Judder Update

[PSRAWLINGS]

 Hi Members ref my Berlingo Auto 63 37,000 miles. I am still concerned about the judder l am experiencing reversing when cold also pulling away uphill. Since my last/first post l have also noticed an agricultural smell again when reversing up a slope. Are the two things connected ? I think l will take it back to the main dealer as the faults are annoying and l hope the warranty will cover any work needed. Does anybody have similar experience with an auto Berlingo ? Many thanks Paul.

[polar]

You need to get it in asap Paul it sound like the clutch actuator is not set correctly or defective, i suspect your clutch is burning?

Lighty knows more than anyone on here about these semi autos so he is the guy you need advice from ideally but he is very busy and doesn't come on the forum often.

[PSRAWLINGS]

You need to get it in asap Paul it sound like the clutch actuator is not set correctly or defective, i suspect your clutch is burning?

Lighty knows more than anyone on here about these semi autos so he is the guy you need advice from ideally but he is very busy and doesn't come on the forum often.

[PSRAWLINGS]

Thanks Polar for your reply. I am on holiday but will book it in for next week. There is no problem other than when starting so hopefully it will get me home !!

[old son]

It don't sound too brilliant to me!! Tell us again what the advantages are? What is wrong with a normal automatic?

[polar]

It don't sound too brilliant to me!! Tell us again what the advantages are? What is wrong with a normal automatic?

That is what i thought - i also remember Lighty's experiences with these boxes + some of the horrendous costs when they go wrong! 

Trouble is, as far as i am aware you cannot get the berlingo in a normal Auto 

[Gravity]

Agree with Old Son.

I'm more used to Mercedes autoboxes. They 'slip the clutch' with a torque convertor - no friction plates to wear, smell or burn. Fluid does the job instead, and as long as you change the fluid (atf) once every 40k you don't get trouble. There are thousands of Merc taxis with an autobox that have covered half a million miles and much more, with total reliability.

The Citroen autobox seems a poor halfway house to me - neither fish nor fowl, with potential trouble spots built in.

Surely the whole point of an auto is that you should not be conscious of its operation. To suggest that you need to take a variety of different actions in order to minimise juddering or unnecessary wear each time you drive your car is to defeat the whole purpose of having an auto.

Gravity

[Gravity]

Doofer - Your explanations are great and I appreciate what you're saying, but my point was a little different.

An auto box should be just that. You put it in D and forget it. There should be no need to compare your driving methods with a manual box, or to consciously check when you stop, start, reverse or crawl in traffic to make sure that you're not doing anything that might give trouble or shorten the life of the box.

A well-designed autobox should take over all of that without any further driver input other than accelerating or braking. Otherwise it's simply an additional background concern - especially if more than one person drives your car. The autoboxes I'm used to are never given a second thought. Their gear changes are imperceptible (rev counter is often the only clue), and they give better performance, greater economy, less hassle and longer life than equivalent manual boxes.

The downsides that you've described above for the Citroen autos, which seem to be more potentially troublesome than their manual boxes, would put me off ever considering one, even though I much prefer driving an auto and have done for over twenty years.

Gravity

[PSRAWLINGS]

Thank you Doofer and Gravity for your time and comments. I have thought it might be down to my technique. My previous car was a citreon c4 auto which l just drove. l have never had to replace a clutch on any car l have owned in over 40 years with mostly older cars with some mileage on them. I have noticed that if l don’t dither when pulling away then there is less chance of the judder happening. Although l do sometimes need to touch the brake when reversing close to other obstacles. The cabbage smell is a good description of what l have had experienced. I have booked the car in for next week and the info l have been given by you both will certainly help when talking with the mechanic. I will post a reply once they have seen the car. Again many thanks for your time and thoughts. Regards Paul.

[jj9]

I would prepare yourself for the possibility of being told that it is operating within the set parameters and it's operation is acceptable.

I hope I'm wrong and they find and rectify the problem and you come away with your car fixed, but best to be ready just in case.


Good luck, hope you get it sorted.

.