Oil leaks in computer gearbox

OBEL, a brand with a tender passion for engines, salutes The Herald again this year for maintaining its pole position in terms of readership.
The Herald commands 44 percent readership of the “urbanites” of the daily print media market, according to the latest all-media products survey conducted by the Zimbabwe Advertising Research Foundation.
Congratulations! We are happy to be associated with you for our awareness campaigns in our passion for engines.
We acknowledge and accept comments from several readers of our article on tyres last week, particularly on our view as to why most cases of tyre bursts involving commuter omnibuses occur on the rear left side.
One reader questioned why tyre manufacturers do not warn motorists that if you fit a tube to a tubeless tyre, a blowout develops when you have a puncture.
You have seen this on several occasions and it appears to be normal, hence the concern raised.
Another reader was also just as concerned. We would like to encourage local manufacturers to take note of this, especially given the fact that they know our weather conditions and should make tyres which are suitable for our conditions.
The reader suggested that the tyre manufacturers should stock tyres for winter and for summer as a way of addressing the effects of the weather.
We are proud to offer an interactive awareness for the betterment of the motorist.
Lest we forget our passion, several of our readers have in the past requested us to address some of their issues to be highlighted herein.
We have selected a few and proffer our advice accordingly. However, the best remedy lies in the manufacturers’ handbook which is a MUST. Then there are, of course, your technical experts in this field.
One reader had problems associated with what appeared to be the gearbox – and not the computer gearbox – that there was an oil leak in the gearbox’s computer box.
This would seem impossible due to the placement of the tool. This would then appear to apply only to selected cars.
What boggles the mind is the fact that there should be no oil in the computer box, in the first instance.
The car was taken to the mechanics who diagnosed a fault in the gearbox and repaired it.
The problem still persisted and another gearbox was fitted. But the problem still persisted.
After a period of trial and error, it transpired that the leak was actually arising from the fact that in that particular model of the car, the wiring loom of the automatic transmission is vertically below the gearbox oil seal. In the event of an oil leak in the gearbox, the oil that falls onto the wiring harness trickles/flows along the wires to the top of the transmission control module (TCM), also known in layman’s language as the computer gearbox.
Generally, the TCM is placed in the bonnet or dashboard and, as a result, it is almost impossible for the oil to rise from the gearbox below to the bonnet. Our conclusion was that this was a particularly old model and that the problem has been addressed in most modern cars.
Generally, dirty or contaminated oil leaks at the point where the loom is placed, or low gear oil will cause the following problems, as there is an oil filter which detects such levels and quality of oil.
Rough changing of gears, jerking when driving, short circuiting of the module, burning of valve-board solenoid; and lack of drive could be some of the symptoms.
That appears to have been the problem and explanation as to why the oil found its way into the computer box.
The computer gearbox is an essential tool in that it monitors average trip speed and duration. It also monitors when to change the engine oil, the resistance to electrical current flow in the oil. All this helps to determine through the computer when oil change is due.
By the very location of this unit, as explained earlier, an oil leak will cause its malfunctioning and the subsequent problems identified above.
Most modern cars are very reliable and if you look after the engine it will not have any problems.
However, in the event of something going wrong, here are a few tips to help you establish what could have caused the problem.
The other aspect that we have always talked about is whether engine flush is necessary. There is also the use of oil additives in oils that are already in the sump that you buy from the shop.
All major oil companies make oils to suit modern vehicles and have several additives that are well-mixed for the betterment of anti-friction and or anti-wear properties.
These are made to the requirements of API, which you now know about as we have mentioned this on several occasions in the past.
You will find in the shops oil additives that they claim will improve the engine performance and yet such additives/additions will and might not add any value to the engine performance.
All genuine oils are well blended so that any additional mixture tends to distort that mix and makes it valueless.
We would advise against use of such performance enhancers. As an illustration, in a vehicle manufactured in the 1970s, the capacity of the sump was five litres and an engine capacity of 1 000 litres with 1 5000 revolutions per minute and a maximum sped of 80km/h.
Additionally, in pursuance of that example, a volume of five litres is enough to lubricate and cool a 1 000cc engine which will got for 80km/h without much rev on the fuel.
If we were to pursue this with a vehicle manufactured in 1990s this would be a disaster in that the sump capacity these days is about 3,5 litres and yet the engine capacity is 2 500 litres with revolution per minute of 4 000 with a maximum sped of 250km/h.
Kindly note that the capacity has decreased from five to 3,5 litres respectively, again the engine capacity has increased by 1 500cc from 1 000 litres to 1 500 litres the rpm has increased to about four times and so has the speed. Can we still assume that the type of oil to be used has no consequence in this huge change?
Therefore, the manufacturers of oil took this into account and the oil should have heat resistant properties, combined by lubricants and cooling in this more severe operating temperature. Therefore, these additives bought from the shops cannot be the solution.
Fuel – If you suspect there is a leak, have it fixed, unless it’s minor, such as a fuel line connection, which can possibly be solved by tightening the clip. The smell of petrol is so very strong that you cannot miss it when you have just filled up the tank because it could leak through the breather. Have it checked.
Coolant – This usually has a strong smell. Check its level regularly and keep it topped up. If there is a leak, have it fixed as soon as possible. Always fix your eyes on the temperature gauge, and if the engine overheats, stop and let it cool down before proceeding with your journey. Overheating can cause serious damage to your engine. Old coolant may be rusty or dirty. These are normally associated with a hose, the radiator or the heater inside the car. You can stop a leak at times by tightening up a hose clip. If a hose has split you might be able to make emergency repairs using a repair bandage. If the radiator or heater is leaking you may be able to fix it temporarily by using a radiator sealant
Let’s meet again next week for more tidbits and contact us on the above numbers or via email [email protected]. and or 0774 215 505.
PROUDLY ZIMBABWEAN