see if that improved matters...

wilkobob · Post by **wilkobob** » 09 Nov 2004, 21:32

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Why should you be bothered about your mate's ZX? <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Hes bothered about my ZX cuz if he wasnt I wouldnt be bothered about his, and it would cost him an arm and a leg if that happened.... (my cruchy 3rd was sorted by new gearbox oil, cant remember what type it was tho, have had clutch done since so will have been filled again I guess.