Good Morning All,
I have a 2003 3.0 SMG. Had it for coming up to 3-years now, picked it up on 38/39,000 miles and it has now done 64/65,000. Car has been pretty much faultless throughout with the only none consumable cost being a water pump last year.
When I had the car serviced last (probably a little over a year ago?) I asked the dealer to have a look at the SMG as it sometimes seemed to judder or be a bit slow on the changes (almost like the clutch was slipping). Came back to collect, they said all was fine, I questioned it and the dealer sent their main mechanic out with me in the car - both of us drove. Clean bill of health, mechanic said what I could feel driving it hard was probably the start of the clutch coming to the end of its life. All fine with the SMG. I was quite happy with this as I know the system in its early guise is a bit primative (clunky, jerky, sometimes on a different wavelength to the driver...). I do actually really like the gearbox a lot and it is one of the main reasons I like the car.
Anyway, get up this morning jump in the car and cannot get it to engage gear. It is stuck in first gear, nothing I do (well, moving the gearstick!) will not make it engage neural so I can start it. I can hear the fuel pump working, the lights are all on - especially the dashboard ones where there are two new things for me to look at: a cog (transmission warning light?), and when I move the gear stick I can get it to change from '1' to 'F1' which I am guessing does not mean I have unwittingly unlocked a secret Formula 1 mode and it either means 'fail' or 'fu©ked'?
So, after a bit of internet searching this morning I suspect it is the SMG pump. It appears there are 3 possibilities:
• the relay (which is cheap and easy to fix)
• the pump (which is what I think it is given the slow/slip issues I have had)
• a spring inside the gearbox (cheap part but needs the gearbox dropping from car)
Can anybody shed any experience or knowledge on this? Does this seem about right?
Also, I use a dealer in Falmouth and I would more than trust them to do the repair. Car is stuck in the underground car park at a flat in SE London (going to be fun getting it out of there with the rear wheels locked!). If I take this car to a dealer in London they will rape me. Not just a quick opportunist rape either - it will be horrific, probably more than one of them and they will hurt me, leaving me mentally ruined and covered in blood and man yogurt. Do people think a little garage somewhere could do this job? There is a good one near here who did my water pump, they are not a specialist but they seem okay. Or does it need to be a specialist?
Lastly, what sort of bill should I be looking at if anyone has had one done recently?
Upside of this is while searching the 'net for answers this morning I discovered a secret mode for the SMG 1 or whatever it is marketed as where it gives the more vicious M3 style changes. Looking forward to finding out if it is true or not when I get it fixed.
I have a 2003 3.0 SMG. Had it for coming up to 3-years now, picked it up on 38/39,000 miles and it has now done 64/65,000. Car has been pretty much faultless throughout with the only none consumable cost being a water pump last year.
When I had the car serviced last (probably a little over a year ago?) I asked the dealer to have a look at the SMG as it sometimes seemed to judder or be a bit slow on the changes (almost like the clutch was slipping). Came back to collect, they said all was fine, I questioned it and the dealer sent their main mechanic out with me in the car - both of us drove. Clean bill of health, mechanic said what I could feel driving it hard was probably the start of the clutch coming to the end of its life. All fine with the SMG. I was quite happy with this as I know the system in its early guise is a bit primative (clunky, jerky, sometimes on a different wavelength to the driver...). I do actually really like the gearbox a lot and it is one of the main reasons I like the car.
Anyway, get up this morning jump in the car and cannot get it to engage gear. It is stuck in first gear, nothing I do (well, moving the gearstick!) will not make it engage neural so I can start it. I can hear the fuel pump working, the lights are all on - especially the dashboard ones where there are two new things for me to look at: a cog (transmission warning light?), and when I move the gear stick I can get it to change from '1' to 'F1' which I am guessing does not mean I have unwittingly unlocked a secret Formula 1 mode and it either means 'fail' or 'fu©ked'?
So, after a bit of internet searching this morning I suspect it is the SMG pump. It appears there are 3 possibilities:
• the relay (which is cheap and easy to fix)
• the pump (which is what I think it is given the slow/slip issues I have had)
• a spring inside the gearbox (cheap part but needs the gearbox dropping from car)
Can anybody shed any experience or knowledge on this? Does this seem about right?
Also, I use a dealer in Falmouth and I would more than trust them to do the repair. Car is stuck in the underground car park at a flat in SE London (going to be fun getting it out of there with the rear wheels locked!). If I take this car to a dealer in London they will rape me. Not just a quick opportunist rape either - it will be horrific, probably more than one of them and they will hurt me, leaving me mentally ruined and covered in blood and man yogurt. Do people think a little garage somewhere could do this job? There is a good one near here who did my water pump, they are not a specialist but they seem okay. Or does it need to be a specialist?
Lastly, what sort of bill should I be looking at if anyone has had one done recently?
Upside of this is while searching the 'net for answers this morning I discovered a secret mode for the SMG 1 or whatever it is marketed as where it gives the more vicious M3 style changes. Looking forward to finding out if it is true or not when I get it fixed.
