Vaneo semi auto vs auto gearbox

robkatschmaryk

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vaneo 1.6 family auto
Hi guys, Im a newbie. I have owned an auto 1.6 petrol Vaneo for a few years. Its the perfect vehicle for my dog walking business in south London, which involves several hours of daily stop-start traffic jams! I'm thinking of trading in the current Vaneo for one with a semi-auto gearbox, which I've yet to drive. Can anyone explain if the semi-auto works well as well as the auto when driving in stop-start traffic, ie leaving it 'in gear' and stepping on the footbrake, rather than selecting neutral, just as do very effectively with the 'auto' box. I read somewhere that this boils the fluid in the clutch and destroys the seal?

Also, can you make the semi-auto select a gear regardless of the road speed, like you can with a manual? My auto box only selects 4th gear at 37mph, and as all of my Chelsea/Kensington town driving is done below that speed, im driving in 3rd all the time and getting a woeful 18 mpg ! measured tank-to-tank. Thanks, Rob
 

silverw140

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w140 s500,w123 230ce,w123 280e,W123 280te, W123 250,W123 230,w123 230 saloon,W116 450sel 6.9
Vaneo

If I'm not mistaken these are the same boxes as the w168 A class models.
If this is the case then steer clear in my opinion.
eBay is awash with w168 a classes with either ecu or gearbox issues. I have broken many of these cara and whilst from my point of view they are good news from a breakers point of view not from an owners view.
The manual box is by far the best option in these cars.
This is just my views so do some research.
 
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R

robkatschmaryk

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vaneo 1.6 family auto
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Thanks for the reply Silver, having done a little research, ive discovered much talk about home-made semi-auto gearboxes conversions to manual after they've failed, presenting the owners with £1000 repair bills?! I own a 1.6 auto petrol Vaneo which is perfect for stop-start traffic in central London (im a dog walker and drive about 4 hours a day), but I only get 18 mpg 'in town'.

Does anyone know what 'real world town' mpg I could expect from the auto diesel Vaneo? Im trying to find out if it's worth trading in my petrol version? According to the official government 'urban' figures, its 24 mpg for petrol vs. 37 mpg for diesel. As I spend £250 a month on petrol, a saving of 30% equates to about £1000 per year!!!! Well worth it, if its true?
 

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