FD Auto -No manual select gear 1 or 2.
I had an interesting situation yesterday with my CRDi FD i30CW auto. Whilst doing a trans flush and manual selecting the gear ranges I could not go to 2 or 1. Shifter stopped at 3.
Gearbox runs flawlessly other wise and only done about 41000k.
Disconnecting the linkage, at the box, same deal stopped prematurely, cabling is fine and no hint of resistance in motion . just a hard stop but then I felt around thinking obstruction.
On the selector arm there is a counter weight hanging below. Nearby there is a lifting bracket.
I had just lifted this unit from a wreck and fitted it to my car and finishing it off. The weight and action of this had moved / bent the bracket now placing it in the path of the counter weight.
Removal or straightening the bracket rectified the issue.
I have it from another well known and very reliable source that a certain idiot known to us all had an encounter with the bracket after two weeks driving!
Also I noted.
Fluid out of the box was like chocolate.
I've never liked the suggested service intervals on some of these autos. This uses Mitsubishi specced fluids and is engineered based on the F4A series. I recall with my Magna roughly 90 -100000k for replacement or half that for severe driving.
Looking at the i30 guide, suggests replace at 100000k for severe or inspect every 60000k replace as needed.
I suspect 40000k in about 6 years is a lot of stop start traffic.
I'll be changing it a lot sooner than they say and hopefully minimise some of the wear issues .
