Auto Arosa's - how long do the box and clutch last for?

[BEnga]

My little 1.4 Auto Arosa will have done 70k miles some time early next week! Got me wondering how many miles the clutch and gear box are good for. Any one have any ideas?

Recently had the cambelt done (for the first time I think! I guess I've been lucky!), and I suspect the engine will go one forever. It actually seems looser over the last 500/1000 miles than before

 

[s10mph]

You won't have a clutch off the normal kind in an auto, it will be a fluid driven beast and should last the lifetime of the car as will the gearbox. If you drive sensibly and have the car serviced correctly you'll be going 150k to 200k miles without any trouble, the usual expenses in a car like yours would be suspension and steering bits now and again but nothing expensive. The autobox will need fluid replacement about now and sometimes adjusting if the gear changes are not smooth. Just enjoy driving and don't worry. Bernie

 

[BEnga]

Thanks - good to hear that It does bang in to 2nd when it changes up when its cold but after that its fine. Think I'll get the fluid in the 'box changed when I get the new boot lock fitted in a few weeks, thanks for the advice!

 

[s10mph]

Abang is not good, probably will need adjusting sooner rather than later,with the new oil.

 

[blackarosa]

Abang is not good, probably will need adjusting sooner rather than later,with the new oil.

the funny thing is the clucth does dont go in auto boxes it will probebly the toque converter

 

[Suffolk Boy]

My little 1.4 Auto Arosa will have done 70k miles some time early next week! Got me wondering how many miles the clutch and gear box are good for. Any one have any ideas?

Recently had the cambelt done (for the first time I think! I guess I've been lucky!), and I suspect the engine will go one forever. It actually seems looser over the last 500/1000 miles than before

I have a 1.4 MPI Auto with the same bang into 2nd, unless i really ease off, until it warms up then all is ok. It's a 1998 with only 32k on the clock but i guess due to its age the gearbox oil could need changing perhaps.

 

[Jowey]

^ sounds like a fluid change would sort those to problems.

I'm hoping it'll work for mine.
Any one have an idea where the top-up/drain point is ?

Mine has an issue where if I stop suddenly whilst travelling at speed the car stops as normal.

Then car doesn't move forward at all afterwards (as if sitting in neutral) and then it will suddenly jump into forward motion with a thud. could this just be that the fluid in the torque converter has run low ?
so it is still spinning after the car has stopped and then when it re-engages it does so spinning faster than the wheels causing the thud and leap forward ?

any help appreciated

This is now becoming an issue on hard turn in on roundabouts.

 

[Boo]

My auto Arosa has now done 85k without anything being done to the 'clutch' or transmission box.

Thanks - good to hear that It does bang in to 2nd when it changes up when its cold but after that its fine.

It does jerk when changing from 1st to 2nd when the car is cold and I floor it which, is to be expected with any car if you don't let it warm up.

Mine has an issue where if I stop suddenly whilst travelling at speed the car stops as normal.

Then car doesn't move forward at all afterwards (as if sitting in neutral) and then it will suddenly jump into forward motion with a thud.

I always put my car into neutral when I have stopped, even if Im sat there for a few moments.


The difference with an Automatic car is that it requires a slightly different way of driving. I had a few lessons in an automatic car when I bought my auto and its hugely different to what I expected.

 

[Jowey]

Really ? doesn't putting an auto in neutral defeat the whole point in the laziness of it ?
Torque crawling ftw

I'm not talking just slowing down here. More emergency stopping slamming the brakes on to avoid running over a kitten kind of thing.

Then afterwards I go to pull away and the car revs but doesn't move.. then it will (whether accelerating or not) give a big uncomfortable jolt forward. Also I can't move the selector at all it locks into place.

I'm pretty sure changing the clutch/TC fluid will solve it .. I have had similar problems in older autos
But I can't for the life of me find a top-up point.

 

[Boo]

Really ? doesn't putting an auto in neutral defeat the whole point in the laziness of it ?
Torque crawling ftw

I'm not talking just slowing down here. More emergency stopping slamming the brakes on to avoid running over a kitten kind of thing.

Are you slamming your brakes on quite alot ?

 

[Jowey]

No .. very rarely.

but when I do come to a sudden stop
or just turning hard around a round about
I get this jolting thing happening.

 

[Chuggy_Arosa]

Hey i got a mk1 1.4 Arosa (Auto) , well picking it up saterday , It only has 26,000 miles and was owned by 2 dissabled people , with full service history , But i was going to say would anyone recomend when getting it to do a oil change on the box ? cheers

 

[Deleted member 42671]

I have a 1.4 MPI Auto with the same bang into 2nd, unless i really ease off, until it warms up then all is ok. It's a 1998 with only 32k on the clock but i guess due to its age the gearbox oil could need changing perhaps.

Hi,

"Our ‘S’ reg Seat Arosa 1.4 Auto MPS (41,000 miles) bumps from 1st to 2nd when cold for one or two changes when first setting off.

I have spoken to a reputable Auto gearbox specialist as mentioned above (Wimbledon Automatics, 020 8540 6624) and they said if the 1st – 2nd bumps happens all the time, ie beyond the initial few minutes running, then it is a solenoid valve issue (£500+).

BUT IF IT IS only the initial one or two changes then it is the VAG CPU design (believe it or not) making first gear (solenoid valve) hold on to the revs in 1st to get the cat and exhaust system up to working temp as quickly as possible to get past emissions regulations.

This rings true because there is no way the gearbox oil could warm up in the first few moments, thus snuffing out the theory of hot oil thinning and easing the change. This is the same for VAG 1.4 auto Arosas, Lupos and Polos of the same age. So, unless anyone knows how to re-program a CPU, I am told that, as long as you don’t floor it when cold, the bump won’t do any harm. It’s only the startup and then all is smooth. Live with it. Tough reliable little cars."

Obviously, I didn't talk to them personally, my other half did, hence all the detailed techky stuff!
Hope this helps.