Towing with an automatic

CK ( snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Renault. Auto box.

AAaaaagh! Run! Screaming! Sell it now! While it's working!

Renault don't have the best of reps for autobox reliability - and if the cooling's that borderline that a second cooler is needed but not fitted...

The message from "CK" contains these words:

If you're just towing a small trailer to the dump and not 600kg of Thermalite blocks up a 1:8 hill (like I was the other day) then you'll be fine.

its an ren auto, wouldn't risk it

What? Dodgy transmissions? No problems with it so far, but I'll keep my fingers crossed. What sort of problems occur with Renault autos?

I wasn't being specific to my car about needing a secondary cooler for towing, apparently all the advice I've read says that all autos need this cooler fitted.

Seriously though, would I be okay to tow a small box trailer without damaging the car?

CK ( snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Death. Frequent and comprehensive death.

The majority of autos have a sufficient cooler fitted anyway.

If that's all you're talking about, then you probably won't even need the cooler. Think about the train weight.

The message from "CK" contains these words:

Many already have one these days. It's really for towing horseboxes out of Lynmouth and that kind of thing. A small trailer without forty paving slabs and long steep hills will be fine.

Renault automatics are not known for their reliability. They tend to forget how to change gear.

Our Megane Auto (2000 - W Reg) stopped working. The hydraulics failed (they do the gear changing by applying band brakes). Renault dealer wanted =A32800 to fix it. After complaining to Renault, they offered to pay part of the cost, but it was still cheaper to take it to a thrid party auto gearbox repair place. Still cost us =A31400, though.

The water pump went about 9 months later (fortunately changed before it seized and snapped the cambelt), at which point I'd had enough of French engineering and traded in the car while it was still going for a Nissan.

pyruse ( snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Oh, the delicious irony...

You do know who owns Nissan, don't you?

You do know that the current Nissans use a lot of Renault engineering, don't you?

It would be a good idea to regularly change the ATF and maybe use the autobox rejuvinator stuff too. These days manufacturers like to claim low maintenance costs by the use of lifetime oils but they rarely are. The saying is that lifetime oils last the lifetime of the transmission (i.e change the oil when you change the tranny)

You may have one already. Some came with one from the factory.

It's no different to driving the car with a load in the back. If you want to max up on the payloads (both internal and external) then you might be asking for problems.

More likely a combination of multi-plate clutches and brake bands.

Yes

Yes, in particular the Diesel engines. However, not the autobox (which is a Jatco thing in the Nissan), and not the Petrol engines (which are Nissan built and chain cam driven). In fact none of the dodgy bits that Renaults are known for.

So your point was?