Steptronic Help Required !

[Minidriver]

Hi - I wondered if anyone would be kind enough to assist me!

I have a 2000 year MGF Steptronic - 46k on the clock - she runs perfectly fine in normal drive mode but when I pop her into sports she certainly goes in fine as the revs increase but the paddles on my steering wheel won't let me change up or down or on the stick ? I have checked her CVT fluid level which seems fine and replaced the invertor switch on the gearbox with no luck. This fault has happened twice now and is very intermittent. The transmission light in the last 2 years has been on twice when stationery for about 5 seconds and then gone out - I am now being to worry I may have a gearbox issue or could it just be an electrical issue. No one really seems to know much about the Steptronic so any help would be appreciated.

[Rob Bell]

Can't really help, as I don't have the CVT and therefore very little experience with this set up. However, the very intermittent nature of the fault appears to suggest an electrical problem to me. Quite where the problem would be is far from clear. However a common point of weakness is the rotary coupler - this can cause faults with the SRS airbag system and non-functioning horns. Might be worth investigating further - and beyond that? Probably engage the services of an auto-electrician, unless there is a CVT expert in our midst?

[Geoff.F]

Paddles 'or on the Stick' suggests that when selecting Sport, the Stick (Gear Shift) quadrant is not telling the system sugesting that there is an intermittent electrical fault.
Need to look at a wiring diagram and the quadrant.
What is showing in the Speedo Window. 'D' or a Gear Number ??
Geoff F.

[Minidriver]

Hi thanks for replies guys ...

On the digital dash it reads Sports but show the letter D oppose to 1, 2, 3, 5, etc ....

[redbeard57]

Are the gears changing on the stick, or is it just the paddles that dont work? I usually start off using the stick initially and then swithch to the paddles once running, but have just checked on mine and if I go straight onto the paddles with "D sport" on the display, the gears change up and down in the 2, 3, 4, etc sequence...so it suggests that you may have some sort of electrical problem.
If all else fails I understand that the BMW mini uses the same system so it may be worth checking a local dealer out.....

[Minidriver]

Thanks for checking - neither stick or paddles will enable me to go up or down in the sports mode.

Think I may have to put it on T4 test machine to see if it can pin-point what I start to need to replace first !!

[Geoff.F]

When selected in Sport Mode, does the Automatic Gearchange operate at higher Rpms and Rev to 5500 rather than 4500 ??
Geoff F.

[Minidriver]

Yes when sports mode selected the rev certainly increase somewhat ..

[stux99]

Not an expert myself but when I had centre console out for other jobs I had to re-make connections on "stickshift" under the gaiter to get things working again

[Minidriver]

Think I am sorted ???
Thank you for all replies and assistance - much appreciated
Took the car to Brown and Gammons today and had a T4 Test
Believe it to be the GUI Module being naughty !!
They helped me out no end over there and I can only recommend these guys - they are top banana's!
What a relief

[stux99]

Well done, glad you got a result.
Enjoy