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selespeed probs after fitting new gearbox

3K views 48 replies 9 participants last post by  iainfm 
#1 ·
hi all new to the site.i have a 156 2.0l ts selespeed & luv it.never drove another car like it(and i have an evo 8 in garage)but unfortunately the selespeed gearbox went bang.so i bought a recon one & also bought a new clutch.i have now fitted the clutch & gearbox.after fitting it i bled the system.(although there was not much pressure come out of bleed screw & no air at all)
so i thought i was on to a winner untill i went to test it.the car goes in to 1st 2nd & rev no prob & nice smooth. but when i select 3rd it trys to change but there is a small crunch & it drops back in to 2nd:mad:.dont understand this as theres no warning light flashing. but should have knowin it wouldnt that easy.

hope somwon can help thanks :thumbs:
 
#2 ·
Welcome :)

I think it's hard to know whether you have a possible mechanical problem in the gearbox, but a good starting point would be to do an EOL (End of line) calibration using Alfadiag, which operates the gearchange actuators and reads/adapts to the position of the gearchange sensors.

You didn't mention whether you've had the Selespeed connected to any diagnostics. In my opinion this is essential after making any mechanical changes. I purchased Alfadiag from AlfaDiag Alfa Romeo Diagnostic Software, and I use a translucent-blue OBD KKL cable that I found on eBay. If you have a local and friendly dealer, you can pay them to use their Examiner, but otherwise, Alfadiag is well worth the money. There is also a FIATEcuScan program that supports Selespeed ECUs, but I have not used that yet.

-Alex
 
#3 ·
no i havent had it connected to diagnostics as there is no one in my area and car wont go above 2nd gear so cant go far with it. as its a recon box, couldnt understand how it could be that but guess it could be possible. it goes through 1st and 2nd fine, and tries to change to 3rd, but just revs with no drive and crunches slightly and then drops back into 2nd.
 
#4 ·
Pm Smaky. He's the Selespeed guru.
 
#5 ·
cheers il pm him.hoping not to have to remove box again so any suggestion welcome.going to try removing the unit on top of box & refiting it.does anyone know if low oil pressure would cause this.as when i bled the system the oil just ran out with no great deal of pressure.also it had a flat batt after it sitting for a month.
 
#6 ·
When refitting the actuator, did you use anything (like an extension bar) to stop the selector arm from flopping about? It can easily fall of the rear range sensor.

Essential after any kind of work like this is:

Clutch rod adjustment to 28.0mm - 28.0mm

Clutch bleed routine

EOL calibration

All of which need AlfaDiag or FiatECUscan to perform.

You need a battery in good condition for the sele system to work properly too.

I'm not a million miles away from you if you're stuck :)
 
#7 ·
no never used anything like that. just dropped the unit on.had to use a srew driver to locate the bolt holes on the gear selector & acuater as these didnt line up exactly.didnt use any force tho.i am totaly stuck now.do you think i should try removing & fitting it again.do you no any one who could plug it in for me.:rolleyes:how can i tell if it has dropped of that sensor you mentiond:thumbs::
 
#9 ·
:cool:i live in bellshill north lanarkshire.it would be a great help if you could come & plug it in to alfadiag for me.
how much would you be looking for to do this .i understand you would have to travell to me so paying you isnt a prob what so ever. :thumbs:
 
#12 ·
would be much appreciated. I will cover fuel costs no problem and a wee bit extra for your self, or a case of beers, just let me know what suits you... any time, any day, I'll make sure I'm home. just let me know and I'll pm you my full address. Thanks again mate.
 
#13 ·
right it looks like alfadiag then.just hope this does the job;dont want to have to remove box again
i phoned the place that sold me box(autolusso) & they say its def not the box, as its fully recon to high standards.but suppose if it is the box,then its not the end of the world as it has 6 months warranty.

cheers everyone
 
#17 ·
Plenty of cables on eBay for under £10 inc delivery.
Just search for USB KKL.

The std cables are fine for engine and gearbox.
They only need modifying for airbag & ABS ECUs.
 
#18 ·
David !!!! you ruin my little company, I have to sack 3 people because of you !!!:cheese:

remember that the Ebay cables are not tested !!! my cables are tested and have all 16 pins active... and not satisfied money back !!!:thumbs:

BUY CHEAP BUY TWICE !!!
 
#19 ·
Looks like Sunday'll be the first chance I get to give you a hand... In the meantime, you could try this:

Remove the battery and tray

Locate the plug on the actuators marked with a red dot in this picture: http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc90/imclaren/bits/02102009223-1.jpg

Remove the plug.

Locate and remove the range sensor marked in this picture: http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc90/imclaren/bits/02102009225-1.jpg

Insert a 1/2" extension bar down the hole where the plug was.

Use something to turn the bar left and right, and push it up and down (you're operating the selector arm, so it'll be like changing gear in a manual. You should be able to feel 1st and 2nd (push down on the bar) and 3rd and 4th).

While you're doing that, feel the peg that engages the sensor that you've removed. If it's moving, you're probably ok. If it doesn't, the end-plate will need to be removed to re-engage the arm on the turney thing...
 
#23 ·
right we are then so this peg should move when am trying to select the gears.if this doesnt move it means a fecked up & knocked the sensor off.:rolleyes:

doesnt sound good if i have done this will i have replace parts, or can i remove the back plate you mention & the sensor back on put it back
 
#24 ·
Yep... I can't remember if it should move when you push the selector up and down, or turn it left and right though... Anyway, one way should make it do something!

If it has fallen off, it's no big deal. What you need to do it remove the actuator, remove the rear plate, align the bits, and put the end-plate back on.

To keep it in place, wrap some electrical tape around a 1/2" extension (to increase its diameter a bit), and insert it down the plug hole, through the sensor arm thing.

Keep that in place while re-attaching the actuator, and all should be good.

You'll still need the clutch rod adjustment and EOL calibration done though.

At the risk of dredging up a contentious thread :)lol:), have a read of this: http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/alfa...a-selespeed-actuator-fitting.html#post2426943

EDIT: Bugger - the pictures aren't there any more :cry:
 
#25 ·
:mad:right i finaly had chance to try check the sensor that you said but i hit more probs.
the plug you told me to take out in first pics the one that allows me to access gear selecter is totally solid.i was puting an unbeleavible amount of force on this & was i bit worried i was going to break somthing.so i think its best for me to remove actuater, and remove the screw

not unless anyone has any other suggestions on how to get this out
 
#26 ·
Before you take anything apart again. Get it hooked up to AlfaDiag or the Examiner and adjust the clutch pushrod and run the EOL Calibration.
 
#27 ·
i was trying to check the sensor just incase it is that its causing my probs.
its getting hook up to alfadiag on sunday. well hopefully a very helpfull & kind guy is coming to do it for me as i dont have alfadiag or even the cable.

although i think il need to invest in theses if am going to keep the selespeed & not change it for a manual 156
 
#31 ·
well everyone the car has been plug in to alfadiag.(thanks again to iainfm) & clutch rod lenth ok, & eol calibration done with no faults found.also bleed routine done and there is around 50 bar pressure.so no probs there.

but still the same probs no difference what so ever its starting to look like a mechanical prob with box:mad:
so looks like its time to take the box back out again as i dont see what else could be causing my problem apart from somthing in the box
 
#32 ·
It's behaving not entirely dissimilarly to Mike2909's box when its case split. Changes with engine off are mostly ok, but will often fail to get 4th on the way up, and skips to 5th.

While driving, anything above 2nd fails. There's a bit of a crunch, and the gear light flashes. It doesn't seem to skip in this situation though - but maybe it would if left long enough.

Attached is a screenshot from AD, showing a failed insertion. In this case, missing 4th on the way down from 5th. The trace for the way up is a similar story.

There were faults logged in the sele ECU, but none returned after driving. EOL completes successfully, and as stokes156 says.

Just looking at the plot again...there does seem to be a bit of a 'wobble' in the insertion fork position. I wonder if this is a symptom of the finger bolt being a bit slack (which will be checked), or a worn selector shaft/component.
 

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