Comfortmatic gearbox issue - fact or fallacy?

It is fine with educated usage. I would not change it for a manual and neither would any other comfortmatic driver.
I only wish I had it from new, I'm sure the clutch would last considerably longer but even so I feel it is not going to fail any time soon and would have no fear of going abroad.
It always cruises very comfortably in 6th over windy hill out of Lancashire to Gods Country and if I told you how fast I have gone over there in the fourth lane I'd get in trouble
 
Charlie said:
But Andy you've described above how you have to nurse it take care of it and get clutch slip !

Sorry but for me if a gearbox displayed a propblem I would get shot. Fortunately I googled the box and what I read immediately killed any chance of having one.

Apart from which i hate the robotised change . It should be remembered that this is by no means a conventional automatic gearbox it's far more complicated than that .
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Need to take into acount when you Google anything asking about reliabilty 99% of the answers you will find are people who have had problems people who don't have problems don't bother posting. Out of hunders of thousands of Comformatic boxes out there how many results did you get and did you compare the number with the number of boxes in use?

As for the complications of the box it is simpler than a conventional auto, the gearbox is exactly the same as a manual one just has some added electronics and hydraulics to operate it.
 
Techno said:
It is fine with educated usage. I would not change it for a manual and neither would any other comfortmatic driver.
I only wish I had it from new, I'm sure the clutch would last considerably longer but even so I feel it is not going to fail any time soon and would have no fear of going abroad.
It always cruises very comfortably in 6th over windy hill out of Lancashire to Gods Country and if I told you how fast I have gone over there in the fourth lane I'd get in trouble
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It's not so much the Comformatic, 3 Lt's with manual boxes are known for destroying clutches, the clutch can not handle the torque levels the 3 Lt is cabable of producing.
 
Charlie said:
But Andy you've described above how you have to nurse it take care of it and get clutch slip !

......... It should be remembered that this is by no means a conventional automatic gearbox it's far more complicated than that .
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It is only a manual box and clutch with a computer taking over the control of the clutch pedal and gear shifting.

Nowhere near as complicated as a full torque converter coupled to a hydraulic gearbox.

I have driven robotised boxes for the last 13 years and while I would select a manual in a performance car, I have no qualms in having the comfortmatic in the motorhome as I find it significantly more relaxing to drive.

Just did a google search and it looks like there is a drop-off in the number of listed issues since 2015 which may coincide with a software update, but even then it looks to be a very small number of issues.

Anyway, each to their own and it would be a strange world if we all liked the same things. (y)
 
Reading this thread, and I admit I know nothing about these boxes, but it would appear it's more of a clutch problem than gearbox so why don't they put a stronger clutch in, simples.(n)

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... just don't mention 'Juddergate' ... :rolleyes:
 
Has anyone done a re-map on a 2.3 150bhp comformatic...?
 
airwave said:
Hmmmmm , now first off , let me just state , this is not motorhome's , okay , this is heavy truck's .

However they also use this type of gearbox , and yes not only have i heard of it , but had it happen regularly , mainly with merk's and daf's . The computer doesn't seem to be keeping track of what's happening and take's an age to select a gear . Normally at roundabout's , where your on a stop start , braking to fit a gap , then accelerating in to that gap . Merk's seem to be particularly bad often deselecting all gear's completely , and shifting to neutral . You have to confirm a pull away gear has been selected else risk going to neutral in the middle of a roundabout , any delay in changing gear on approach , you abort . Though it does happen at junction's and traffic light's , it's not so much of a problem , as traffic is generally slower moving . Approach speed does not seem to overcome this , manual over ride really confuses it , and lead's to automatic deselection . The only way to eliminate it completely is to drive and select the gears on approach in manual mode , sorta why do i have an automatic in the first place .
Again i state this is heavy truck's , but many make's are affected , from 7.5 to 44 tonner's , and these have often covered a higher mileage .
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Got to agree, I had the same problem with earlier Merc Actroses, stick in gear, stop ring assistance, wait 20 mins and fault cleared before assistance arrived, don't know if same set up though.

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Smith and Sharp said:
Has anyone done a re-map on a 2.3 150bhp comformatic...?
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I wouldn't have thought that was a good idea unless you could get the gearbox ECU remapped to suit the changed characterics of the the remapped engine.
One reason the Comformatic doesn't perform as well on new engines is because the software is set up for a fully run in engine which is 15000 miles. On our last van we noticed an improvement after 12-15000 miles.
 
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Lenny HB said:
Need to take into acount when you Google anything asking about reliabilty 99% of the answers you will find are people who have had problems people who don't have problems don't bother posting. Out of hunders of thousands of Comformatic boxes out there how many results did you get and did you compare the number with the number of boxes in use?

As for the complications of the box it is simpler than a conventional auto, the gearbox is exactly the same as a manual one just has some added electronics and hydraulics to operate it.
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You cannot get away from the huge and very poor reputation those gearboxes have. Read the post above by the chap who runs 20 of them and 6 of those down with box failure.

The point about this thread is how the box affects residuals. The answer to that is it hammers them hard because many like me when looking for a van was put off by what I read.

The drive is awful anyway ..
 
Charlie said:
You cannot get away from the huge and very poor reputation those gearboxes have. Read the post above by the chap who runs 20 of them and 6 of those down with box failure.

The point about this thread is how the box affects residuals. The answer to that is it hammers them hard because many like me when looking for a van was put off by what I read.

The drive is awful anyway ..
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I don't think comparing them with a fleet of buses that are on the road all day every day is a realistic comparision.
Don't understand your comment about residuals, when we traded our van recently we got nearly what we paid for it new.
Another advantage of any auto box is it puts far less stress on the engine so if anything it enhances the value.
The drive is great especially when you compare it with that awful cable operated shift on a manual, don't see how you can make a valid comment on drivability unless you have driven one for a few thousand miles.
 
Funny this thread should crop up.

I have a 3 month old Carthago, 3 litre Comfort-Matic.
Guess what? Driving north along the A438 towards Rouen in France (yesterday), approached a roundabout with the vehicle in 5th... it didn't change down and remained stuck in fifth. As I slowed down the 'box stayed in 5th. i had to slow down because of traffic and, because there is no clutch to press, the vehicle stalled.

Couldn't get it to select neutral. Usually, with the brake pedal depressed, when the ignition key is turned the 'box selects neutral and the engine starts but the 'box would not move out of 5th.

I was recovered and the vehicle will be taken to a Fiat dealer on Monday.

Fiat Camper Assist were most helpful, although a bit slow in France. After a taxi, a French hire car, a hotel in Calais, a ferry as a foot passenger and a hire car in the UK, I'm now back home in Chester. Had to get home because of work commitments.

As for Comfort-Matic, this is the second one I've had, both on 3 litre 180bhp. I did 15000 miles in the first one without problems. I've also had a 3 litre 180 manual. The engine has so much torque that it's sensible not to boot it too much from low speed, especially whilst pulling 4200kgs (as in my case). That really would hammer the clutch. It would be just the same in a heavy, powerful car; drive it like a lunatic and you'll need a new clutch in double quick time, not to mention brakes and tyres.

Personally, I like the Comfort-Matic because I'm basically lazy and have been driving for enough years for the novelty of changing gear to have worn off many years ago, but each to their own.

I'll keep you all updated when I know what the problem with the gearbox is.

Looking on the bright side, at least I get another trip to France to pick it up :)

Mike
 
Lenny HB said:
DMF aren't particualy good but they do get rid of judder almost impossible to buy a vehicle without them these days.
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Unnecessary complications according to every mechanic that I have spoken too.If the drive train is designed properly without cutting corners not necessary.
 
Your assumption that the buses are on the road all day every day is incorrect. Most of them do a run for three hours a day , five days a week , excluding thirteen days holiday . The bus I drive is four years old and has done under 40, 000 miles, some have done 60,000 miles.
 
Lenny HB said:
I wouldn't have thought that was a good idea unless you could get the gearbox ECU remapped to suit the changed characterics of the the remapped engine.
One reason the Comformatic doesn't perform as well on new engines is because the software is set up for a fully run in engine which is 15000 miles. On our last van we noticed an improvement after 12-15000 miles.
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I'm thinking it may help the fuel mpg as I seriously don't thrash it and the most I can get is 25mpg..

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Smith and Sharp said:
I'm thinking it may help the fuel mpg as I seriously don't thrash it and the most I can get is 25mpg..
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What's wrong with 25 mpg we are only getting 23 - 24 on the new van I'm happy with that, will probably improve when we have 5-10k on it, last van I used to get 25-26, that was a bit lower and lighter running around 4000kg on this one. We only do about 8000 miles a year so fuel conumption is not that important to us, difference between 25 & 27 is only about £115 a year at French prices we rarely fill up in the UK.
 
Techno said:
180 surely?
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AFAIK whilst the Comfortmatic was only available originally on the 3.00L 180 engine, nowadays it's available on the 2.3L 150 engine.
 
No the original 3:0 litre is 160
Todays 2.3 is up to 180
 
Techno said:
No the original 3:0 litre is 160
Todays 2.3 is up to 180
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The current 2.3 comes in 2 power levels, ie 130 or 150, not 180 as far as I know.

I was getting the 3.0 litre ones the wrong way round, 160 for earlier models, 180 now.
 
Lenny HB said:
I don't think comparing them with a fleet of buses that are on the road all day every day is a realistic comparision.
Don't understand your comment about residuals, when we traded our van recently we got nearly what we paid for it new.
Another advantage of any auto box is it puts far less stress on the engine so if anything it enhances the value.
The drive is great especially when you compare it with that awful cable operated shift on a manual, don't see how you can make a valid comment on drivability unless you have driven one for a few thousand miles.
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Manager at Nick Whales told me never to buy comfortmatic and that residuals are poor as a result of the hideous problems. I was offered slightly more for my van a few weeks back by the supplying dealer the reason bieng high demand and new vehicles having risen so much in cost.

Read the Bus fellas post again but it's not pleasant reading.

Who is going to rev any engine on a MH for any time. Engine stress is never going to be a consideration on these later vehicles.

The drive I had was quite short but I knew I didn't like it. I really like automatic vehicles and would take one every time but not the box in question it's dreadful .

I've not driven a Fiat MH so cannot comment.
 
Yes the bus man would agree about Rapidos he ownes a three litre one with a proper automatic gearbox , no clutch slip problems here !
 
We've had a 2.3 150 bhp van for 4 years now. Done 45k miles all over Europe, including Pyrenees, Alps, Grossglockner Pass, plus towns, cities, German autobahns, Italian villages, etc etc etc, and had no trouble at all yet (touches wood :)). You can use it as a manual (which we hardly ever do, except sometimes to hold a gear in very steep mountains) or auto (all the rest of the time) and the only drawback was its tendency to change up a bit too soon from first gear, stopped by using the UP function (as mentioned by Andy early in this thread). I just keep that on all the time, and we can still burn off most traffic from the lights (sez he in boy-racer mode :D2:D2).

It may well be that being a Fiat, it will live up to its acronymic reputation eventually (Fix It Again Tomorrow for those unfamiliar with these things), but so far so good for us.

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