xsara Automatic gearbox,Very Strange behavior

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abdalla
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xsara Automatic gearbox,Very Strange behavior

Post by abdalla »

Hello,

I have xsara-N7 1.6 AUTOMATIC gearbox, when my speed reaches about 80km/h(50mph) I start to feel as if there are pulses of brakes, in other word the car does not move smoothly when I leave this range of speed (reaches 100km/h) the car moves smoothly.

I asked in a garage and they told me its normal !! because at that speed you have just reached the 4th gear and the gearbox does not know whether you are going to stay on the 4th gear or you will go down to the 3rd gear.

But its so annoying ...!!

By the way I checked the car for any stored fault but nothing was there.

Any idea?

Thanks
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Post by CitroJim »

That's not normal at all. You are experiencing a condition known as "hunting" and on a modern electronically controlled 'box, there's software to prevent this happening.

Depending on how many miles you've done, I'd recommend a fluid change, even if the dealer says it's sealed for life, and then have a Lexia-equipped technician (who knows his job) reinitialise the auto-adaptives. This will reset the gearbox ECU and make it re-lean the characteristics of the gearbox and how you drive it.
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Post by abdalla »

Thanks for your help...

Actually I faced a problem with my gearbox from about month and I changed 2x pressure electrovalves (pressure regulators),

and from about 1.5 year the oil was changed (the car made about 5000km up till now from that date).

do you still think that i need to change my oil for just 5000km ?
does xsara -N7 2002 contain this software that prevent he hunting behavior?
why this behavior happens only on the shifting from 3rd to 4th?

waiting for your reply.
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Post by CitroJim »

Is it the Siemens AL4 gearbox fitted to your Xsara?

Why did you change two electrovalves?
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Post by abdalla »

yes its the siemens AL4.
I changed the electrovalve because i got a fault something like "differential pressure regulation...etc" and when i was driving my car and during shifting from 2nd to 3rd a knock happened and snow/sport blink...which i think called limphome mode so the technican told me that i need to change them.
But now it works fine execpt the problem of hunting

What is your opinion?
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Post by abdalla »

waiting for your help...

I want to ask Is there any other reason for this behavior away from the gearbox?
may be speed sensor!! or O2 sensor or EGR valve..??

I do not know but I just guess.
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Post by OzRX4 »

Read a possible fix for this today, relating to Renault Lagunas.
Because of the complexity of the system as a whole, the brake switch could be faulty or dirty. Next time the problem happens, try lifting the brake pedal from below with your foot. If the problem stops, clean the brake switch. It may require repositioning if that is an option on the Cit.
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Post by Sid_the_Squid »

Did you change the gearbox oil for the correct fluid yet?

I recall form your previous thread about replacement the valve block, that your AL4 box is full of TOTAL ATF fluid, which is defiantly not the correct box oil, would more than likely be the source of this problem.
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Post by OzRX4 »

Sid_the_Squid wrote:Did you change the gearbox oil for the correct fluid yet?

I recall form your previous thread about replacement the valve block, that your AL4 box is full of TOTAL ATF fluid, which is defiantly not the correct box oil, would more than likely be the source of this problem.
:shock: Oh, if it's the AL4, then it'd require a synthetic D3 oil. Elf have Renaultmatic D3 and Total{not ATF} do have an equivalent but I haven't got the specs handy.
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Post by CitroJim »

The ONLY oil for these boxes is ESSO LT71141.

Yes, indeed knowing you do not have the correct oil in than the first has to be to get the right oil in there.

Using the incorrect oil may upset the friction between the gearsets and brake bands, leading to slippage and the behaviour you are witnessing.
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Post by myglaren »

CitroJim wrote:The ONLY oil for these boxes is ESSO LT71141.

Yes, indeed knowing you do not have the correct oil in than the first has to be to get the right oil in there.

Using the incorrect oil may upset the friction between the gearsets and brake bands, leading to slippage and the behaviour you are witnessing.

Now MOBIL LT71141 :)
Same stuff rebranded :?
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Post by OzRX4 »

myglaren wrote:
CitroJim wrote:The ONLY oil for these boxes is ESSO LT71141.

Yes, indeed knowing you do not have the correct oil in than the first has to be to get the right oil in there.

Using the incorrect oil may upset the friction between the gearsets and brake bands, leading to slippage and the behaviour you are witnessing.

Now MOBIL LT71141 :)
Same stuff rebranded :?
The ELF RENAULTMATIC D3 SYN is what Renault recommend for the same transmission, i.e. DPO as per Renault nomenclature. {I'd paste the file but as I am a computer fool I can't
:cry: :oops:
How much is the Mobil per litre or whatever amount you guys buy in?
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Post by Sid_the_Squid »

last time I purchased ESSO LT71141, June or July of this year, it was just under £40 for 4 liters.
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Post by CitroJim »

OzRX4 wrote: The ELF RENAULTMATIC D3 SYN is what Renault recommend for the same transmission, i.e. DPO as per Renault nomenclature. {I'd paste the file but as I am a computer fool I can't
:cry: :oops:
Thanks Oz, brilliant.

Here's the Elf Spec. sheetand as the DPO and AL4 is one and the same 'box, that's an excellent discovery. The Elf stuff should therefore be OK in the 4HP20 too if the Mobil/Esso recommended LT is not available.
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Post by myglaren »

As ELF and Total are more or less the same company it is odd that Citroen don't recommend the Elf product.
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