Dead autobox - 4hp18 pug/saab/citroen FWD type

[flez1966]

anyone on here got any experiance with trannys?

Its an old one, a 4hp18 as used in saab 9000 and others.

Its the FWD variant

Its lost its ability to change to 2nd gear, stays in first, top speed is now 30mph at 6000rpm...

Its not a blocked filter, checked that, and found no crap metal etc or anything
done a partial change of the approved dexII, will do some more / levels fine.



I need help or the car will have to be scrapped

I cant buy another

tools available are general bodgers tools, ie some screw drivers and a set of spanners..


Whats annoying is this happened pulling away from passing the mot!


I drove away nice blue ticket in hand, and it never went into 2nd....

I looked down and the gear lever was in 1, so i moved it to D, still no 2/3/4 etc (its a 4 speed auto, but 4th is not a real gear its nothing more than a steel bar giving 1:1)

So, trying different things on way home stuck in 1st was that if i put it into 1st, drive to about 30mph, then taking my foot off the gas, the car quickly slows, as its in 1st.

If I put the shifter in D, accelerate to 30mph, the car stays in 1st, if i take my foot off the gas, the car coasts in like neutral for about a thousand feet, and slows slowly, then goes back into 1st and slows quickly.

So from that i think the cable linkage is fine.

seems whatever piston / valve arrangement should push the gear wheels into 2nd, are not doing so.

after reading a bit of the manual i found online, you cant go from 1st to 3rd as the pressure to get the pistons for 3rd to move, are fed from a valve off 2nd, so no 2nd, no 3rd...hell i could live without 2nd if i got 3rd!

i think the 4hp18 is an later 4hp14, about 10 years ago i had one of those fail, no forward gears when warm, so i junked/scrapped it, but this is the only car i have now, am in negative equity everywhere and still out of a job with no income to speak of, things are looking bad...