Hello,
Sometimes the gearchange on my Xm is extremely smooth, you can hardly feel anything at all, yet at other times it isn't smooth at all, and you can feel it (the gear I guess) going over things. Cold or hot doesn't influence, different gears don't either.
I've been thinking of an additive (some sort of teflon based oil/grease) to add to the box.
Any experiences? Is it a common problem?
Cheers,
Niek.
Additives in gearbox oil??
Moderator: RichardW
Interesting one - my '94 ZX 1.9D suffers from a similar problem, Sometimes first gear can be a bit of a pig to engage when the car is stationary. Would an additive improve matters or is there something more fundamental that needs sorting? I have lubricated the linkages etc.. I'm generally not a fan of additives but if anyone has experience I would value their opinion
Ron
Ron
I wouldn't touch an engine additive with a forty foot barge pole due to some very nasty experiences and based on the US experience where companies such as Slick 50 have been sued for millions (it's yankeeland...some things never change!)<img src=icon_smile_clown.gif border=0 align=middle> but i do feel and have found that gearbox additives work extremely well for exactly the reason that engine additives don't. Namely that the additive coats the gears just as they coat engine parts, but the difference being that in a gearbox there seems to be less of a tendency for the oil & additive to separate and leave surfaces unprotected.
After hearing positive results from a discussion we had on aussiefrogs.com a while back, I tried it in one of my sons Mitsubishi Lancer...after all, if the Jap car in the fleet stuffed up, who'd worry?<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> The results were marked and spectacular with smoother shifts, smoother sound and reduction in final drive whine. I have since used it in my 16V (series two) my sons series one 16V, my other sons BX TZi and all have shown a marked improvement. According to the "experts" in these types of things, "Redline" is about as good as it gets. I have used an Aussie product called Nulon which is cheap by comparison to Redline but was a brand recommended by the other guys on aussiefrogs who had used a few different types as a value for money option.
Trust that is the type of info you wanted..
Alan S
After hearing positive results from a discussion we had on aussiefrogs.com a while back, I tried it in one of my sons Mitsubishi Lancer...after all, if the Jap car in the fleet stuffed up, who'd worry?<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> The results were marked and spectacular with smoother shifts, smoother sound and reduction in final drive whine. I have since used it in my 16V (series two) my sons series one 16V, my other sons BX TZi and all have shown a marked improvement. According to the "experts" in these types of things, "Redline" is about as good as it gets. I have used an Aussie product called Nulon which is cheap by comparison to Redline but was a brand recommended by the other guys on aussiefrogs who had used a few different types as a value for money option.
Trust that is the type of info you wanted..
Alan S
Hi Niek,
Have you considered that it could be the clutch not clearing properly that is giving rise to your problem. Certainly, I had a 1993 LX with exactly the problem you describe, and once the clutch was used a few times, after a cold start, the problem went away, presumably after everything heated up. Best of luck.
Have you considered that it could be the clutch not clearing properly that is giving rise to your problem. Certainly, I had a 1993 LX with exactly the problem you describe, and once the clutch was used a few times, after a cold start, the problem went away, presumably after everything heated up. Best of luck.
Since its an XM, I would first get under the car (on a ramp or lift) and check out how much loose play I had in the gear change linkages. The transfer of motion from the gear lever to the gearbox is a marvel (??!!) of french engineering and uses numerous small plastic snap-on cups on weedy ball joints. It is not at all unusual for considerable free plat to occur and once it gets to a certain stage, the plastic cups hop off, leaving you without a functioning gear change.
Since your XM is relatively new, it probably has the latest gear change mechanism, on my '93 when I ordered a new swivel arm (the part that's screwed into the steering rack casing), I got a complete gear change linkage! (cost around £ 75 in Sweden). It seem Citroën also discovered that the swivelling part of the construction was a bit dubious and designed a completely new version.
Oh what a lot of blab!
Still, I hope you take a look at whats under the gear lever in any case.
By the way, I have tried Slick 50 in my gearbox - didn't notice anything at all (mind you both engine and gearbox have done 460 000 km) and are still going strong.
//NiSk
Since your XM is relatively new, it probably has the latest gear change mechanism, on my '93 when I ordered a new swivel arm (the part that's screwed into the steering rack casing), I got a complete gear change linkage! (cost around £ 75 in Sweden). It seem Citroën also discovered that the swivelling part of the construction was a bit dubious and designed a completely new version.
Oh what a lot of blab!
Still, I hope you take a look at whats under the gear lever in any case.
By the way, I have tried Slick 50 in my gearbox - didn't notice anything at all (mind you both engine and gearbox have done 460 000 km) and are still going strong.
//NiSk
Thanks all. I'll check the load of blab out when I get a chance to get under the car (pit! 
) and while I'm at it I'll also do the speedo-sensor. (Actually I'll check the engine supports as well because I noticed that my gear-lever is moving about when cornering and I doubt that that's french engineering as well <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> ....hmmm wondering if that could have anything to do with the gear-changing) That won't be for a while though as I have absolutely no spare time on my hands right now. (I'll also check if they sell redline in the Netherlands)
Thanks for the interest!
Niek.
) and while I'm at it I'll also do the speedo-sensor. (Actually I'll check the engine supports as well because I noticed that my gear-lever is moving about when cornering and I doubt that that's french engineering as well <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> ....hmmm wondering if that could have anything to do with the gear-changing) That won't be for a while though as I have absolutely no spare time on my hands right now. (I'll also check if they sell redline in the Netherlands)Thanks for the interest!
Niek.
I had a problem with a car some years ago, sluggish engaging gears and it was the Clutch that was 'dragging' not fully disengaging. A way of finding this, if you crash your gears when trying to get into reverse, hot or cold, then its most likley the clutch system.
As for additives in a gearbox ???, the syncro cones relies on friction to engage your gears at the correct speeds, matching each other. If you use something to coat the parts, make them more slippy,etc. your defeating the purpose of the syncro's and make it harder to engage your gears, but ok for bearings ang gear teeth. In an engine or differential, its a different thing where everyone tries to reduce drag/friction.
sooty
As for additives in a gearbox ???, the syncro cones relies on friction to engage your gears at the correct speeds, matching each other. If you use something to coat the parts, make them more slippy,etc. your defeating the purpose of the syncro's and make it harder to engage your gears, but ok for bearings ang gear teeth. In an engine or differential, its a different thing where everyone tries to reduce drag/friction.
sooty