Are there anybody there who experienced with the automatic transmission of the R9. If so, what do you think abou their reliability.

Hi (or should i say "merhaba"?)

I may provide you with recommendations if and when you disclose the problem you experience with your Automatic R9...

Hi Ceyhan

You seem to have quite a lot of experience with this model so I was wondering if you could help (Pleeease!).

I own a R9 automatic which dates from 1984 and recently the automatic gearbox has started doing strange/dangerous things.

After about 20mins of normal driving in normal conditions, I can be driving at a steady pace on a normal country road at about 60mph (100km/h) and sometimes the G-box decides for no apparant reason to change to 1st gear spontaneously (it hasn't done this to me at speeds greater than this so far...luckily). At this point this point the G-box check light (yellow) on the dashboard always lights up. I then have to keep driving in 1st gear until the G-box decides to behave properly again (making the engine rev high seems to help it 'unstick itself')

Of course I saw a Renault garage about this problem and they told me to check the oil level. I checked and it was fine, I even put brand new oil just in case but the problem persisted. They then told me that the only solution would be to change the Transmission Control Unit at an extortionate price!

Is there any cheaper solution to this problem???

Please help as I'm starting to see the scrap yard looming in the distance!

I would be extremely grateful for any suggestions,

Trevor

Clean selenoid valves in the gearbox sump and check all electrical contactors on gearbox.

Hi Ibrahim and Ceyhan,
From your messages and your names I think that you are
Turkish users of Turkish Renault car, and Ceyhan may be
a mechanic. I am also a Turkish R-9 auto user (R-9 auto
air conditioned, model: 1987). I prefer to use English
here, because dear Artur's web is an english web and it
will be not so kind to use Turkish here. I bought my car in July 1999 and I drove for more than 42.000 kilometers. I bought in Ankara and I have valuable consultation from a well known mechanic named: Erol Vitas. He said me that he dismantled and mantled the gearbox two years ago and he instructed the owner. I
should say the former owner has a short left leg, so he
used the car heavily, in a manner more than ordinary. So, from the overhauling I can say that my gearbox must
realized at least 85.000 kilometers know. This famous mechanic said me that it is impossible to realize a kilometer estimation, if you don't make any mistake. He advised me those points:
- Do not change gear on the drive.
- Put the gear at "D" and do not touch when you drive.
- If you want to change the gear, it is better to change in a stopping position, or as slow as stopping position.
- Even make less "kick down", (shifting down with kicking the accelarator), do it when necessary.
- Do not make speed in "R", because the oil pressure is
lower than other gears.
- Do not spin the wheels (almost impossible in ordinary conditions, but it can in the sand, rarely in the snow and more likely on the ice).
- Change the oil on each 10.000 km, change the gearbox oil filter on each 40.000 - 50.000 kilometers.
-Do not wash the engine area with water, becaause the analog computer of the gearbox situated on the inner side of the left mudguard must be prevented from the short circuit.

Further more I have some points to say:
- Car slows likely on the hills, but climbs as a goat because of the torque converter.
- Better on the snow and on the ice, because you haven't a sudden torque from the clutch. And you can leave alone the car in "D" to push it from the left door side to assist it to save itself from the snow (I did it).
- It can climb to the higher sidewalks easily, because of the torque converter.
- It can go more slowly than a turtle, with considarably high power, because you can push on the brake with left leg and you can push the accelarator with the right one. This is too useful on the muddy or stoned rural roads.
-Finally, go first to a well known automatic gearbox mechanic first, than buy it, or don't buy it.

Considerations.
Orhan Oztaskin
DPT (State Planning Organization)
Basbakanlik (Prime Minister's Office)
Ankara

Very good information on maintaining and driving an automatic-geared car! Careless driving and maintenance is what destroys most designs, no matter manual or auto. It's just that some things are design more "fool-proof" than others and may seem indestructible (like the C-series engine).


There are two things in your post that I don't fully agree with (minor things really). Having grown up in a country where there's snow&ice 4-6 months a year, I can't resist posting some of my own thoughts on winter driving!


"- Better on the snow and on the ice, because you haven't a sudden torque from the clutch."

-> Here in Finland many people don't like the idea of driving an auto-box car in the winter mainly because there IS no clutch! Remember, an ordinary clutch is not on-off, and you can in fact adjust the power transmitted to front wheels quite accurately with it.
A good thing about (conventional) autobox on snow&ice is that there is no engine-braking effect; If you downshift to too low a gear in manual car, you can accidentally "lock" the front wheels on a slippery surface. With autobox you don't have the danger of this. However, if you realized you've locked the front wheels in a manual car, you'd of course instantly shove the clutch pedal to the floor to "free" the front wheels.

"- And you can leave alone the car in "D" to push it from the left door side to assist it to save itself from the snow (I did it)."

-> This is very questionable and poses a risk of damage to either driver, car or other people. You may yourself slip and fall in the snow, and if the front wheels bite at the same time, who knows what can happen... Particularly risky if you do the same in "R" (the open front door can catch you).
If there are no people around to help and push the car, you can try to save the car from snow in some other ways first:
If there's a thick layer of snow, try to remove as much from it as you can from under the car and front of the wheels. Having a (snow)shovel in the boot is always recommendable (I haven't one...)
If the front wheels have already dug into snow, you can try to "rock" the car back and forth by carefully applying throttle (and clutch). This can only be done if there is at least some initial grip; When the car's moved a bit forward trying to get up from the pits the front wheels have dug, and just before you get wheel spin, release the throttle and depress the clutch. Now, the car starts rolling backwards (remember you are trying to go "uphill" from the pits). The kinetic energy will move the car past the lowest point of the pits and some way to the opposite "hill". And when this backward roll has just ended and the car changes direction and starts to roll forward again, lift the clutch gently to serve power to the wheels. Now you have some initial speed from the "downhill" and you just may get out of trouble. You can rock the car back and forth like this several times to get more initial movement.
To give more grip to front wheels, put a rag or something (like rubber floor mats) right in front of them. This can give the required extra grip to get you out.
Furthermore, you can lower the air pressure in the front tyres. This gives more contact area to road providing improved traction. Remember to raise the air pressure at the next service station.

If all this (and the "car-in-D-and-push") doesn't help, then it's time to start searching for help (walk to a nearest village or call some help on the mobile)...

I once spent 40 minutes digging my car out of snow, minus 10deg C, chilling wind, dark, no-one in sight. Driving alone from a town to another, I turned to a snowy backroad to stop (for a leak ). Turned out to be a bad mistake, since the snow was just a little too thick. The car was raised on top of the thick layer snow and when I stopped, there was no longer enough weight at front wheels! So I cut a branch from a tree and started poking with it to remove the snow from under the car, to get the front wheels in proper contact with ground again. Which wasn't nice...

BTW, right now there's almost no sight of snow even if it should be the coldest time of the year! During Christmas holiday, it was -20deg C but then, overnight, it changed to plus degrees. Now it's raining outside and streets have turned into one big slushy mess...

Driving an autobox is much harder than the manual on the snow or ice. The first thing is, as you said,that the engine breaking is very poor. The second point is that when you climbing a hill on the ice, the gearbox may down-shift the gear and naturally front wheels start to spin...

Hi Orhan,
It's nice to hear that there are other users of Auto R9 in Ankara. I found your recommendations regarding the use of Autoboxes valuable indeed. But may i ask for a futher clarification. You say that "oil need to be changed every 10.000 km and transmission filter at 40.000-50.000 km. Does the 10.000 km interval refer to engine oil or transmission oil? :)) I just wanted to be sure whether i understand it wrong or not? Looking forward to your prompt reply? one more thing: how much does Erol Vites charge for dismantling an Autobox :))

Dear Ceyhan,
This oil change interval is for the transmission not for the engine, for the engine official services provide 5.000 km and mechanics provide 3.000 km to 3.500 km.
My mechanic requests 75.000.000 TL (53 Us.dollars) for
a general dismantling.
Considerations.
Orhan
my Phone: 0.312.230 87 20/5501
MY cELLULLAR PHONE: 90 0532 695 47 23

Thank you for your comments Mr.Öztaşkın. I bought a R9 one mounth ago, which has the same specifications with yours, I think (AC/AT). The odometer is at 116.000km and the general condition of the car is very good although it's age is 13. I'm also in Ankara and, if possible, I want to know the adress of your famous gearbox mechanic.

Dear Ibrahim,
I give the name and adress of the mechanic here below:
Erol Vitas
Yeni Sanayi Tunç Cad. No. 13/B
Ankara Turkey
Phone number: 90 312 310 72 46
Fax number: 311 70 08


Dear Artur,
This is not an ad, this is an assistance, I have no
interest to do this. Believe me.

I own a 1988 Renault 9 Automatic (50k miles, i've done 10k of them)

I must say i've never had any problems with the automatic gerbox and i'm one of those people that have been converted - i can't see myself buying a manual transmission car again! :D