Help Me Please!

[peteread]

I was travelling on the motorway doing 70mph on bank holiday Monday, when a big plume of smoke came from the back of the car. travelled for about a 1/2 mile then all drive went, coasted form about 1/2 mile on hard shoulder. Recovery lorry came out and he said it was gearbox oil, looking under the bonnet it was everwhere and under the car. Now heres the question has anyone had this problem or does anyone know what the problem can be eg gearbox failure, hose burst blown out plug?

I am desperate at the moment because I am 250 miles from home!!!

[HJT]

The guys will probably need a bit more detail. What colour was the smoke? Was it accompanied by any noise? Was the smoke continual or just one plume? Was there any loss of power? Did the car overheat? etc.

 

Howard

[Masked Marauder]

Probably the pipe to the oil-cooler has split, it is the only place that there is that much pressure that it could spray out, this would mean no oil in the torque converter and subsequent loss of drive.

 

Unless something has holed the cooler, anyone konw if it is built into the rad or separate?

[Masked Marauder]

OK, scratch that, it looks like the cooler is on top of the box and is water cooled. Check it has not come loose or ruptured the O rings to it.

[peteread]

got a guy coming out he rekons that it is possible a pipe with that much oil...ta 4 that MM

[Guest bosbax]

encoutered this problem a couple of times on different cars and it has turned out to be no more than a perished dighram fitted between the gearbox and inlet manifold(can't remember what it did) but on acceleration it drew oil out of the gearbox was burned in the engine and on the overrun it created pressure and blew oil all over engine compartment and bellhousing.Best of luck,hope you get it sorted.

 

Richie.

[peteread]

but did u have transmission oil all down the passenger side and on the rear of the car, also all in the left hand side of the engine compartment?

[Guest bosbax]

completely emptied the gearbox all over the front of my caravan,and we had to be towed in to the nearest garage.

 

Richie.

[GSMGuy]

Peteread, is yours a Manual or Auto - didn't think they made the 4x4 in an auto?

 

Mike

[Guest vr6galaxy]

Peteread, is yours a Manual or Auto - didn't think they made the 4x4 in an auto?

 

Mike

IIRC the 4X4 was only available in auto

[johnb80]

encoutered this problem a couple of times on different cars and it has turned out to be no more than a perished dighram fitted between the gearbox and inlet manifold(can't remember what it did) but on acceleration it drew oil out of the gearbox was burned in the engine and on the overrun it created pressure and blew oil all over engine compartment and bellhousing.Best of luck,hope you get it sorted.

 

Richie.

This was for the non electronically controlled boxes like Granada's and Sierra's etc. It gave vacuum information to the hydraulics to control gearchanges. It wouldn't empty a box that quick nor would it spread it all over the engine. Oil cooler system sounds favourite to me.

 

Regards - JB

[Guest bosbax]

as regards my particular incident, the car was a 2.8 granada,it certainly emptied the gearbox,drowned the engine and covered the front of the caravan i was towing.

[Masked Marauder]

Do you think he got it fixed?

[peteread]

Well to put everyone out of their misery, the car is fixed with no lasting damage. Your asking urselves wat was it...well when I bought the car, the said he had the gearbox reconned, well who ever replaced the pipes to and from the oil cooling radiator put it round the radiator strut and not through the availiable hole. Yes I know wat ur thinking, cowboys, this cause the pipes to rub on the strut and cut through. Hence all the oil came gushing out and travelling at 70mph,haha, forced the oil backwards and in the engine compartment.

So I would like to thank everyone with their suggestions.

[_dg]

Nice to know it was not that bad, and a good response from the petrol heads!

 

I had to laugh from the original post, as it seemed you were typing it from the hard shoulder - logging in to the forum for advice before calling the RAC or AA. lol

 

Although these events are not funny at the time, they are good to look back on and certainly make a holiday or outing one to remember.

 

I had a similar thing with my first car when travelling up to Blackpool with my gf on our first 'love weekend' . Not the best way to impress the ladies, but it obviously did not put her off as we're still together after all these years

[peteread]

Its still going but,yes but, it has developed a problem as 2 say it revs high before going into 3rd from 2nd as though the gear doesn't engaged. Does anyone have any ideas?