I've heard of numerous people having problems with the clutch burning out at about 20-15k miles, but nothing about the actual trans. I've got a manual with 14K miles, and hoping I won't have to replace the clutch soon
I think you're right. I have a friend that has burned the clutch out of every car he has owned. He'll rev the engine to 3 to 4k and slowly release the clutch. I tell him that is why, but he refuses to listen.
I have a slight slipping problem with my clutch. It's about 22k. I don't rev it high or slam on it. This is the first car I've done performance mods in, so I have a inkling feeling it may have something to do with the 'powah!' added. I was told the stock clutch was crap, but I didn't believe the people. I guess I should have at least got the TRD clutch plate...Oh well. I've driven 2 other manual trans cars in my day: 90 tercel EZ (clutch feels very familiar with the xB) and an 88 RX/7. Never had a problem with those clutches. I also didn't have any performance mods on those cars either.
It's possible. But then I'd actually have to bring the rpms above 4k before I let out the clutch......Doh those 4k rpm-ers. I think I'm just gonna get a new clutch plate around 35k if I still seem to have this problem. Stupid performance mods.
I have owned in the neighborhood of 30 cars since I have had my license, maybe 5 of them were automatics and I can tell you this.
Auto transmissions can be relaible, but they will never outlast a properly used manual transmission.
Reason being is an auto transmission relys on clean fluid and sensors to operate properly. If the fluid is dirty or low for too long there are way more things that can go wrong with an auto trans. I don't know all the inner workings of an auto trans so I can't dazzle you with technical terms though.... lol
In a manual trans all you have are gears and gear lube, thats it. Well syncros and bearings too, but you get the idea. All you gotta do is keep gear lube in it, even dirty gear lube, and it will always work for you. The clutch is another story, but most clutch problems really do come down to the driver.
If you are asking about trans reliability because you are trying to decide what xB to get, go manual for sure. There are several reasons.....
1. Manual is more reliable
2. Manual is cheaper (auto trans is a $1000 option)
3. xB is already short on power, the auto trans robs your car of even more power
4. how boring is not being able to shift.... lol
i have number 66 xb ever made in the world, and its a manual, and i have over 48,000 miles on the original clutch without any problems or slipping, and i'm HARD on my car. maybe the people who's clutch burned out early drove like grammas
The reason the auto gets better mileage than the stick is pretty simple. The stick revs more on the road since it has deeper gears in the diff and the overdrive is only .86 and the auto is .70 overdrive. This is the first car I can remember where the auto had a deeper overdrive. Most stick cars have a .68 overdrive, most 6 speeds have a .86 5th gear then a .62 overdive. If I knew this before I would have bought a auto, plus the 5 speed 1st gear is way to short. I think a 2.95 would have been better.
I have a 2005 xB 5-speed and have the clutch replaced (under warranty) at 28K. I am not hard on the car, and have owned seven 5-speed vehicles. IT's not like it's a big secret; the xB pressure plates are weak.
If your good to your car, it will be good to you no matter what type of tranny you got.
I have had many cars both auto and manual. My last two cars (or one car and one truck) have been both auto's. I got 200K plus on each and never did anything but normal maintance (fluid, filter, ect).
On a xB if you drive a lot of freeway I vote auto.
Less rev = less gas
The auto is not that much slower than the manuel, and of course don't forget it's not a race car so who cares.
So point is, take care of your car and the tranny will last longer than the motor!
I agree with the maintenance for sure.. However I also know that design is right up there on the list of contributing factors. I talked to a gentleman who has a whole fleet of Automatic xB's they use for business and they drive the hellout of them. He told me that several of them have 100K miles on them and never had one problem with any of the transmissions.
On the other hand, I have heard many accounts of the clutch wearing out at approximately 20-35K miles. That simply is not acceptable. Yes, many of the boxes are owned by kids.. but lots of them are not. EVen if you drove lots of city driving, you should still get 60K miles out of a clutch..
They do make some really good after market clutch set ups for these things that rock. Not with all performance, but just more of hard to kill components.
I love stick shifts, In fact all i've ever owned and ever will own are sticks. If and when i do have to replace a clutch i will probably go the TRD route. If you have to replace it anyway, why not replace with something better right?
any performance mods on these types of cars, are always going to attack the clutch plate alot harder due to the excessive power and pressure...if you guys do mild upgrades to your cars (lol...i made a funny)...you have to upgrade your clutch plate...if you guys get a metal tinging noise when the clutch is out, but not in gear...your throwout bearing is going bad and needs to be replaced...the only downfal of these cars and rplacing the clutch plate..is that its front wheel drive which means its gonna be a pain in the ARSE...i have a 69 chevelle SS and let me tell ya...dropping that tranny and swaping out the clutch is CAKEWORK...i wont mess with a fwd car cause i have no idea what im about to get myself into to drop it out...
but yes...any motor mods you will need to upgrade to a better plate with better materials versus a stock clutch cause they just simply cant handle extra power...especially a car with 108 hp from the factory...lol
My two Scions are my 28th and 29th vehicles, of which only six have been automatics.
I've only had clutch or transmission problems on three vehicles, all manuals - my 1964 MG 1100 which somehow ended up chipping a first gear tooth, my 1972 Volvo 164E which had a Laycock de Normanville overdrive who's one-way clutch locked and grenaded the case, and lastly my 1989 Ford Escort which finally needed a new clutch at about 152,000 miles.
The other 23 vehicles, including the 6 automatics, have never had a transmission/clutch problem.
Properly engineered, properly driven, and properly maintained, either type of transmission can lase as long as the rest of the vehicle.
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