[jetsetgo08]

So, does driving the AMT in Manual mode mitigate the excessive wear? I know that this technique is an oxymoron to using Automatic, but it does seem to be an easy way to avoid this mess.

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by jetsetgo08

So, does driving the AMT in Manual mode mitigate the excessive wear? I know that this technique is an oxymoron to using Automatic, but it does seem to be an easy way to avoid this mess.

No not much really. The clutch actuation is still done by by AMT unit & even if you drive in the manual mode - only the upshifts are manual. Downshifts are still automatic. So in manual mode - perhaps you can stay in the lower gear and not upshift at all, to avoid clutch wear a bit. It can give you a marginal improvement. But it can be quantified only if someone drives almost always in extreme traffic conditions.

[shypals]

Originally Posted by arjab

Thought of documenting this issue as I feel it's significant enough.

Last week our 2016 March, Tata Nano, run a shade under 14,000kms , was diagnosed with probable AMT shifter motor failure.
The problem manifested a couple of weeks ago when the Nano used to shift into neutral ,on its own, irrespective of vehicle speed etc and coast to a halt, with no ratios engaging. Wait for half an hour , then re-cranking the engine sorted things out , only to have it replicated in the next 5 Kms or so.

At first I thought it was a clutch issue but having driven a multitude of cars of various ages and types over the last god-knows-how-many-years , I had a general idea of what usually preceded an impending clutch failure, slight juddering, snatchy shifts, jerks while selection, faint noises from release bearing etc, and none of those symptoms however faint it may be made its presence felt in the Nano.

Hence I was convinced that it was not a mechanical clutch issue but something electrical. Got the vehicle towed to Lexus Motor's Kolkata to have it worked upon and after quite a bit of diagnostics it was determined with a large degree of certainty, that the erring culprit is on all probability, the AMT shifter motor. Here , I must mention the excellent service levels of Lexus Motor's staff. Not only they did a thorough "intellectually approached" logical diagnosis, but kept me informed at every step of the way. As I write the vehicle is awaiting parts for replacement .

Now my question is: An AMT kit is supposed to last the product lifecycle of the vehicle to which it is being bolted irrespective of OEM, brand, model or variant. That is a given and the minimum expectation. Then how come such a major failure cropped up in such an early stage of a vehicle's life?
Investigating further, I came across, fellow T-BHP'ian, Skyline_r34's post of AMT failure in his Nano. This was a mirror image of what happened with my car.

Curiosity sufficiently piqued, I started moseying around various TML dealerships & got to know that the AMT kit was widely used as a common component across various Tata models , namely : the Nano AMT, the Tiago and Tigor AMT's and also the Zest AMT.
And sotto vocé, I was also told that the other models had also witnessed problems of the same kind.

What gives ? How come such a critical component, designed for a very, very healthy operational life , go kaput just like that?
I suspect a deeper malaise here. Is it that a particular AMT batch was at fault and went undetected ?

And what would've happened had the AMT failed out of the warranty period ? Or let me put it this way, what is the assurance that the AMT components will hold up second time around ? Can TML give some assurance / warranty as to the same ?

Would like to know T-BHP'IAN's views whether they or their near and dear one's have experienced such AMT issues or not. Maybe we can compile all AMT issues on a single thread as a ready reckoner.

Meanwhile , I'll continue to update as to the fate of our Nano. But definitely my confidence as to the long term reliability of the product and taken a backseat.

I am having similar issue with my wife's car, although the gear instead of shifting to neutral, stays in first until eternity. Engine makes a big noise due to high rpm and I get the gear-with-exclaimation-mark light 'on' on the display, which as per owner manual is the AMT. However, when I use the 'manual' option I am able to shift gears.

I have clocked about 14k and out of warranty. Dont know how much it will cost to fix.
Another issue popped up same time is the wiper not responding. I got it checked with local mechanic who says the switch behind steering needs to be replaced. I wonder how that can happen all of a sudden, how can the contacts in switch fail suddenly without first being loose or jerky

[Rahul Bhalgat]

Originally Posted by shypals

I am having similar issue with my wife's car, although the gear instead of shifting to neutral, stays in first until eternity. Engine makes a big noise due to high rpm and I get the gear-with-exclaimation-mark light 'on' on the display, which as per owner manual is the AMT. However, when I use the 'manual' option I am able to shift gears.

I have clocked about 14k and out of warranty. Dont know how much it will cost to fix.
Another issue popped up same time is the wiper not responding. I got it checked with local mechanic who says the switch behind steering needs to be replaced. I wonder how that can happen all of a sudden, how can the contacts in switch fail suddenly without first being loose or jerky

If you are able to shift manually then it seems to be the problem with the AMT controller. I am not aware of the cost.

Sometimes, a switch may snap all of a sudden if the spring or a contact strip is broken. Do also look for any damage to the wiring because of rat bite. Because switch failure (that too, in 14000 km) is unlikely / rare.

[arjab]

Originally Posted by shypals

I am having similar issue with my wife's car, although the gear instead of shifting to neutral, stays in first until eternity. Engine makes a big noise due to high rpm and I get the gear-with-exclaimation-mark light 'on' on the display, which as per owner manual is the AMT. However, when I use the 'manual' option I am able to shift gears.

I have clocked about 14k and out of warranty. Dont know how much it will cost to fix.
Another issue popped up same time is the wiper not responding. I got it checked with local mechanic who says the switch behind steering needs to be replaced. I wonder how that can happen all of a sudden, how can the contacts in switch fail suddenly without first being loose or jerky

The AMT shift controller is around Rs 6000+ GST. It's common to all the Tata AMT"s.
The combination switch assembly for wipers around Rs 1500+ GST. These are old prices. You may want to check them w.r.t. your city.

[ObsessedByFIAT]

So finally the AMT on my Nano gave it's first ever issue today. Unfortunately, today being Sunday, the service center is closed.

Here is what happened:

I along with my wife and kids stepped out for a small drive. I wanted to park the car and even though 'R' would show on the console, the car kept moving forward with throttle input. I shut the engine down while being in Neutral and removed the key. A couple of mins later, tried reversing and the same issue persisted.
Fortunately, the car parked ahead of me moved out and I could come out of the spot.
Now, I slowly started to move the car ahead and with very light throttle input reached a speed of about 45kmph. By now the car was in 4th gear. I had to slow down as there was a signal ahead and I had to make a right turn. I rolled ahead and completed the turn however, noticed that the gear indicator was blinking 4th but the car was in Neutral. Came to a complete stop. Turned the car off, removed the key and waited for around 30sec.
Started again and slotted in manual mode. Started moving ahead and gradually reached a speed to be able to slot in forth. Again the same sequence repeated. Display in forth, with car being in Neutral.
After a restart, I stayed in manual gear and did not go over 2nd gear and some how managed to reach home.
Now the problem is, the car does not slot into reverse at all. There is a sound which comes when I select reverse however, nothing happens. The car stays in Neutral. I even let the car rest for a couple of hours and still the same issue.

Any idea where the issue could be?

A few stats about the car:
Age: approx. 6.5 years
Kms: approx. 26k

[shypals]

Originally Posted by Rahul Bhalgat

If you are able to shift manually then it seems to be the problem with the AMT controller. I am not aware of the cost.

Sometimes, a switch may snap all of a sudden if the spring or a contact strip is broken. Do also look for any damage to the wiring because of rat bite. Because switch failure (that too, in 14000 km) is unlikely / rare.

The issue finally got resolved at the Rudra Motors garage, after 2.5 days painstaking efforts by the mechanic who went down the dashboard, twisted and turned up to see for any signs. Deep under the wiper moto wiring was burnt, which somehow messed up with the AMT controller and caused the issue. They also changed the brake sensor switch.

Now the car runs like a song....in just under 4k cost. I'm happy!

[Autolock123]

Hello Everyone,

My friend owns a Tata Nano with AMT and have driven it for ~ 15k kms. His vehicle suffered AMT failure. Vehicle just refuses to shift from Neutral to Drive or vice versa. Having taken the vehicle to dealer, he suggested replacement of the complete AMT kit and has shared costing of INR 125000.

We have checked for part in aftermarket but part its not available owning to low vehicle parc. Also availability of the used spare part is extremely low. We don't want to go for the new part considering the costing.

I read on forum that lot of people have suffered such challenge. Can anyone suggest any alternate options / workaround for this. Thanks.

[harikr]

Hello BHPians, this post is to ask for guidance from experienced BHPians about the issue with my 2016 Nano XTA. About this car, it was bought in 2016 for my wife's office commute. She wanted a mode of transportation which is affordable and small, but no 2 wheelers. So ended up buying a white Nano XTA in June 2016. It served well for her office commutes; short distance city runs etc. for all these times. Now it has clocked 26,000 km. In between we changed our primary drive multiple times, (Fiesta classic to XUV500 (company lease) to pre-owned City to the All new Verna, 2023) but we kept the Nano as our city use car.

2 weeks ago, while she was trying to move the car out of the office parking, the reverse gear was not engaging. After 4-5 trails, and multiple restarts finally it budged, and she was able to pull the car out of the parking. On the way back, it stopped shifting gear in auto mode (D mode). So, she shifted to M and tried moving the gear manually which worked for some time and somehow reached home. I immediately took the car to Tata ASS near me, Saibaba Autowheels who told that it will take some time to diagnose as they are heavily loaded with vehicles. Finally, after 2 days, they called and told that AMT unit has conked off and needs replacement. It will cost 1 lakh plus labour and even if I am ready to make this payment, they are not sure about the part availability. So I had to take the car back (now only 1 & 2 gears engaging, 3,4,5,R are not engaging).

Contacted Acko as I had transmission covered in my insurance under the engine protect add on. They towed the car to their panel workshop. Surveyor checked the car, and since there was no external impacts, they told it is not covered under the insurance terms & conditions (which I doubt). I was under the impression that all transmission and engine damages are covered under the engine protection add on (other than wear and tear).

However, the funniest thing happened, and the transmission started working normally once it reached garage. They did the diagnostic scans, but no issue was found. And Acko cancelled the claim, vehicle was dropped back home. The driver from garage was trying to park the car back in my parking and voila, the issue reappears. It was not going to reverse, and not even 1. It was stuck in N. So, the garage guys told to check with Tata ASS as they don't have the know-how or parts to check this now.

So I am in a dilemma now. Do anyone from Pune knows any Nano expert garages? What are my options here? I do not want to spend 1 lakh for a new AMT unit for a car valued at 1.5-1.8L. If unable to repair, then should I scrap it? Will Acko somehow help me here considering the engine protect add on?