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nicophoenix4

Spider Transmission Oil Temperature Sensor Fault

Alright, Renault Spider gurus, I'm hoping someone can shed some light on a frustrating issue. My '99 Spider, gasoline engine, is throwing some pretty nasty tantrums. The mileage is sitting at 60755 km. The MIL keeps lighting up, and I'm getting intermittent transmission warning lights as well. The error memory points to a faulty transmission oil temperature sensor. Worse, the gearbox is occasionally going into emergency mode, and the shifts are getting sloppy, sometimes with a grinding noise. I'm leaning toward a low gearbox oil level issue. Anyone else experienced similar?

4 comment(s)

benghost10

Hmm, those are classic symptoms pointing to transmission woes. Gearbox issues on these cars can be tricky. You mentioned the transmission oil temperature sensor. Have you checked the sensor itself for any obvious damage or loose connections? A faulty sensor can definitely cause those symptoms, but as you suspect, low oil is also a likely culprit.

nicophoenix4 (Author)

Thanks for the quick reply! I visually inspected the sensor and the wiring; nothing jumps out as obviously broken. Assuming it's not the sensor itself, and the oil level is indeed low, could that solely trigger the sensor error and the emergency mode? Or am I potentially chasing multiple issues here?

benghost10

It's tough to say definitively without a proper diagnosis, but low oil level could absolutely trigger that sequence of events. The oil temperature sensor relies on being submerged in oil to get an accurate reading. Low oil means it could overheat and send faulty signals, causing the emergency mode and rough shifting. But, and it’s a big but, there could be underlying wear and tear within the gearbox too. Honestly, with those symptoms, it's best to get it on a lift and have a transmission specialist take a look. Could save you money in the long run.

nicophoenix4 (Author)

Appreciate the insights! Sounds like I'm at the point where I need to bite the bullet and get it to a shop. Turns out the transmission oil temperature sensor was indeed faulty, likely caused by low oil. The total bill came to 365€ with parts and labor. Thanks again for confirming my suspicions!

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