Vauxhall Astra water in gearbox

Car: Vauxhall Astra
Variant: 1.8 automatic
Model Year: 2005
Categories: Running Rough, Starting & Power Loss
CAR CUT OUT SO CALLED AA,AT FIRST THEY THOUGHT THERE WAR A SOFTWARE PROB IN THE CARS CONTROL SYSTEM.
IT CUT OUT AGAIN AND I'VE NOW BEEN TOLD BY VAUXHALL GARAGE THAT THE RADIATOR HAS BEEN LEAKING AND HAS LEAKED INTO THE AUTOMATIC GEARBOX!
I'VE SINCE LEARNED THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THE SAME FAULT ON SAME TYPE CAR,ITS BEEN MENTIONED THAT THIS MAY BE SOME SORT OF "COMMON" FAULT WITH THE RADIATOR?
THE CARS DONE 59,000 AND IS 5 YRS OLD.
THE GARAGE ARE ASKING FOR UP TO £5,000 TO FIX,THATS MORE THAN IT'S WORTH.
I NEED THE CAR FOR WORK SO I'M IN A REAL FIX.
NEED ADVICE 'HELP'
Posted: Nov 10, 2010 (14 years ago)
Crazy price they quoted you !!!! You might get away with flushing out and changing gearbox fluid , replacing radiator . This explains this fault .

Vauxhall Astra GEARBOX / RADIATOR
The Problem
Car Vauxhall Astra 1.8 AUTOMATIC
Year 2005
Owner jaylw
Posted 16 09 2010

Ref#:
6029
The Problem

WHILST DRIVING HOME A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, MY ASTRA JUST CUT OUT COMPLETELY. THE AA ATTENDED AND TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A GEARBOX PROBLEM. HAVE JUST BEEN TOLD MY GARAGE THAT APPARENTLY THE RADIATOR HAS BEEN LEAKING AND HAS LEAKED INTO THE AUTOMATIC GEARBOX! I HAVE NEVER NOTICED THE RADIATOR LEAKING AND IT WAS FINE WHEN THE AA ATTENDED ALSO. IT HAS BEEN MENTIONED THAT THIS MAY BE SOME SORT OF "COMMON" FAULT WITH THE RADIATOR FROM THIS MODEL - ANYONE WITH ANYMORE INFO?? THE CAR HAS ONLY DONE 50,000 IN 5 YRS, AM NO CAR EXPERT BY ANY STRETCH, BUT THIS SEEMS LIKE A MAJOR FAULT FOR A CAR WHICH HASN'T DONE THAT MANY MILES!! ANYONE KNOW OF ANY INFO???


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Solution 1
whittingehame
Legend

Since: Oct 2009
Posts: 349 | Fixes: 2651
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Posted on 2010 09 16

This should help you and gives info re . radiator recall .


http://www.vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk/showthread.php?163171-Water-in-the-gearbox-or-major-scam!




Question
Posted on 2010 09 16

Hi, the exact same thing has happened to me today I was driving and my car stopped I too had aa out and they said it was the radiator leaking into my oil for gearbox, and that there are matal fragments mixed with the water/oil they called a garage and was told the cost would be £1700 - £2000 for repair my car is also automatic and on 05 plate and have done 55000 miles. I have always had my service and looked after the car and cannot understand how such a major fault can happen that can cause so much damage and cost ! I was totally shocked to see that you had posted the exact same fault today on same car same year and around same mileage !



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Solution 2
VXAstra
Driver

Since: Oct 2010
Posts: 0 | Fixes: 1
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Posted on 2010 10 04

I have just been dealing with the very same thing, started losing coolant but couldnt find a leak anywhere, took it into the my garage well to cut to the chase they said the same thing.
They told me the oil from the gearbox is run into the rad to cool it but the pipes aint upto the job and then your coolant gets into the gearbox. I tried Vauxhall customer service who were very helpful and told me to take the car to a vauxhall dealer and they would look at it for me, when I asked who was going to pay for it, she said they make no garantee about any payment towards cost, so if I take it to a Vauxhall dealer its going to charge me at least 60% more than my garage and I could be left to pay for it all, on a car thats 5 years old and only 29000 miles on it.
So I decided to leave it at my garage, they have flushed the gearbox out twice, and put a new Radiator on told me to so how it goes if I get any more probs bring it back and if it needs a new gearbox they willfit one and take the price of the flushing off the bill, pretty fair I think.
A new gearbox from Vauxhall £2000 plus and then all they will do is sell the old box on to be flushed and sold second hand.
My bill was £450.




You could also contact Vauxhall customer services and see what they say about this known fault .
Posted Nov 10, 2010 (14 years ago)
If changing ATF fluid and radiator is not successful,you may need to get a replacement box ,but you might get away with it .

There are plenty of automatic gearbox specialists in Glasgow rather than going to main dealers who are usually are a lot dearer . You will get them in Yellow pages or sometimes in the free Motor Market Weekly magazine you get in petrol stations .You have just got to be careful where you go and get quotes and advice .Here are a couple I found right away ,

http://www.mackie-transmission.com/

http://www.caledoniantrans.com/

I cannot vouch for the companies mentioned , just a sample of some possibly in your area but you could call and say what they say .Hope this helps you .
Posted Nov 10, 2010 (14 years ago)
hi all i have had the same problem today.my car went to main dealer for gearbox fault back in may but they could'nt find a problem.
for the last 6 months its not been right so took it today to gearbox specialist and told me the same problem as yours, onto vauxhall customer services now so will keep you posted on what happens cars only done 48,000
Posted Nov 18, 2010 (14 years ago)
I have an 07 Astra Life auto. In January of this year, I received a letter saying that it was the subject of a recall owing to a fault which might mean that water leaks into the gearbox and that if I did not take it to my nearest dealer to be rectified (by having a new radiator fitted) then any resulting damage would be down to me. I took my car to my nearest dealer to have the work carried out. When I called to ask when it would be ready, I was told that they did not have the parts (ie the radiator) in stock and that it would take 10 days. I was not best pleased as you can imagine and had a bit of a moan. A couple of days later I got a call saying my car was ready and that the repair had been done. They delivered it back, together with a piece of paper verifying the work.

This week my car broke down - the reason? Water in the gearbox. I am now having to fork out £1600 to get this fixed despite the fact that Vauxhall were supposed to have done this.

Has anyone else had a problem of this nature and in particular with Bristol Street Motors in Waltham Cross?

Any advice would be much appreciated, as come the new year I intend contacting the dealer to try my best to get some joy out of them. Failing that, I already have the email address of Vauxhall's chairman saved in my favourites!
Posted Dec 19, 2011 (12 years ago)

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