2015 '208' petrol - auto trannie = "transmission fault, repair immediately"!

L

Lofty

Member
Tadpole
Joined
Apr 30, 2021
Messages
98
Location
Queensland, Australia
Good day guys,
The above message flashed onto my '208''s screen, 50kms after having just purchased the car!
A 'P' code from my OBD2 Reader appeared on screen as follows:

P 1167; pressure regulation variation / recommendation.
A You Tube search indicated the following:
Low oil (ATF) pressure, possibly because of :
(i) blocked ATF filter
(ii) blocked solenoids
(iii) faulty solenoids
My solution:
I immediately drained the ATF (which was over filled by 700 ml) and filthy; then refilled with 2 lts. of branded ATF.
Why 2 lts?: That's all the 'box' took before the 'drain straw indicator' started dripping into my catch tray (an indication that the box is full!).
The above action has NOT alleviated the problem.
Any help will be greatly appreciated - and perhaps a recommendation on a (cheap) 'Scanner' that can 'dive deeper' into trannie problems?
Thanks for your interest guys!
 
So we have an AL4 auto box. dimistyle knows about those.

The fault is transmission pressure regulation, for which there is a solenoid valve in the valve block. First check you have the fluid at the correct level, and there isn't a leak.

Then, if that isn't the problem, see the comment about a facory TSB at https://frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=64071

solenoid.png
 
Hi Seasink,
Thanks once again for coming to my rescue!
Wow, having read the TSB (UK), this replacement solenoid valve is not for the inexperienced DIY person to tackle.
You have given me great direction and I'm talking to the Brisbane based 'French Car Clinic' about this job, which they've quoted @ +/- $1300.
I'm happy to give the work to any contacts you might have, living in the Brisbane / Ipswich area.
You are a 'Top Gun', my man!
Thanks again.
 
You can buy a valve from Peugeot or Renault places, or from the usual aftermarket suppliers. It won't break the bank. Add on new fluid.

Wait for a reply from dimistyle, or someone else here who does these boxes. The labour cost quoted feels high to me. Quite a few AF members have done it themselves. That quoted document was changing all the valves.

There are Youtubes for the AL4/DPO solenoid valves.
 
Hopefully not a complete Valve body swap out, need to understand how it operates on a daily basis, when cold when hot. The 308 had the same issue which I recently Swapped the complete VB so I didn't have to do this again 🤷
 
Hi seasink, I'm on your page exactly, with high labour charges.
You give me courage to do it myself or, rather pay another Forum member to do the job.
Do you have Dimistyle's contact details perhaps?
I'll search for the YouTube AL4/DPO videos, as you suggest.
Thank you so, so much for your interest.
dimistyle said:
Hopefully not a complete Valve body swap out, need to understand how it operates on a daily basis, when cold when hot. The 308 had the same issue which I recently Swapped the complete VB so I didn't have to do this again 🤷
Click to expand...
 
Hi Dimi,
sent you a reply regarding the above, but too scared to drive continuously for fear of going into 'limp mode'!
Difficult to answer the questions as I've only driven it short distances around my suburb.
 
Everything assumes the TSB referred to has the solution, the pressure modulation solenoid.

If you do this job, attached is an offical how-to (for a P406), which matches the one on the UK link above, but is easier to read. It assumes you have already removed or shifted any stuff in the way,

There is a warning in the document. You will need to deal with the manual valve. This is a cylindrical valve connected between the selector quadrant and the valve body. Being operated via the gear stick it ensures that the transmission can only operate in forward or reverse as selected by the driver, as a fail safe device if internal systems get messed up.

It can fall out when you remove the valve body from the transmission. The lug moves it. When you lift the valve body it is not retained by anything and can slide all the way through the valve body.
 

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Thanks seasink, I think this is the solution to be followed, interesting thing is that the centre screen displays the gearbox faulty but not actually going into limp mode. Solenoid must just be out of tolerance.
 
There is also a possibility that the problem is the pressure sensor.
You have 2 options. 1) put PP on it and look at the pressures or 2) change the electrovalve on spec.
Unfortunately a bad sensor or a faulty valve might look the same on PP. I would assume that a bad sensor would "go off scale" when you look at the traces on PP? Whereas a bad electrovalve would not produce the requested pressures. Just a bit more or a bit less (in this case)?

I have a guide >here<. It's for a Citroen C3 but the last section about removing, installing and realigning is still relevant. At least you know what you are up for. And I have a work-around for the special tool that the procedure says you need to use.
From what I remember, the Peugeot's have more room between the radiator and the AL4's valve body cover than my C3. Giving you more "room to maneuver"? Cant remember, but does the gearbox ECU sit atop the valve body cover on the Peugeot's?

My last comment is on the quality of the electrovalves. I know of one member here who replaced the electrovalve, only to have the procedure not fix the fault! But on spec, they replaced the "new" valve and the fault went away! Yes, these were genuine valves.
My point is; the quality of these valves is dubious at best!
 
Good point on the pressure sensor, sometimes the wiring underneath the box can degrade causing high resistance, remember his car does not actually go into limp mode, the error appears on the centre screen and clears.
 
Wow .... guys, Seasink, Dimi and ozVTR,
Such valuable info.
I'm 'shaking in my shoes', thinking of tackling this job, now that you've offered so much valuable information and diagrams!
Still thinking of whether to DIY this or not....
You guys really 'ROCK' ...... thank you.
I'm at a cross roads .... a horrible place to be.
 
A good torx set, small torque wrench and decent sized washer or plate with 6mm hole for a special tool😁
 
Thanks for the added info - epic.
I tick 2 of the 3 boxes above.... the plate/washer is cryptic - I cannot understand what it's function is, on re-assembly?
 
The "roller blade" (as it's described in the manual), or spring, that sits in the detents of the selector quadrant is curved. This roller blade is what gives the gear selector the "click" in the gear positions. When you tighten up the retaining screw, the roller blade flattens out and pushes the quadrant back, away from the stop (when you are trying to do the alignment). So you need to preload the roller blade with the special tool so that the selector quadrant and the roller blade can be slid into the correct position. The tool does not lock the roller blade, the roller blade and quadrant can be slid back and forth (under load) to get the correct location (hard against the stop), before locking it with the actual retaining screw.
I found that you can replicate the pre-load tool with an over sized washer and backing off the retaining screw (2 turns IIRC).
This step is not super critical and there is a 90% chance that you will need to re-align the position switch on the top of the gearbox anyway.
 
Wow ... you guys ....ROCK!
Thanks for the inputs .
Dimistyle has kindly offered to help me replace the 'valves'.
I'll keep you up to speed going forward......
Thanks so much once again. :-)
 
A 'shout out' to ozVTR! Thanks for posting your super detailed procedure for changing the pressure valves in an AL4 transmission.
I've read your article twice over now as I have posted the P1167 fault in my 208 Peugeot.
As we are both based in Brisbane, is it possible that you are available to do help me with replacing the pressure valves in my transmission, at a fee.
Looking forward to your decision.
Lofty.
Mob: 0401152419.
 
A little difficult at the moment with all the rain and flooding.
I'm in Ipswich and there are a lot of closed roads ATM.
Contact you when things become a bit dryer?
 
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