Hi guys,

Please vote on what gearbox you have (4 or 5 speed AUTOMATIC ONLY)

From my previous post:
http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89494

I have gathered that almost all auto gearbox failures are on 4 speed units.

My questions are:
1. Are 5 speed autos reliable? Or is it that there are many more 4 speeds hence more break, and the 5 speeds are newer and less kilometers on them?
I have added a poll to see what ratio of gearboxes there are on here.

2. I decided that I ideally want a KJ 2 Verada XI or GTV, but I see these are pretty rare. Would it be feasible to get a KJ 4 speed and convert to 5 speed auto/manual?
I would get a 4 sp and do a manual swap only if the 5 sp auto is unreliable

If the 5 speed box didn't have revised parts (wave spring) from a Mitsi warranty job or similar then no. Not reliable IMO.

H have 5spd tippy ATM. I also have bits of 5spd tippy wave spring in a container. So I'm gunna go with woob here, because it's only got 160k and as good as a dead box

Someone told me the wavespring was removed from tw models, but I haven't confirmed this info yet.

4sp auto..220,000k still original but after a broken timing belt recently the gear changes feel different ..not as smooth.

My ride is a Eaton supercharged 2005 VRX (completed July this year) estimated at 252kW and 470nM at flywheel (11psi). 5sp auto has given me no probs to date, buy I don't wring the car's neck very often. TMR staffer told me they use the AWD 5sp auto maggies to do rally driver training and they take a pounding - he reckons they're tough as.....

Cbawd, nice figures, have you done any internal work to push 11psi? Have you had it on a roller dyno? Figures?

248,000kms on my auto and she's doing fine....

Woob, the 11 psi came from the dyno operator, but I haven't checked it. It sounds high I know. No internal work on engine. Car made 180kW atw (5600rpm) and 6900N Torque atw (2000rpm). I'm new at this forum gig and so once I get familiar with it I'll post the dyno chart on the site. Need to be careful with dynos though, you can get them to say anything you want. Standard car had 92kW and 3600N atw and so now it really is a fast car. Upgraded front brakes too because standard ones were not cutting it. Hoping trans will hold together. We'll see......

My 4 speed has done 140k and the change between 2nd 3rd at WOT is a bit laggy. It sorta hangs around 2nd then decides to change. An auto service may fix this

Well so far the poll results show that there are a reasonable number of 5 speed autos compared to 4 speed autos, though I am thinking now maybe due to the title people with the 4 speed auto are not opening this thread.

Either way, it seems 5 speed auto failures are not impossible, but much less likely than 4 speed. What does everyone think?

Don't really agree with that statement and no one has said anything in this thread to support it.. In fact quite the opposite.

Which statement Woob?

You said there is a low likelihood of 5 speed failure whereas people are saying quite the opposite.

I think there is just far too much variety from every member here. Not only that, most people on post on here if they have a problem which is not reflective of the millions of owners with a Magna that may be completely reliable Gear Box wise.

I honestly think the Gearbox thing is not a huge issue, regular servicing, decent driving and no towing (without a cooler) and the right oil and these boxes should be good for ages.

I have one of each, 4 speed auto and 5 speed auto and both are a pleasure to drive and (touch wood) are all good.

I've also heard this wave spring thingy is something that affects some models and some say it was a TJ issue and then TL was fixed but I've heard that right till the TW/380 is when they revised it. Who the F knows, anyone from Mitsubishi have a concrete answer on this?

Well, if you look at my other thread (link in the first post here) all but one auto gearbox failure were in the 4 speed.
Whereas roughly (according to the poll here) 1 out of 3 autos here are 5 speed.
So, it seems statistically the 5 speed is much more reliable?

You think I am better off saving some cash by buying a 4 speed auto and using that cash for a manual conversion?

though I am thinking now maybe due to the title people with the 4 speed auto are not opening this thread.


Correct in my case and going by human nature............

What 4 speed box do you need? I had a member from here accidently send me a 4 speed tippy box with 36k km on it from a TL instead of the 5 speed I needed. No idea if it's suitable for your needs but it's epically low km..

I meant, I want to buy a KJ Series II 5 speed auto car.
But, maybe I am better off buying a KJ series I with a 4 speed auto and putting the money I save (over the KJII) towards a manual conversion. This is if the 5 speed auto is ticking time bomb, so to speak

What 4 speed box do you need? I had a member from here accidently send me a 4 speed tippy box with 36k km on it from a TL instead of the 5 speed I needed. No idea if it's suitable for your needs but it's epically low km..

do you mean you have a 4sp TL tippy for sale?

Other than the wave spring issue, I've always preferred the 5 Speed.
My old 98 TF Advance had the 4 speed and it crapped itself at 153,000ks. My old 2002 Ralliart and VR-X however, never skipped a beat. The VR-X (which I still have) has done 270,000ks and no issues what so ever with the 5 speed tippy. It's a better gearbox all round bar the bloody wave spring. No matter what you hear it is still susceptible to failure... whack through the gears rapidly with some hard driving often enough and you'll find little bits of the wave spring in your transmission at the next auto service.

1 x 5 speed
2 x 4 speed