Auto gearbox question

Ahhhh a feast of replies and very useful too, ta.

Just started having a butchers at local indepedent garages for starters, no panic to buy and taking my time, not got a particular motor in mind but more something to fit requirements and budget. Second car so basically a runaround but nice and capable of regular motorway runs. Economical. Not fussed about 'driveway looks' or gadgetry nice and clean and tidy is good. As I said, not bought for a while so way out of the loop but hoping for a reliable thing for between 3-5k preferably lower end if I can get that?, pref 5 door hatchback, something the size of the Astra or Civic, something to get a fair bit in the boot, something with lowish miles as I plan to keep hold of it till it gets knackered (not one for chopping and changing models etc). Flexible really but keywords reliable and economical. Am I asking too much p'raps?

Cheers GG

 

Thanks FC. A friend has a Focus so might chat him up about it and maybe take it for a spin. I thought maybe the Auris and Golf might be beyond my means as I'm hoping for not a ton of miles on the clock. I guess I'm looking at a car maybe 5-7 years old? People seem to hang onto Civics as few and far between in this vicinity and very few Toyotas. What you see are a fair few Astras Hyundai and Kia Ceed and the Focus which look in my bracket. So I've got somewhere to start.

Cheers
GG

 

My one and only Toyota just went on and on until it went KABOOM, and literally projectile vomited coolant out of its burst radiator. I fixed that, then a few weeks later it went KABOOM for its final time, when it blew its cylinder head in the most spectacularly impressive fashion.

Out of curiosity, what sort of autobox is in my Gothilda? She changes up and down like a manual but without me doing it. I.e. the revs pick up, then changes up very positively (if you're flooring it you feel the kick of the gear change), and then comes back down through the gears like a manual when decelerating. So its not one of those constant velocity thingies, but as far as I'm aware, there's not much in the way of electronics doing the gears. There's some. Apparently a solenoid locks the torque converter when she drops into overdrive, and another one can lock her into the lower gears for towing and descending hills etc, but from what I gather, most of it is all about oil pressure operating all sorts of mechanical magic.

 

Just an ordinary old fashioned "slush box". As I recall it was made by Aisin Warner. Ordinary three speed auto with an overdrive unit nailed on the back of it (cheaper than developing a four speed unit). More or less bulletproof!

Spot on! As I recall, even the kickdown is controlled by fluid pressure and a cable................

 

I think every time there is a sudden shift in technology, there is a bad batch of cars. This is as true with new cars as old ones, suggesting the problem has existed for a while.

For example, around 2000/2001, the EU tightened up on the emissions laws, forcing manufacturers to try extra hard with the electronics and other witchery in the engine. I had a 2001 plate car once. It had less than 50k on the clock when I bought it, and it was only 3 year old. It had so many things wrong with it that I had to resort to legal action to make the dealer take it back. I know of several others with all sorts of makes and models, ranging from the luxury end down to the budget runabout end that have all witnessed similar woes. But a couple of years either side of that and there seems to be some decent reliability going on. Gothilda is one of the last 940s, registered in 1998. Tocuh wood, she is still going strong, but looking on the Volvo forum it seems her successor and close relative the early V70, is a bit of a chore to look after. I had an early Vectra that was rubbish too, and my first car was a Ford Escort, one of the first Mk5s if I remember right, and that was dire, yet again, either side of that change of hardware and people speak of reliability and good built quality (within the range).

 

I had a Cavalier. I loved it. It was rock solid, comfy, and performed very well. Just the bog standard 1.8LSi, a mere 90bhp, but it could go. That's why I got a vectra after the Cav had passed on. I swore then I'd never own another vectra as long as I live.

 

Agree 100%!

 

I remember when Skoda were just Skoda, before VW took them over.

What do you call a Skoda covertible? A skip.

I can't remember any more but there were loads. It was a bit unfair I thought because my step dad had one of the pre-VW ones and it was a very comfy and surprisingly spacious car. One of the front wheels fell off, wishbone and strut and all, while going round a roundabout once, but that could happen to any car

 

For the cost of bits and simplicity of design, you could have just swapped the whole engine for about £100 and a few hours work for a man of your calibre.

Ooh, the Calibre, that was a nice car. A Cavalier SRI underneath, but in a more sporty shell. I always wanted one of those.