AL4 Ageing...

addo · Post by **addo** » 10 Dec 2010, 04:16

Not sure if I'm having kittens or not, but to my ears the Xantia's autobox made some different and "not good" noises on a steep slow grind uphill today.

This was minutes after one of it's "Oh no; I'm in third and I want to be in second - WHAM!

" moments there the whole car pitches from stem to stern with the force of a sudden kickdown at light throttle. This is less than 50K miles into a rebuilt box, which admittedly has been well-used.

Would be bad timing if it breaks in the next three months, but if/when it fails this will probably become the rebuild thread.

Post by **CitroJim** » 10 Dec 2010, 12:22

Hmm, that's an odd one Adam. Maybe just one of thosde odd occasions when the 'box decides for reasons all of its own that it fancies doing a rough change and unscheduled kickdown.

Hopefully all that it was.

What was carried out to it on the rebuild 50K ago?

Seems the AL4 has an appetite for electrovalves. This symptoms would appear to point toward pressure regulation issues...

It'll be very interesting to follow an AL4 rebuild...

jmd · Post by **jmd** » 10 Dec 2010, 13:41

Hopefully it's nothing serious, but I had one of those AL4 gearboxes a few years ago, & an oil change works wonders on them. The IMPORTANT thing is to refill with the proper transmission oil which is - Esso ATF 4HP 20AL4. Anything else is inviting trouble.

frenchcarnut · Post by **frenchcarnut** » 10 Dec 2010, 13:54

jmd wrote:Hopefully it's nothing serious, but I had one of those AL4 gearboxes a few years ago, & an oil change works wonders on them. The IMPORTANT thing is to refill with the proper transmission oil which is - Esso ATF 4HP 20AL4. Anything else is inviting trouble.

I've wondered about this for my C5. If the manuals say they are 'sealed for life', at what point should you consider changing oils?

cachaciero · Post by **cachaciero** » 10 Dec 2010, 14:08

"Life" means product designed life which is generally reckoned to be about 4 yrs or 80K "ish".

cachaciero

Clogzz · Post by **Clogzz** » 10 Dec 2010, 14:14

Change at about every 40,000 miles.
When I changed the oil at 103,000 km the old oil didn’t stink of cat’s pee, so had been changed before with non-genuine oil.

frenchcarnut · Post by **frenchcarnut** » 10 Dec 2010, 16:22

cachaciero wrote:"Life" means product designed life which is generally reckoned to be about 4 yrs or 80K "ish"

4 years?!!!! They are very naughty peeps

spider · Post by **spider** » 10 Dec 2010, 16:29

Perhaps the definition of 'life' = 'warranty life'

frenchcarnut · Post by **frenchcarnut** » 10 Dec 2010, 17:29

spider wrote:Perhaps the definition of 'life' = 'warranty life'

What if the Establishment applied an arbitrary contractual figure to human life? Eek! Doesn't bear thinking about.

Post by **CitroJim** » 10 Dec 2010, 18:28

'Life' according to ZF in relation to the 4HP20 is 10 years or 100,000 miles.

They recommend that after 10 years the oil should be changed.....

spider · Post by **spider** » 10 Dec 2010, 18:56

CitroJim wrote:'Life' according to ZF in relation to the 4HP20 is 10 years or 100,000 miles.

They recommend that after 10 years the oil should be changed.....

To be fair Jim, I know you would not leave it ten years

, and this recommendation is from the same who suggest 20k (or 12k for some) oil change intervals.

I think if I had a 4HP20 once I was initially happy the oil was good, I would want to do it about every three or four years or say every 35,000. I'll admit I do this with manual transmissions too.

Stempy · Post by **Stempy** » 10 Dec 2010, 20:16

My V6 is rapidly approaching 120k miles, probably go over next week. I've changed the autobox oil four times since I've had it (got it at 50k miles) but I drive with clenched buttocks waiting for those flashing lights. I hope it will keep going at least 'til next summer at which time I might be lining Jims pockets

Post by **CitroJim** » 10 Dec 2010, 20:42

spider wrote: I think if I had a 4HP20 once I was initially happy the oil was good, I would want to do it about every three or four years or say every 35,000. I'll admit I do this with manual transmissions too.

That's a good policy Andy

I changed mine 12K after the rebuild and it was too soon really but an oil change never hurts...

Stempy wrote:I hope it will keep going at least 'til next summer at which time I might be lining Jims pockets

No worries

All I'll say is that at the first sign of trouble, stop. If it makes a strange noise or slips. Stop immediately and bring the gearbox to me. It'll be easier to fix for me and cheaper for you

addo · Post by **addo** » 10 Dec 2010, 21:53

No worries Jim; I'll UPS it straight to you when it carks.

Oh wait, you were talking to Stempy.

I had the oil changed for more of the correct stuff about 35K kilometres ago, before I had a Lexia or spare fluid. What is interesting, is that myself and both the other Australians with AL4 driven cars, have all had the boxes rebuilt by the same mob - yet experience similar ongoing issues. I have to wonder if they're being reassembled with some unkowingly wrong specs.

The 3-2 lurchdown is very unnerving the first time - you expect the car to stop abruptly with the engine/box in a puddle of oil and smashed motor mount on the road beneath it. Real-time datalogging with G-forces would show an alarming spike!

frenchcarnut · Post by **frenchcarnut** » 11 Dec 2010, 09:19

CitroJim wrote:and bring the gearbox to me.

Where are you based? How much for an AL4 oil change?