R10 Automatic Problems, and Adjustments.

[JohnW]

I got a fuel shut off solenoid from a diesel kubota, it just wont work though(no return spring).

So I took apart the old one. Its just what you think-- a plunger,a spring, and the solenoid body- tests good at 8 ohms. It felt a bit rough to move. Some silicone spray freed it up nicely.

Drove it around town, and it worked every time!

With that said, it at times--shifts like a drunk who has never been in a car, learning manual.

Sometimes shes not bad, other times while up hill. Wow....

Its really all depending on the throttle input, and load. I find that when the solenoid kicks on, just let off the pedal.

What really freaks me out, is when it trys to shift,and the solenoid fires off. The gas pedal becomes a mere stick on the floor, with little use...

Whether it finds the next gear or not, the throttle doesn't work until its decided.... You hope for a quick, decisive shift. You hope....

From what I've heard, it is not far from behaving correctly. It will shift in its own good time and it will gradually teach you how to drive it.
Great work there.

 

[leregulage]

What really gets me is while going uphill. If it cant find 2nd,or 3rd. You quickly start to loose speed, keep in mind that solenoid stays on until its decided. Eventually 1st gets picked, and then you proceed doing about 11 mph in a 35mph area...

 

[JohnW]

What really gets me is while going uphill. If it cant find 2nd,or 3rd. You quickly start to loose speed, keep in mind that solenoid stays on until its decided. Eventually 1st gets picked, and then you proceed doing about 11 mph in a 35mph area...

Ah, not going quite correctly yet!

 

[leregulage]

Put about 200 miles on. The upshifts are working as good as possible.

Downshifts can be at times "interesting". Mainly when it can't find, or get decided about a lower gear. You quickly loose speed, and hope to not feel a thud from the car behind you ..

To be fair, most of the time it works well... If you can drive it, like it wants, then all is fine.

The problems come up with the little things like- traffic,stop lights,sudden low speed stops,squirrels, pedestrians..

 

[leregulage]

And some videos for those still interested.

 

[leregulage]

I don't know if it should be used as a everyday car..

 

[JohnW]

I don't know if it should be used as a everyday car..

Once working properly, why not? I guess the wearing components, like brushes, wouldn't be ideal if you did 10,000 miles per year. It does deserve regular use though. Something can't be quite right yet judging by your description. Great progress though. There wouldn't be many of these autos going anywhere in the world I'd guess.

 

[leregulage]

Short of taking the governor back apart, and using the smallest amount of oil on the pivots.

Then that's all the adjustments. To improve downshifts though. A work around would need to be figured out.

Without a stable signal, in place of the synchro switch. She has reached the peak of shifting quality.

 

[JohnW]

Short of taking the governor back apart, and using the smallest amount of oil on the pivots.

Then that's all the adjustments. To improve downshifts though. A work around would need to be figured out.

Without a stable signal, in place of the synchro switch. She has reached the peak of shifting quality.

You've done a great job I'd say!

 

[Shoji]

And some videos for those still interested.

I imagine being a running Auto R10 are quite rare and a video is also! Enjoyed watching and with a little humour, well done on the fix.

 

[leregulage]

So it went a whole 200 miles, then some issues started to pop up. Now for the first week, and those videos it was warm out.

Around 70f or more. Now not so much...

So downshifts from 2nd,to 1st while at a coasting speed, made it forget what to do. Making one drift slowly to the side of the road. Hoping it will find that gear!

This got much worse, as the weather got colder.

Presently it's gotten to the point upshifts are having problems.. Even swapping to 10w30 made no change.

So out the selector came. Somehow I've got to disassemble it, and figure out what's going on.... Let the games begin!

 

[JohnW]

So it went a whole 200 miles, then some issues started to pop up. Now for the first week, and those videos it was warm out.

Around 70f or more. Now not so much...

So downshifts from 2nd,to 1st while at a coasting speed, made it forget what to do. Making one drift slowly to the side of the road. Hoping it will find that gear!

This got much worse, as the weather got colder.

Presently it's gotten to the point upshifts are having problems.. Even swapping to 10w30 made no change.

So out the selector came. Somehow I've got to disassemble it, and figure out what's going on.... Let the games begin!
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I'd never seen the inside before. Gearbox side it looks bog standard, just a different end casting to automate where the gear linkage used to go. Good luck.

 

[Haakon]

And some videos for those still interested.

So when you get sick of it, let me know what the nearest port is and I'll look into what space in a shipping container is worth

 

[Haakon]

I'd never seen the inside before. Gearbox side it looks bog standard, just a different end casting to automate where the gear linkage used to go. Good luck.

Basically what an Alfa Sillyspeed is - automated manual. Only difference is modern Italian software and electronic controls are (mostly) better.

 

[leregulage]

Took this thing more apart. So this whole separate plug, is just a contactor relay solenoid.

 

[leregulage]

Now it has hard, dried grease. Which when cold certainly binds up.

I lost a wee part of the spring lever- twice, in the driveway. Found it once, and never again!

Then I got to looking at it, a simple 12v 5 pin relay will easily take the place of it.

 

[leregulage]

Then I risked it all, and popped the motor off. It feels very tight, and binding in its bearings. To be continued...

 

[Shoji]

Seek and you will find.
All will be good again!

 

[pugwash]

now its been a long time since i had a renault 8 but that isnt the gearbox i was expecting to see ,the innards look to be in realy good shape for one that changes on its own ,syncro cones and first reverse slider showing ,no wear at all ,i was expecting a gearbox split down the middle ,not haveing a removeable inspection plate on the bottom ,this looks more like the box out of a 4CV or douphine ,and from what i can see it has 2 syncroes and a 1st reverse gear like a 3 speed ,maybe some input from the brains trust ,renault guru needed ,

 

[Sunroof]

now its been a long time since i had a renault 8 but that isnt the gearbox i was expecting to see ,the innards look to be in realy good shape for one that changes on its own ,syncro cones and first reverse slider showing ,no wear at all ,i was expecting a gearbox split down the middle ,not haveing a removeable inspection plate on the bottom ,this looks more like the box out of a 4CV or douphine ,and from what i can see it has 2 syncroes and a 1st reverse gear like a 3 speed ,maybe some input from the brains trust ,renault guru needed ,

I agree. Looks like a 3 speed to me and the plate on the bottom certainly dates it to before R10's. Perhaps they did use the Dauphine Auto in R10's. Leregulage what does the workshop manual show?