Transmission Traumas?

Mr_Shiftright · December 2006

Well if what you are saying is that the throwout bearing went out again, I'd say you got stuck with a defective part, absolutely.

If you are saying that the clutch burned itself down to the rivets after 1,000 miles, and if you didn't abuse it in any way (rocking back and forth in snow, stop light burn-outs, etc.), then I'd say it was not properly installed or again, the parts are defective.

daylyn · December 2006

I don't know where to start.... I had my tranny rebuilt & replaced at the GM dealer in 2004. I've only driven 23K on this tranny. Last week, driving down the freeway, check engine light comes on, goes out and truck loses power. Then, it won't go more that 60K without overrevving (up to 4500 RPM). It won't shift.
Dealer says that the computer codes say engine misfire, but nothing to do with tranny. Tranny fluid was low, and smells burnt. Dealer says that truck caused tranny problems, so won't take care of it. They want me to replace it to the tune of 3K. NO TRANNMISSION failure code on the computer diagnosis. Could this be something other than the tranny or am I S.O.L.?

Mr_Shiftright · December 2006

If you are saying that you have an automatic transmission that won't shift until it hits extreme revs, then yes, I'd say you have a transmission problem.

With your fluid being low, that's not a good thing for you in your argument for compensation.

I'd say that if you scream loudly enough, and if the dealer offers some kind of 50-50 split on the rebuild, I'd take that offer and try to remember that over the course of the next few years, the cost of this misfortune won't be so bad on a year to year basis.

cowboy2042 · December 2006

not sure what the problem is but doubt it is stuck can you move the shifter at all if you can its not stuck i can move my but my 4 wheel drive wont engage is this the problem that you are having

daylyn · December 2006

Thanks very much for your reply. The transmission won't shift at all. Doesn't matter what the RPM. The only code that the dealer got was 0300 - multiple misfire.

The transmission isn't leaking. The fluid was just gone. I had the fluid checked about 5k ago, and was low then too. Where's the fluid going, I wonder.
I was told that the Torque Converter may have locked up,as a result of the engine misfire. Does this sound like a reasonable explanation? If so, what can be done about it? New torque converter?
No hope with the dealer - they wont do anything, as they are saying that the truck (engine misfire) caused Tranny problems - not their fault.

sdixon · December 2006

HI! I have a transmission problem with my 99 Dakota 318 Magmum engine. Dealer installed rebuilt transmission, now it it is slow and holding back like it is to tight to move down the road. You really have to press the accelrator harder to get it to move. Is it possible wrong transmission was installed and how do I find out if it is the correct transmission for this truck?
Thanks, Shirley

Mr_Shiftright · December 2006

maybe I'm missing something but I don't see the connect between the misfire and the torque converter. The lack of fluid, that I can see as a possible cause of the malfunction, since we need fluid to shift and to lubricate.

superdad_1986 · January 2007

i have a grand am gt and what it does is u put in to 1st second third or drive it wont move reverse works fine.put if u put it in drive and push it over 20 miles an hour it will start driving until u slow back done i need some help with this if anyone knows what to do reply please thanks.

njusa · January 2007

Hi do you know how much labor is involved to pull a manual transmission out of a 1996 golf. Then put a rebuilt trans. back in it's place thanks

whidbeyrep · January 2007

I need some help analyzing a problem with the dreaded Tranny that Mazda put into the 626. I have a 4.0 cyl A/T. Currently the car has about 221000 miles on it. It had a tranny change around 90,000 miles and a engine change around 160,000 miles. The problem I have now is after driving for a few minutes it will start to act like it is slipping out of drive and back into gear. I seems like it is going from 3rd to 4th and sometimes staying in third while going 50 mph. Previously the mysterious O/D light would start flashing similar to what happened prior to the first tranny change, which by the way Mazda paid for the tranny and I paid labor as they knew it was a piece of crap tranny :lemon:.(dont know for sure if they changed it or replaced something else, I am suspicious) I pulled the code which is a P0708 which is trans range sensor circuit high input. I took the car to to the mechanic (pretty reliable)and they checked the tranny and said they didn't believe it was a tranny change and said they checked connections etc, They said they would recommend changing the computer but weren't confident enough to tell me to spend several hundred dollars and not fix it.
I have read about a place you can send the computer and get it re programmed/fixed, but would like to know if there is some way I can check anything prior to doing that. The code tells me it is the trans range sensor input, is there anything other than the computer that can fix this? The RPM gauge has dropped to "0" and bounced back many times, does this have to do with my current problem?
Does the tranny on my car have a filter and if it does where is it located? This tranny isn't like others that have a pan you can drop. I have previously changed the fluid. I have been thinking of installing a cooler for the tranny is this advisable?
Is there some place a person can go to figure out when you get a code exactly what might fix the problem. I have been thinking of purchasing a manual but not sure if it would contain possible solutions for different codes. I would appreciate any genuine advice you can supply.
Thank you
Whidbey Rep

dsjd2007 · January 2007

i have all the same problems as the above post '97 Mazda 626 Transmission OBDII Code P0708' the only diffence is i own a 2000 mercury mystique i believe it has a mazda tranny in it. this weekend i started having what seems like transmission problems. while driving at about 65 mph car seems to stall and the rpm go up from around 2600 to 5500. then when i take my foot off the gas it seems to catch gears or something like that. then it continues to the point that i stop and let the car sit for several minutes then continue on with no problem for awhile. thought it was bad gas. while driving at low speeds (under 50 mph) i haven't experienced the problem. then last night while sitting in park with the engine idling the 'o/d off' light started flashing for a couple of minute then went out. i drove home don't know what to expect today!
any info you can give would be greatly appreciated! thanks :

whidbeyrep · January 2007

Today I pulled the Range sensor and read it out using the resistance values. Stationary it read good until I banged on it and then the reading would jump to open and then back to reading good. if your not familiar with what the range sensor looks like here is a picture.

If you plan on reading out the sensor you will need to read between pins 1 and 7 in drive you should read around 321 to 442 ohms. Drive is the mark you see with a "D" you will need to turn the plastic piece to where the small notch lines up with the line for "D" I marked all my positions prior to removing. Park will line up with the grooved line. You can read this from the computer located in the center console area, but if you want to locate it the range sensor is under your air cleaner.
I also bought a tranny cooler and will install tomorrow.
If any one wants more info the other readings let me know and i will post them.
I ordered the part and will install Wednesday and will let you know how it turns out.

bmw735il · January 2007

Hi all! I'm looking for input if anyone has experienced this problem I have with my A/T on a 1991 BMW 735il. I put it in reverse and it doesn't engage. I don't get a Transimission Program telltale display but it still works fine and shifts in all of the forward gears. Someone told me it might be a dead rear brake band but I don't know. I also would like to hear opinions on a rebuilt tranny vs. used ones. I get different schools of thought with this ZF unit. Thanks.

Mr_Shiftright · January 2007

Basically (and I don't wish to be in any way unsympathetic), with a bad transmission your car is essentially totalled. So you need to be pretty sober...if you give a transmission shop a blank check for a rebuild you could just as easily purchase a clean, good running 735i for the same money as a full-bore rebuild from a pro shop.

You might very well consider plugging in a good used one. It'll cost half the price or less and if you buy from a good wrecker, who bench tests his units, you're probably fine. The transmission itself is a sturdy one.

So if I were in your shoes, I'd opt for a warrantied used unit if your car were close to mint condition, or if it's got some other cosmetic or mechanical issues, I'd just junk it and go buy another 735iL for $3,500--$4,000 bucks and work from there. You should be able to find a nice one for that. These cars are plentiful (at least where I live) and very reasonably priced.

isellhondas · January 2007

I agree with your sage advise.

The trouble is, if the poster were to junk it and buy another one for 4000.00, who's to say it too wouldn't dump a transmission in short order?

Also, I wonder how many miles that 7 has on it. I wouldn't chance a used one in a high miler. Those are money pits to be sure!

bmw735il · January 2007

That was a concern when I was looking for a used unit because they were all high mileage, in my opinion, plus I didn't know their history. Trannies for the IL model were unique only to those models and for a 3 years production period so quantities are rare. Advice to others looking to buy one - be cautious. The other issue with my car is it only has 143k miles on it which is low for that year plus the interior is in showroom condition. Exterior is in good condition with no other known problems so in a way I hate to junk it just to buy another unknown situation. Thanks for all of the input.

isellhondas · January 2007

143,000 may be low for that year but it is still a whole lot of miles on a car known for big time trouble.

Be careful!

Mr_Shiftright · January 2007

Yeah 143K is not low miles for ANY car. I like 735s, I owned one and I think they're great cars.

Now why is the trans. unique to that model? That doesn't make sense to me. I could see why the driveshaft might be...or perhaps the tailshaft housings are different?

Well on a used transmission, they can be a) inspected b) bench tested with air pressure and c) warrantied.

You can minimize your risk.

unhappyowner1 · January 2007

I have a brand new 2007 Nissan Versa with 8300 miles on it and the transmission has already had to be replaced. I picked the car up yesterday and there is no difference. I waited for over 3 weeks for the part, while getting Nissan Consumer Affairs involved. That is what it took to get the part in. There is a very loud noise that comes from the engine when shifting between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd and while driving at a constant speed in any one of these gears. Any suggestions.

jipster · January 2007

I wouldn't have much confidence in this dealership to fix your car, especially since they returned it in the same condition that you brought it in... apparently without even test driving it. Maybe they needed to replace the engine instead of the transmission??

Get familiar with your states lemon laws. It should be in your owners manual packet. Try another dealership, or put some heat on Nissan Versa to fix it properly while providing you with a comparable loaner car.

glenn386 · January 2007

I had the transmission fluid changed at an oil change franchise (and they were done in a Jiffy). They used the back flush method rather than dropping the pan. The problem is that they put in their standard dexron III fluid and did not include the bottled additive that brings the dexron III up to the standards for Honda's Z1 transmision fluid. I was unaware that the Honda required a different fluid at the time, but watched from the waiting room window...nothing went in my car other than the standard Dexron III. The transmission failed 20 day latter.

The district manager for the franchise is refusing to work with me on repairing the transmsision, stating that the work order says the additive was install even though I know it wasn't.

My honda dealer doesn't want to give an opinion on what caused the failure and also doesn't want to "get in the Middle".

Can others with more knowledge than me please inform me of the failure mode of this transmission with the wrong tranmission fluid installed as described. I have been told that 2-3 weeks is an appropriate time frame for the Dexron III to cause a failure. Direction to any web sites that will address this situation would also be appreciated.

Thank You

imidazol97 · January 2007

How many miles? What kind of maintenance schedule earlier?

Hondas have a reputation for transmissions. I find it hard to believe it was caused by lack of a small additive that adjusted it to Honda's requirements. I find the concepts that certain cars require special fluids only available from their manufacturers' special shelves a little tough to belive -- with a little background in chemistry.

I hear more speculation about the flush method rather than drop, drain, new filter, refill method that takes more than 5 minutes and $199.

I sure hope you have a pint jar of the fluid that came out of the transmission to give to an analyzing lab. And you probably need to find a transmission specializing mechanic who testifies after analyzing the results--he's the one who may want the pint of tranny fluid.

glenn386 · January 2007

The car has 152,000 miles (with a 5 year old car that is obviously a lot of highway miles), and fuild change is recommended in the owners manual at 120,000. The fluid was changed at 95,000 miles and again at 151,000 miles. I have been told that the additive is a viscosity modifier that changes the pressure of the fluid delivery to internal parts. The franchise re-did the service when the problem surfaced and flushed out all the fluid from the original change and replaced it with new dexron with the Additive The problem just got worse, with total failure 5 miles later.

imidazol97 · January 2007

>The franchise re-did the service when the problem surfaced and flushed out all the fluid from the original change

They were happy to flush away evidence...

Highway miles would be better than cold short trip city miles IMHO. I'd rather have seen fluid drains at 50K + or earlier. I don't like long life recommendations on any fluids. But you changed earlier than the recommendation, that's good.

A local radio talk program mechanic does arbitration and forensic mechanical work. That's the type of person you need to have look at the failure mode of tranny. He's extremely knowledgeable. Probably costs$$$.

So it failed within a 1000 miles!!!! Who has the transmission now. Make sure evidence doesn't disappear again.

glenn386 · January 2007

The Honda Dealer has it. They said they don't get into the internal workings of transmissions- they just replace them.

I thought that was surprising.

whidbeyrep · February 2007

I replaced the range sensor and it fixed the problem. I still have a problem with that pesky O/D light flashing occasionally. Today I drove from Whidbey island to Seattle and it came on about six times (Always resets when turning the key off) At 60 mph the rpm is around 2500 sometimes a little lower, I can always tell when it is about to flash as the tranny shifts to a lower speed and the rpm goes up. I have read previously about the solenoid block causing the problems. Im not sure about the solenoid block as I believe it is inside the cover on the front of the CD4E tranny. Does anyone know if it can be changed out? Does any one that has had a previous problem with the O/D light know of a fix. Is it normal for the Rpm to run around 2500 while cruising at 55 -60 mph. I did install the tranny cooler (simple process)Bypassed the radiator all together.

kimberlie · February 2007

Ran over a large flat piece of metal but it flipped up and wedged under the car (1997 Nissan Sentra 5 speed manual). Had to jack car up to un-wedge. Was dark but was wedged behind the tranny. Now car won't go into 3rd or 4th gear but 1st, 2nd & 5th are ok. Is also leaking something but not sure what until daylight. Left car afraid to drive it. Any idea what I may have screwed up?

ayakata · February 2007

I have a 1999 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer, 5.4 liter Triton V-8 with 165,000 miles. It is clean with NO problems of ANY kind since I bought 2 months ago, as a matter of fact the car was driven from Boston to washington d.c with no problem. However, yesterday I noticed some little resistance in its movement and today the truck refuses to advance or reverse and people says it is the transmission. I checked the transmission fluid and there was a fluid in it, however the engine oil level was very low, so I immediately added some engine oil and trans fluid but the truck still will not move forward or backward. In order not to cause further damage, I had the truck towed to my mechanic and who also says that since the truck will not moves, it must be a trans problem.

I am just wondering if it could be something else or maybe something that does not require another trans, or maybe there is something else that can be tested or checked on the truck before buying another trans, and if the need be that I must buy a new trans, if there is any suggestions, advice or any helpful hints, tips.
Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

ayakata · February 2007

Sorry I forgot to mentioned that I just added remote paging security alarm auto remote start and new dvd player installed in the truck. I added these features on saturday and the trans problem start on sunday... could this just be a coincidence or have anything to do with the transmission?

I have a 1999 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer, 5.4 liter Triton V-8 with 165,000 miles. It is clean with NO problems of ANY kind since I bought 2 months ago, as a matter of fact the car was driven from Boston to washington d.c with no problem. However, yesterday I noticed some little resistance in its movement and today the truck refuses to advance or reverse and people says it is the transmission. I checked the transmission fluid and there was a fluid in it, however the engine oil level was very low, so I immediately added some engine oil and trans fluid but the truck still will not move forward or backward. In order not to cause further damage, I had the truck towed to my mechanic and who also says that since the truck will not moves, it must be a trans problem.

I am just wondering if it could be something else or maybe something that does not require another trans, or maybe there is something else that can be tested or checked on the truck before buying another trans, and if the need be that I must buy a new trans, if there is any suggestions, advice or any helpful hints, tips.
Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

jipster · February 2007

Many years ago I had a Olds Cut Supreme that wouldn't shift in forward or reverse. I had it towed to a dreaded national chain(Mr. Transmission)... turned out it was some hose that had come lose. Cost about $60... they could have scammed me for a new transmission and I never would have known.

ayakata · February 2007

Thank you for information. This is information is very useful to me right now because my truck is currently at the mechanic of what seems to be a similar situation.
I would really appreciate if you can assist me in determining whether I have identical problem as the one you describe by telling me the followings:
1. Exactly what and where to look for
2. Exactly what did you do to find out that the car only has a minor problem.
Any other suggestions will be greatly appreciated. As stated earlier, the mechanic is scheduled to begin working on the truck tomorrow, however I will ask them to hold on just in case something magical might happen, God knows that I really do not have the money for transmission due to my current financial situation.

jipster · March 2007

uhhh... this was almost 15 years ago. But,I recall it being some kind of outside hose or vaccum line. The only thing I did was tow the car in to have them look at it... when they told me it was a minor repair I just wanted to pay my bill and get out of there.

I do recall the owner keeping a Louisville Slugger baseball bat in the corner of his office... and for some reason they would only accept cash. I sure wasn't going to argue.

Anyhow, good luck. Hope it's a simple repair.

ayakata · March 2007

Thanks...I hope so too. I will just ask the mechanic to do another look again.
Thanks

sean300 · March 2007

Hopefully someone can advise me. I have a 1998 Lexus ES300, 137k. I drove through a water puddle and 40 minutes later the MIL was on and the car is straining to shift gears. Now, the car will start by die within seconds. Any ideas and solutions would be appreciated.

jrolf · March 2007

:confuse: I just had my motor rebuilt put it back into my 1997 Jimmy got it running good then transmission pump went out so i had that rebuilt they said all parts that broke were accounted for so my tourqe converter was fine. Now that we have put it all back together again. I can move the shifter to all gears but it is like it stays in park, it doest actually go into any of the gears. the shift cable moves, it is full of fluid I even tried shifting it to neutral and it doesn't even roll. could anyone tell me what the problem is please I am stumped on this one. :sick:

dcaras · March 2007

transmission stuck between nuteral and 1st gear on my 2004 nissan sentra ser spec4. Dealer states that might of been caused due to operator error, due to shifting back and forth from 1st to 2nd and heating up gears therefore might have a warranty issue. anyone have any suggestions or heard of this problem in other manual gears?

jsuch123 · March 2007

Did you ever find out what the problem was with your Rav. I am having the same problems with my 2002 Rav, they are relacing the solenoid thinking that may help? Let me know if you found anything that "cured" your toyota!

I have the same EXCACT symptoms.

john_doe_wny · March 2007

Hi, I have a 98 Taurus with 123000 miles and just had the filter and fluid changed. Here's the question I got thinking about after post number 2130. I priced a filter and fluid for my trans before I took the car to get the work done because I was going to bring my own parts in but decieded to just let the mechanic get the filter and fluid. On the bill the the filter is the same price that I got from the parts store but the fluid is a $1.00 a quart cheaper. Do I have to worry that he put in mercon (at a $1.00 a bottle cheaper) instead of mercon V? My owners manual calls for mercon V. Will having mercon (not mercon V) hurt my trans? I don't want to call and question him and make him think I don't trust him. Thanks for any thoughts.

greg503 · March 2007

I will be driving down the highway and the car will downshift from 3rd gear down to 2nd gear. The car runs good until it gets warm and then this problem starts. I took it to my mechanic, it shows the code P0715 input/turbine speed sensor. I called my neighborhood parts store and they said that they didn't show a Turbine speed sensor for this car. Then I called my Ford dealer ship and they too said the same thing. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

mik2 · May 2007

My 2007 Tacoma vibrates (the whole truck) when breaking. This ONLY happens between 25-20 mph. Any ideas?

kiawah · May 2007

This could be a brake rotor warped.

dgles · July 2007

Dude you totally saved my sanity. I bought this car in after moving to Guam with the US Navy. I paid $3200.00 after giving it a somewhat thorough test drive. A steal I thought. Then I discovered it would not go into reverse!!! I found your thread and it sounds to be exactly what I needed. I think it may require 2 beers though. Thanks for taking the time to pass along your tips. You're a great American. Have a terrific 4th of July.

aztek18 · July 2007

Hello,

I have a question regarding manual transmissions and the clutch. It is my first time driving a manual transmission and I learned on the vehicle. The car was purchased new and has 10000 miles on it now, but again, I learned how to drive a manual transmission on the vehicle. The clutch feels absolutely fine when driving the vehicle, but when on a hill, if I put the car into first and turn it off, then take my foot off the brake, I can feel the car lock into first, but then after a second, it seems the clutch slips and the car rolls forward a bit. Then the clutch seems to catch again and the car stops. Then it slips and rolls an inch. Etc, etc. I've always used the emergency brake whenever I park on hills so never noticed this before. Is this a bad sign that I have already worn out the clutch and it is slipping? Or is this common for a manual transmission on a hill? I was under the impression you could park on a hill simply by putting the car in gear and turning the car off.

kiawah · July 2007

I'm betting your engine is actually turning over. Do a test, open the hood, put a soap/chalk mark on the belt. When the car slips, check to see if the engine actually turned.

Use your parking brake and turn the wheels into the curb.

Mr_Shiftright · July 2007

I think kiawah is correct...your clutch is fine and is actually turning over your engine by driving it from the wheels, which are connected to the transmission, which is connected to your clutch, which grabs your engine's flywheel, and the spine bone's connected to the neck bone and the neck bone's connected...oh, well, you get the idea.

The true test of a clutch is whether it will slip "under load", that is, in a high gear (like 4th or 5th) going up a hill. If it doesn't slip doing that, it's as good as gold.

le_on · July 2007

My Saab recently developed an odd situation; when putting the car into reverse, (usually when cold, but not always) I try to reverse and it's as if the brake is engaged..it makes a squealing noise and actually rides up... by rolling forward a little and back once or twice it seems to get better.

Then, just recently it began becoming more difficult to even get into reverse without grinding, and now shifting into any gear is almost impossible... I fear the clutch is done for, but are the two problems related? The car is essentially up for sale, but if the clutch is cooked I expect I'll need to fix this first.. how much will I be paying, and could it be as simple as replacing the cable?

Mr_Shiftright · July 2007

I don't think the two are related. Your clutch issue might only be a hydraulic slave cylinder or clutch master cylinder, not the clutch itself---so couple hundred bucks. And yes, replacing the emergency brake cable might fix the problem---if not, then your brake calipers need rebuilding.

irismg · July 2007

For a couple of weeks, not only has the rain been turning streets into rivers, but my transmission has started doing weird things. I've noticed that when the car is slowing down, say, to pull into a parking spot, it of course has to downshift, but then it seems to forget it's in gear, like it's in neutral, and pedaling does nothing but rev the engine, and then it remembers it's in gear and then I can pull in.

I don't have any trouble from a standing start or from a dead stop, I have no problems (yet) accelerating. And most frustrating, it doesn't do it all the time. Every now and then from a stop light it will take longer to shift into second. But again, it's not everyday.

Last weekend we got a break from the rain, and it seemed OK. This week the rains came again, and the problems started again.

This morning as I was getting an oil change, my service attendant said my trans fluid was low and topped it up. He said it looked as if it had been leaking at some point. However, I've never noticed any puddles.

My question is, could any of this weirdness be weather-related? And, since the fluid has now been topped up, should I see an improvement in its behavior? My service man told me to take it to a transmission specialist soon to have it checked out, but I don't trust people who are in the business of selling you a transmission! In the meantime, I'd like to get a feel for what could be the problem.

Thanks in advance!

burdawg · July 2007

How low was it? Low fluid level can cause the symptoms your describing. On a 9 year old car it's very likely you could have a small leak.

irismg · July 2007

Sorry, my service man didn't tell me how much, he just said he "topped it up".

Do you think it's possible for it to leak and not see anything on the ground or floor? I'm going to take it out tonight to see if it's acting better.

Thanks for answering me. It's frustrating, even if I do have myself to blame by not paying closer attention.

Transmission Traumas?

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles