Clio Mk2 DPO /AL4 gearbox questions

[Speedtrifle]

Hi. I realise this subject has been done to death in these forums but hopefully there are still some folk out there who know about these 'boxes so here goes....

I have a 2005 Clio Mk2 1.4 16V with the DPO/AL4 auto box and, surprise, it has issues. Once warmed up it goes into limp mode, or rather it has no forward drive at all.

Following advice from many other posts on here, I’ve replaced both PCVs with genuine Borg-Warner valves and have done a double oil change with Granville LT71141 fluid.

The symptoms persist unfortunately. I have done a lot of testing and I think I have boiled the issue down to the following key points:

1. In D1 (1st only) I get drive, no fault codes, no limp-home and it pulls hard against the handbrake without slip. It also doesn’t slip or break out when I thrash it up and down the yard hot or cold. Ditto for Reverse.
2. In D2 (1st & 2nd only) I get drive until it warms up then shortly after shifting into 2nd it goes to limp-home 3rd gear mode, except that I get no drive at all. Fault code ‘DF131 – Slip’ appears when this happens.
3. No pressure regulation fault code is issued.
4. If I follow the gearbox ECU fuse-removal procedure to get ‘hydraulic mode’ I get some forward drive when the box is stone cold but not once it’s warmed up. I do get good reverse in hydraulic mode.

My conclusions:

1. Clutch E1 and brakes F3 and F2 are good because I get strong 1st and Reverse without faulting. Ditto the valves that control them.
2. Pressure regulation and the pressure sensor are good because it’s always in the 2.7 – 3.0 Bar range in working gears.
3. Since clutch E2 is common to 2nd and hydraulic-3rd, E2 is the culprit and is slipping once warmed up. Possible causes could be:
   • E2 is burned out because of a previous pressure control failure, lack of oil change etc etc.
   • E2’s piston seals leak when hot, or are over-stroking because of excessive plate wear.
   • EVS2, or the spool it controls, fails open when hot. This assumes that it’s still in the hydraulic circuit in ‘hydraulic mode’ and fails open, venting pressure.

If you're still reading, can anyone shed any light on the following questions?

• Does my analysis above sound right or am I missing something?
• Are the shift valves still in the hydraulic circuit in 'hydraulic mode' and able to leak, or are they bypassed?
• Has anyone had the same issues where E2 slip was cured by just replacing shift solenoid EVS2, or is that just wishful thinking?

Any comments or advice would be much appreciated.

[mickthemaverick]

Hi and welcome,
I have no experience of the gearbox you are referring to but for what it's worth I think your analysis sounds well reasoned and is likely pointing you in the right direction !

[Speedtrifle]

Just realised, it was Westway LT71141 oil I used, not Granville. I decided not to use the latter because although it claimed LT71141 compatibility it also claimed Dexron III-H compatibility and the two are not the same. I found a Range-Rover forum thread which has a quote directly from ZF explaining exactly why Dexron III-H is not equivalent.

https://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/post287945.html