2011 Peugeot 207cc Auto - gearbox fault repair needed message

Solenoids get stuck on due to material in them usually. There are filters inside the valve body that need cleaning as wellooks like i have to open up the valve body again? i can take it out and give it a clean. i hate removing the power sockets in the valve body which is hard and nerve rackingas that plastics culd brake. give it a nother clean and swap solonoids?

 
There are lots of how to videos on AL4/DPO valve body strips. Its not particularly hard, just dont lose any small parts and get the filters and magnet back in the right place.

I wash the parts in petrol or kero first, then clean with brake clean and blow it out with compressed air.

If its full of sludge or even worse particles, this is telling you they left the shitty semi mineral Peugeot fluid in too long and it now has much bigger problems than a sticky solenoid ;)
 
There are lots of how to videos on AL4/DPO valve body strips. Its not particularly hard, just dont lose any small parts and get the filters and magnet back in the right place.

I wash the parts in petrol or kero first, then clean with brake clean and blow it out with compressed air.

If its full of sludge or even worse particles, this is telling you they left the shitty semi mineral Peugeot fluid in too long and it now has much bigger problems than a sticky solenoid ;)
I foud good viedos and followd thrugh.I will give it anopther clean. But im now confiesed about the gear isse thant it wont stay on a gear. engine stals and stop.. if i connectrly know to this reason it ll be great. this car has done only 98k and valve body was pretty clean and magnets are all not too bad.cleaned them anyway.didnt see sluge
 
I foud good viedos and followd thrugh.I will give it anopther clean. But im now confiesed about the gear isse thant it wont stay on a gear. engine stals and stop.. if i connectrly know to this reason it ll be great. this car has done only 98k and valve body was pretty clean and magnets are all not too bad.cleaned them anyway.didnt see sluge
If the converter is being locked by the sticky control solenoid keeping the locking circuit open, then its like trying to engage gear with the clutch out on a manual.

98K is plenty of time for the factory Peugeot fluid to be completly toast, especially if its lived in a hot climate in city traffic... Like Brisbane for example. The fluid cooling system is a bit underdone on these.
 
If the converter is being locked by the sticky control solenoid keeping the locking circuit open, then its like trying to engage gear with the clutch out on a manual.

98K is plenty of time for the factory Peugeot fluid to be completly toast, especially if its lived in a hot climate in city traffic... Like Brisbane for example. The fluid cooling system is a bit underdone on these.
Yes.locking converter senario, what is your reccomendation?suld i replace the Electrovalves? what about the rollerblade and quadrant? doi have to check and any seteps for that? I have gear oil and coolent done with this repair.
 
I just dropped the fluid on a DPO with 104K on it. Renault use a good full synthetic ELF fluid as the factory fill and even living an easy country kms life in cool Tasmania the fluid was looking pretty bad.

They need around 40K kms regular changes as a minimum I think.
 
Yes.locking converter senario, what is your reccomendation?suld i replace the Electrovalves? what about the rollerblade and quadrant? doi have to check and any seteps for that? I have gear oil and coolent done with this repair.
Clean valve body, replace valves.

Ill send you the manual tonight. There is a procedure to set the quadrant.
 
I know that one - its the lockup solenoid (one of the two you replaced) stuck on and the converter is locked even in park.
I agree.
Depending where you get them from, the quality of the electro valves is dubious. I doubt that gunk from the valve body stuffed it up. My bet is it was just bad quality in the first place.
If the gunk in the valve body was that bad that it would instantly gum up a brand new electro valve I think you would have much bigger problems.
Not saying that's not possible...just saying.

While we are on that subject, at the risk of being flamed...I don't recommend cleaning the valve body if you are unfamiliar with it, or unfamiliar with doing that kind of stuff. There are ball check valves that can fall out and bits that just should not be pulled apart if you don't know what you are doing! Sure, give it a squirt around the outside and into the nooks and crannies with brake cleaner but don't try and pull it apart. Again just a bit of friendly advice. Do what you want, I'm not here to stop you.

If the "manual" says to use a special tool to set the quadrant spring (or blade as it's referred to), there are ways of setting it without using a special tool.
I have no doubt that a few people will pop up with "their" way of setting up the selector quadrant without using the special tool. Again, not saying they are wrong. There is more than one way to skin a cat (can I say that these days?).
 
The official manual does set the blade in place with a tool - a screw shape with a large knurled disc.
 
I agree.
Depending where you get them from, the quality of the electro valves is dubious. I doubt that gunk from the valve body stuffed it up. My bet is it was just bad quality in the first place.
If the gunk in the valve body was that bad that it would instantly gum up a brand new electro valve I think you would have much bigger problems.
Not saying that's not possible...just saying.

While we are on that subject, at the risk of being flamed...I don't recommend cleaning the valve body if you are unfamiliar with it, or unfamiliar with doing that kind of stuff. There are ball check valves that can fall out and bits that just should not be pulled apart if you don't know what you are doing! Sure, give it a squirt around the outside and into the nooks and crannies with brake cleaner but don't try and pull it apart. Again just a bit of friendly advice. Do what you want, I'm not here to stop you.

If the "manual" says to use a special tool to set the quadrant spring (or blade as it's referred to), there are ways of setting it without using a special tool.
I have no doubt that a few people will pop up with "their" way of setting up the selector quadrant without using the special tool. Again, not saying they are wrong. There is more than one way to skin a cat (can I say that these days?).
There are no ball check valves in these ones. It’s fairly idiot proof. It’s just good practice to clean these out when you have it out.

And I agree, if there is enough gunk in it to clog up a new valve there are bigger problems!
 
or just soak the VB in a bucket of diesel/kero etc and let it drain out overnight.
If the little filter in the VB is so blocked then opening the VB is your only choice, but as long as you have a torque wrench that goes down to 7nm (I dont recall exact but value but low) then cover can be opened and closed on flat surface without any difficulties.

setting the blade with a oversized washer and torque screw on RHS to 9nm before removing o/s washer from centre hole is the simplest method

Lost count on how many time I did this on just 1 $@ AL4

New solenoids can be faulty out of the box if they are not genuine
 
or just soak the VB in a bucket of diesel/kero etc and let it drain out overnight.
If the little filter in the VB is so blocked then opening the VB is your only choice, but as long as you have a torque wrench that goes down to 7nm (I dont recall exact but value but low) then cover can be opened and closed on flat surface without any difficulties.

setting the blade with a oversized washer and torque screw on RHS to 9nm before removing o/s washer from centre hole is the simplest method

Lost count on how many time I did this on just 1 $@ AL4

New solenoids can be faulty out of the box if they are not genuine
Thank you. Ill soek it overnight. ill try to soka the old solonoids as well. i also thinking to soak old solonoids soak as well and clean and put it on. thorw away the new onces.
setting the blade is not quet understood
 
or just soak the VB in a bucket of diesel/kero etc and let it drain out overnight.
If the little filter in the VB is so blocked then opening the VB is your only choice, but as long as you have a torque wrench that goes down to 7nm (I dont recall exact but value but low) then cover can be opened and closed on flat surface without any difficulties.

setting the blade with a oversized washer and torque screw on RHS to 9nm before removing o/s washer from centre hole is the simplest method

Lost count on how many time I did this on just 1 $@ AL4

New solenoids can be faulty out of the box if they are not genuine
I'm going to suggest again you just strip it. Its not scary or complicated, just lay out the parts in order and there is only one way it can go back together. Its an easy and pretty quick job and worth doing just for peace of mind.

There are two little plastic mesh filters, one has a little magnet inside it. Just take note of where they came out of (again, there is only one place they can go back into).

Behind the smaller shifting solenoids there are sliding pistons - there are a two lengths, again note which length came out which hole but again long ones wont go in a hole for a short one so its pretty idiot proof.

Its a 15 minutes job tops.
 
try an old write up with pictures thanks to ozVTR

 
setting the blade is not quet understood
This is not very easy to explain..in words, but I'll try. Now this is my interpretation of the AL4 manual. As I said, others have their ways and I don't disagree with them. Mostly they involve marking the position of the roller blade and being very careful to put everything back exactly where it was. Choose wisely which way to go.

Sorry that this is very long but it's hard to understand otherwise.

Before you start any of this gearbox stuff, the gear selector needs to be in Neutral and the car "chocked" so it cant move!!

The ball joint attached the gearbox selector arm to the top of the gearbox needs to be disconnected. With the ball joint and the selector "roller blade", in the gearbox, removed the quadrant gear should be free to move backwards and forwards. So at this point you have replaced the valves and have put the valve body assembly back onto the gearbox and tightened the mounting screws to spec.
Don't forget that the peg on the bottom of the quadrant gear and the groove in the "manual valve" must be aligned when you install the valve body!! That's pretty straight forward.
If you were to look at the selector quadrant from the top, it needs to be set in the most counter clockwise position, hard up against it's stop (eventually). But don't worry if the quadrant is not hard up against the stop right now, just rotate it counterclockwise until it stops.
Because the blade is bowed (to push against the detentes in the quadrant), if you just set it in place and screw the retaining screw down, the compression of the blade tends to push the quadrant back and off it's stop. So the blade needs to be pre-loaded as the quadrant and blade's roller are aligned. That's what the special tool is for. The blade needs to be compressed to the same level that it would be if the retaining screw were installed, but still have the ability to adjust the position of the blade.
The roller blade should then be installed with it's retaining screw, but the retaining screw is not tightened all the way. The roller blade should be capable of moving backwards and forwards, but there will already be tension on the roller blade from installing the retaining screw. It may be difficult to actually move it across the detentes. Don't worry about that, that's ok. The roller of the roller blade should engage in the last detente of the quadrant on the left side as viewed from the front.
The manual says to remove the upper valve body retaining screw in the middle of the roller blade (where the hole is). It then says to install the special tool (basically a screw with a machined shoulder and a thumb wheel,) into the valve body mounting hole and tighten. This does 2 things. 1) sets the pre-load of the roller blade. 2) The machined shoulder is the same diameter as the vertical width of the hole in the roller blade. This sets the edge of the quadrant gear in the middle of the roller of the roller blade.
The manual says to make sure that the quadrant and the roller blade are moved together to ensure that the both the quadrant is hard up against it's stop and the roller remains positively engaged in the last detente. The roller blade retaining screw is then tightened to spec.
If you reach up and try to move the selector lever arm on the top of the gearbox in a clockwise direction, there should be no play. If there is play, undo the roller blade retaining screw and try again.
Once you are happy and the roller blade retaining screw is tight, remove the special tool. Install the valve body retaining screw and torque to spec.

Now the rest is my own experience, again, take it with a grain of salt!

I have found that you can replace the special tool with just an oversized washer. Make sure that the hole in the center of the washer is smaller than the flange at the base of the valve body retaining screw that would normally be completely removed it this point. Make sure the washer is bigger than the hole in the roller blade! Fit the roller blade and roller blade retaining screw as per usual. Install the washer onto the valve body screw and install that assembly into the mounting hole through the middle of the roller blade. Tighten down the screw until it bottoms out. You will need to screw against the force of the blade but DO NOT over tighten the screw! If you watch the selector quadrant as you screw the substitute assembly, down you may notice the blade pushing the quadrant back. This introduced play is what we need get rid of. Back the retaining screw out 2 whole turns to relieve pressure on the roller blade and set the preload.
Now, ensure that the roller of the blade is in the last detente and is centralized on the edge of the quadrant, vertically.
Pinch the quadrant and the roller of the blade (yes, that's what I said) together with your fingers and slide the rollerblade and quadrant as far to the RIGHT as they will go. The quadrant should now be against it's stop. While retaining pressure on the quadrant and blade, tighten the blade retaining screw. Go to the selector lever on the top of the gearbox and try to rotate it clockwise. There should be no play.
Just should know the drill from here.

NOTE!! The ball joint wont go back onto the ball of the selector arm on the top of the gearbox at this point. The selector arm ontop of the gearbox will need to be "clicked" two clicks counter clockwise. Back to neutral. If the ball joint of the selector cable doesn't fit straight onto the ball of the selector arm (when the cable is mounted correctly in the retainer), then you will need to do some adjusting. Sorry more pain.
But that's for another day, this is long enough already.
If you need help to adjusting the cable and multifunction switch, just shout out.

Good luck, I hope that wasn't too long or unclear.
 
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Argh!! The selector arm on the top of the gearbox will need to be clicked back 3 clicks to reach neutral. DO'h!
 
Argh!! The selector arm on the top of the gearbox will need to be clicked back 3 clicks to reach neutral. DO'h!
Great write up again, but I've never tried replacing the VB in neutral always in Park maybe that's when I threw the installation manual to the side😅

Checking for play is important as you may find you have to wiggle the gearstick to find neutral or reverse
 
Great write up again, but I've never tried replacing the VB in neutral always in Park maybe that's when I threw the installation manual to the side😅

Checking for play is important as you may find you have to wiggle the gearstick to find neutral or reverse
This is complicated so bear with me here.

The original AL4 gear selector, in the cabin, had 6 positions. Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, Low1* and Low2*. * I have not been able to find out what these positions are marked as or what gear they are. So I just call them Low 1 & 2. If anyone knows, please tell me. If I remember correctly, the manual refers to low2* as “position 4”(?).

Consequently, the selector quadrant also has 6 detent positions. HOWEVER, as we know the “new” selector in the cabin only has 4 positions. PRND! Manual gear selection is achieved electronically from the Drive position.

BUT the gearbox roller blade is set up in the (as I call it) Low2 position!! Not Park or Neutral. Again, according to the manual. So, everything is aligned from a position that’s not even used (today). That’s why you need to click the selector 3 times to get back to neutral. Low2 to low1, low1 to drive, drive to neutral, (after setting up the roller blade). Then the selector cable and the multifunction switch are set up in the Neutral position. Phew, what a pain.

By the way, if you turn the selector lever on the top of the gearbox clockwise, the selector quadrant moves counterclockwise (for those who didn’t know).
 
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