Renault Espace (1985 - 1997) - 95 2.2 Automatic gear box/MOT

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Wed 2 Jul 2008 22:08
95 2.2 Automatic gear box/MOT - madbint
Hope someone can help here, I've been recommended this site by a friend and I'll freely admit I'm a bit lacking in knowledge here.

I've got an offer of an espace but it has a strange fault. Basically when you first start it you need to use gears 1, 2 and drive (as gear 3) as the automatic gear box doesn't work initially. When you have driven a mile or so you can turn the engine off and on again and the automatic gear box works fine.

Does a fault like this mean an automatic MOT failure? Anyone any idea please?

Thanks
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 2 Jul 2008 22:20
95 2.2 Automatic gear box/MOT - Screwloose

It won't fail the MOT - but the cost of repairing it will write the vehicle off.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 2 Jul 2008 22:29
95 2.2 Automatic gear box/MOT - madbint
Thanks for the reply. To be fair it doesn't sound like the worse thing in the world, anything must be better than the last car we had which we couldn't lock! Obviously other things could go wrong but that's what happens with cars.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 2 Jul 2008 23:26
95 2.2 Automatic gear box/MOT - Screwloose

Don't gloss-over any Renault autobox problem; they fail big-time and I suggest you talk to a few automatic gearbox specialists from Yell.com - before - you buy it.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 2 Jul 2008 23:27
95 2.2 Automatic gear box/MOT - TimOrridge
I would listen to Screwloose advise. He is a well respected member of this froum and is highly technical.

My advise is stay away from the car, it sounds like a potential money pit. What is the point of having a non functional autobox?

How about a toyota previa of similar vintage, i would imageine more reliable?
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 3 Jul 2008 12:09
95 2.2 Automatic gear box/MOT - pyruse
It sounds very much like the gearbox is on the way out.
Avoid the car. It will cost you £2000 or thereabouts to fix the box when it fails completely (which it will if it is playing up - it's the hydraulic actuators inside which are failing).
Alternatively, get a £2000 discount off the asking price.....
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 3 Jul 2008 17:02
95 2.2 Automatic gear box/MOT - madbint
It's a fairly new gear box, he only put it in 18m ago.

Hmm okay thanks for the advice. We've looked at toyota previas before but the quote we were getting for insurance were daft. Our last car was a citroen synergie but the timing belt went and took half the engine out. This espace is only £300 which suits our budget, just as a run-around. Otherwise we'll end up with a smaller car for similar price and not all be able to fit in it, which is annoying.

Maybe this one isn't meant to be...
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 3 Jul 2008 17:07
95 2.2 Automatic gear box/MOT - piston power
For £300.00 if you get 12 months out of it you have not lost owt!

Try to aggle a little cheaper if you can? if you can put up with the autobox problem then go for it, if it goes in the 12 month period then thats just hard luck..
Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.

The Good Garage Guide