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DO I NEED A NEW GEARBOX?

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churchill123 | 22:20 Tue 05th Oct 2010 | Cars
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I recently noticed a noise coming from the gearbox. I took it to a garage where they told me i needed a new gearbox. I was tiold it could 'go' at anytime...ive looked for a secondhand one but finding it hard to find one. Someone told me that i could uses a similiar type gearbox not for this model of car. The car is a toyota avensis 1.6 5spd manual. Can a 1.6 corolla or carina 1.6 gearbox fit this car? Im a novice so dont know what to do.....thanks for any feedback....
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I had a reconditioned gearbox over 1y ago & just passed another MOT

http://www.cleckheato....co.uk/gearboxes.html
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the gearbox does not come under the mot inspection mate!!!!
So if I take my car for an MOT and only reverse gear works it will pass the MOT?
// So if I take my car for an MOT and only reverse gear works it will pass the MOT //

Not an expert, but this seems to suggest it will: http://www.direct.gov...ehicle/Mot/DG_4022109
Doesn't mention whether the car is actually capable of moving ...
Just noticed: specifically says:
The test doesn’t cover the condition of the engine, clutch or gearbox.
Manual gearboxes are very tough churchill. They don't "Go at any time". The people you spoke to were laying it on to worry you, so don't worry about that. Automatic gearboxes do suddenly fail, but manual gearboxes are pretty well bombproof and will last the lifetime of the car.

I'm guessing that the gearbox is making a graunching or singing noise as you drive along in one or all gears. If so, then one or more gears are getting worn. It'll keep going for ages, but the noise will just keep getting worse until the looks from pedestrians forces you to think about repairing it. Believe me - I've been there!

If you want to get it sorted now you can get a second-hand gearbox from a breakers. If there isn't one near you then there are many on the internet - but they do charge what they like! Failing that, there are many companies that specialise in fitting reconditioned gearboxes. You drive your car to them, wander round the shops for a few hours and drink tea until the work is done, then drive home. The best and cheapest option is to give the car or gearbox to someone who specialises in rebuilding gearboxes. You'll find ones local to you in the Yellow Pages or the Internet.

Good luck.
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Thanks andyvon...great advice! I think i will drive it for a few weeks until i get those looks from pedestrians. My wife is expecting our baby in december so i simply cant afford to get it done right away at the moment. The mechanic guy was saying it would go etc....but after reading your advice i feel a lot more confident driving it for a while anyway. Once again thank you very much, great thread!!!
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go to the web site, breakersyard.com and they will serch all dealers for you they found a part for me that I couldnt find any where eles. I highly reccomand them
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The noise coming from the gearbox is like a scraping noise....makes the car sound almost like a diesal car. When i press the clutch it sounds perfect, no noise at all....as soon as i drive the car in any gear it makes a little more noise...its not too bad...but a noise like i described all the same. Maybe the geartbox is slowly wearing out etc....its a toyota with 97k on the clock.....someone mentioned to me earlier that apparently its a common problem with this model and he said im lucky its not a VVTi model otherwise im looking at 600 quid min.....in this case he reckon eventually i could pick up a good secondhand one for abt 150...so he says....its only a 1.6 petrol 5 spd box.
Hi again Churchill.

Yep - that sounds like it's just getting worn. The gears start to wear and make a noise as they mesh together when driving the car. There's no noise when the clutch is out as the gears are all disengaged but when you let the clutch in, the gears mesh in neutral and make a noise.

If it's any consolation, don't worry about the gearbox suddenly failing as it won't. Your gearbox probably has another year or so left before it gets so noisy the embarrassment forces you to think about a repair. Even then, it'll keep driving the car and it's not illegal or an MoT point. If you imagine the gears being solid units machined from hardened steel there's not much that can go wrong with them other than becoming more worn.

There are many second-hand car parts firms in Yellow Pages, Thomsons and the Internet who act as agents for vehicle breakers registered with them. You tell the agent exactly what part you want (gearbox) and they put those details out to the hundreds of breakers around the country on their books. If one of those breakers has the part they contact you directly with a price and then mail or courier the part to you if you buy it. However, beware! Because you are not dealing with the breaker face-to-face and they know they have the part you need, they charge whatever they like. In the past I've had these breakers quote me higher prices for used parts than the parts cost new from the dealer!

If you are looking to save some money in the next few months then don't worry about the noisy gearbox. It'll keep going for a year or two. When you are ready find a gearbox specialist near you in Yellow Pages, Thomsons or the Internet. Leave the car with them for a few days and they'll rebuild the gearbox and call you when it's ready to drive back home.

Hope that helps. Good luck with the new baby.
"Just noticed: specifically says:
The test doesn’t cover the condition of the engine, clutch or gearbox."

However if the engine is not in fairly good condition or doesn't work it will fail the emissions test or they wont test the car if it doesn't start they also wont be able to test the breaks and exhaust.
So the engine does come into it to a degree.
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Mdoo i spoke to 3 mechanice and they all have said i need a new gearbox.....they said that it would be a lot cheaper to replace it eventually than to start taking it apart for bearings etc.....the gearbox quotes ive got so far have ranged from 100 to the most expensive which is 170. Altho one man did quote me 350 plus vat(recondotioned) I think i will drive it for the next 2-3 months...il just have to turn the radio up when im driving a lttle louder so i cant hear anything!! I think any andyvon is right as what he has said is what the 3 mechanics ive spoke to have indicated. That there is no sudden risk of the car conking out while im out shopping etc...it will gradually wear down till i get fed up or embarassed with the noise i replace the gearbox. The one thing im glad about is that i can at leadt take my time and source a decent gearbox...without having to ruch here and there on busses and taxies etc.....i can drive to several breakers and make enquiries etc.....
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Also i was just told today that the car is a 1.8 even though on the log book it says 1.6
The engine is a 7A FE toyota avensis. so i will have to get that clarified too!
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Just find and read the tag attached to, or the ID number stamped into transmission.
There are many different final drive ratios and gearset options for diesels, petrols, and large engines.
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Im not 100% sure if the car is a 1.8....i was told by a garage person that the 7afe engine is meant to be a 1.8? The log book says 1.6, the hpi check showed as a 1.6...mot has a 1.6 on it....so im thinking perhaps the man at the garage is wrong> also they did make a limited edition version of this model, so it could be that....
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Thnks mdoo....i just checked the engine in my car, and it looks similiar but nit exactly like that....my engine has large letters 7A FE written on the head(rocker cover) Is it still 1.8? thanks

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