Transmission Traumas?

daysailer · August 2001

I'd change the oil & filter immediately (at home), drive the car a few miles after it had reached normal operating temperature, then change the oil & filter AGAIN.

jinsongliu · August 2001

I am preparing to change the transmission oil for my 99 Nissan Altima, but on of my friend told me, I just need to drain and refill the oil and do not need to change the oil filter, is that right?

elishamc · August 2001

I've had the engine light come on before during a trip and it turned out after getting to my destination that the transmission was shot...THANK GOD it was still under warranty...fast forward 14 months...the engine light is back on...my Park sometimes doesn't engage and lock the transmission, also I have rough idling...does anyone have any ideas so when I take it to the dealer they don't try to rip me a new one!!!! Thanx

elishamc · August 2001

I had a good friend who is a mechanic look at my vehicle...it wasn't any of the problems that I saw on this website. I had a leak from a plastic gasket from the map/barometer line to the intake. That fixed the problem!!! So beware if they tell you that you need to replace your map/barometer sensor...

rayfbaird · August 2001

I would certainly change the filter -- unless you have an extended use one that is well below it's useful life.

mrdetailer · September 2001

I had a manual transmission always vibrated in 4th gear when it was over 60 MPH. It wouldn't make any noise, except for the 4wd button. Then it would buzz. After adding Lubegard I found on a recent trip to Yellowstone and 12 hours of driving and needing to shift into the lower gears to pass other vehicles that it didn't vibrate at all.

This means to me that my transmission is now smoother and better functioning.

runpanther · September 2001

28,000 miles on the OD and stuck in low gear on the New York thruway in Albany. "Limped" home (was able to "reset" the trans by stopping/shutting off engine, then restarting again. But once I slowed down I had to go thru this same process all over). Chrysler service repaired the car in a few hours by replacing the speed sensor.

Don't know how much additional damage was done as now the trans "slips" a bit. To the point where my wife and young son even notice it (ya think maybe the service tech will notice it when I bring it in and complain??). My advice to all Chrsyler/Dodge owners. Hold onto your paperwork and service request letters. You're going to need them. . .

stemeye · September 2001

PLEASE HELP:MY TRANS. SHIFTS FINE SOME TIMES THEN OTHER TIMES IT STAYS IN LOW GEAR ALL THE TIME.ALSO SOMETIMES I CAN SHUT IT OFF AND RESTART AND THEN IT WILL SHIFT.CAN I RESET THE COMPUTOR SOME WAY

THANK YOU MARSHA

vidtech · September 2001

I have always maintained my ford's tranny(1986 model C5).It has 151000 miles on it.It shifts fine
but I started hearing a humming noise from it when it is in gear-idling.Hum goes away by putting in park or nuetral.Sound serious?

alcan · September 2001

The hum is probably the main pressure regulator valve hunting in it's bore in the valve body. Does the noise go away if you raise the engine rpm while stationary? If so, there may be a restriction or leak on the intake side of the transmission pump. I'd start with a fluid and filter change. The original factory fill on the C5 was M2C-138-CJ fluid, but it's been superceded by Mercon/Dexron III.

issima · September 2001

...I think.

"Reverse" has left me. Heading in tomorrow.

Anyone ever had a transmission job on a Saturn SW2?

mrdetailer · September 2001

Sometimes the converters get stuck. I would try a complete flush of the transmission, get the bands adjusted, and put in Lubegard for automatic transmissions. (purchase from Napa auto Parts) Lubegard reduces acids, helps remove varnish and other residues, stops shudders, and is very slippery. We did this treatment on my son's automatic transmission with what appears to be the same problem, and it now works well.

issima · September 2001

...I think.

"Reverse" has left me. Heading in tomorrow.

Anyone ever had a transmission job on a Saturn SW2?

xoomxoomxoom · September 2001

Have a 91' 626 DX, 2.2L, Auto with 120K miles on it. So far has been extremely reliable. Had it repainted last month and put on new tires.

The tranny died on me last week, was able to locate a used one for $350. How much of labour am I looking at ? Is it worth while ?

New tranny is going to cost $2000.00

chikoo · October 2001

I believe my tranny lockup stay in locked postion except when coming to a stop.....makes a clunk when coming to a stop and releases the lockup pin.

As i start moving again, the lockup pin engages. I know it because there is no slippage in the first gear and engine vibrates due to so heavy a load on startup.

How to get it working normal?

andre1969 · October 2001

A long time ago, my grandmother's '85 LeSabre had a problem where the torque converter wouldn't unlock when slowing down. It would try to stall the car, and occasionally succeeded. Turns out it was just a switch that went bad and had to be replaced.

ssliberty · October 2001

I'm approaching 180,000 mi. and the scheduled major service which includes a trans oil change. To my knowledge, there is no filter to change. To date the trans oil has been changed every 30k. Given the fact that the trans has been shifting hard up and down into 1st. and 2nd. for the past 10k or so, is there any basic service/adjustment which I can do to smooth out shifting and prolong trans life? Mobil Synthetic fluid vs. Honda Fluid? Thanks!

spokane · October 2001

Ssliberty, American Honda is very insistent about the transmission fluid types. I spoke with three ATF producers and all three agreed with Honda. Specifically, for pre-1996 cars, the Honda brand or Dexron II is OK. However, I am almost certain that the only Dexron II currently on the market is Quaker State's "Special Import" ATF. (Dexron III is not the same.) For 1996 and later cars, Honda and the oil companies agree that only the Honda brand ATF should be used. You might help performance a bit by replacing fluid in the converter as well as the transmission. A procedure for flushing the converter was described in #2096 of the "Synthetic Motor Oil" topic.

starzoo · October 2001

The Automatic transmission had a hard time to shift up from 30 to 50 mph on my 91 Maxima. I can see the engine went up from 2000rpm to 4000rpm, but does not feel that the car is changing the gear, accelerating.

If I am driving downhill, then the transmission works fine.

I found I have low level automatic transmission oil. Is this the possible cause or my transmission has any problem?

Please help me. Thanks.

rlund1 · October 2001

My Caddy runs fine and trans-axle is quiet after it runs for thirty minutes or so but before that it has a high whine coming from it when the overdrive engages at about 50 mph or so. Is this a costly symptom.

Rick

tboner1965 · October 2001

Clicked over to 90.5K this week. I've lived with torque converter shudder for a while and rough shifts into O/D or lock up, don't know which really.

Last Saturday in some stop and go traffic it seemed like it was slipping a bit. Seemed fine once it got going and did not behave strangely until today...

First, earlier in the day I notice the transmission is staying in lower gears. I let off the throttle and experience engine braking like in my stick shift cars. It seems hesitant to upshift as well.

Later, again in stop and go traffic for some sort of lane blockage began the slipping again, and finally lost all gears forward as well as reverse. So I'm in the left lane, no shoulder. Call AAA and the St. Louis Motorists Assist gives me a push down the ramp. About 30 minutes later the AAA truck arrives and now I've got a tranny again and the car moves under it's own power to the tow bar on the wrecker. I suspect I could have driven it home, but $22.50 for the 9 miles AAA didn't cover was a small price to pay to not worry during the trip.

I'm thinking something temperature sensative. I suspect the torque converter is flaky and believe it will probably require replacement.

Fluid was fine, changed about 30K miles ago with Mobil 1 ATX along with the filter. It didn't look bad, or smell bad. Level was good.

What sort of things should I expect from my transmission shop when they call me next week with the diagnosis?

TIA

TB

vidtech · October 2001

I would expect a large bill.Any reputable shop will suggest overhaul.Being 14 years old and 90K miles,I would send it to the bone yard.

harryhess · October 2001

I recently bought a 96 olds ciers at auction. When I got it home I noticed that the four speed auto tranny makes a shudder when it upshifts from lst gear to 2nd gear (not upon light acceleration) only upon a moderate or more acceletation. otherwise it shifts fine. But it is not pratical when pulling out onto a heavy traveled highway. Local tranny man says that it does not hurt anything. But if I want he could drop the pan and it is more than likly a spring which opens a valve that he could replace with the pan off. This problem only occurs on upshift from lst to second gear. Any ideas. Thanks

mrdetailer · October 2001

My son had a similar problem. He flushed and completely replaced the transmission fluid and the problem went away. GMs usually have good transmissions if maintained.

andre1969 · October 2001

...my friend's 98 Tracker did the exact same thing as your '87 Lesabre Friday before last. I think he has about 82-83,000 miles on it. He pulled away from a traffic light, and suddenly lost all the forward gears, but at least had enough momentum to drift over to the shoulder. I checked it out and tried to get it to move, but nothing. Nothing at all forward, and the slightest lurch in reverse.

We had it towed into a shop that I trust, and they fixed him up for about $60.00, although his tranny's days are numbered. They said the filter was clogged..I'm guessing with debris from the tranny's inner workings. Anyway, it's running fine now, but they said that it's questionable as to how long it's going to last. Could be 6 months, could be 6 years. Toss of the dice, I guess.

tboner1965 · October 2001

The filter was clogged, with all of the junk that came off the clutches.

Since I only paid $1K for the car 17 months and 37K ago, $1500 to remove, rebuild and replace the transaxle should give me another couple years life on the car.

I suppose if the car were a rusting hulk, That wouldn't make sense, but at 91K (now) the 3.8L is probably just getting broken in. Everything works, including the A/C thats been converted to R134a.

The way I look at it, I couldn't buy this car for $1500 so as long as it lasts another year, I'm money ahead.

I did toy with taking it home, dropping the pan and changing the filter, then putting a for sale sign on it and getting somewhere between 2K and 3K for it. But I would have a hard time sleeping at night, and would then need a daily beater. (Since it appears that a high-mile lease on a BMW 325i will not be cost effective.)

The shop replace the torque converter, first/second (was it bands or clutches) a rebuilt kit which I presume has a bunch of seals and such. About $500 in parts and $1000 in labor to remove the transaxle, rebuild it and replace it.

Call me crazy (not to my face) but I expect to get to 150K before I put this thing out to pasture. Of course at that rate we are talking about fall of 2003 when that happens.

TB

andre1969 · October 2001

...sounds like you made a good decision. One way I always tried to decide whether it was worth it to fix an old car was to figure that any new car that I'd like would probably be about $300.00 a month. So if I just incurred your tranny expense, then I'd figure that if I got 5 more months before anything else went wrong with the car, then I'd break even!

Sounds like you had about the same problem as my friend's Tracker. Unfortunately, his is far from paid for! It's one thing to have the luxury of junking the car or trying to sell it, but really sux when you still have to make payments on it!

joe3891 · October 2001

A 30,000 mi fluid & filter change would eliminate the $1500 overhaul.

tboner1965 · October 2001

Go back and read the original message.

The fluid was changed less than 30K ago with Mobil 1 and the GM filter.

So, since I did follow your advice prior to this, can I collect my $1500 from you? 8^)

The prior owner, my grandmother, also took care of the car. (That's why everything works after 15 years on the road. Heck even the vinyl top looks good!) So it wasn't lack of maintenance, but I suspect the type of driving. The first 54K was alot of around town driving, mixed with occassional weekend highway miles.

I do believe this was a fairly new design, back in 1987 so the General had some bugs to work out.

But if you are implying lack of maintenance, I strongly urge you to get your eyes checked because the original post indicates that maintenance was done at intervals recommended by the factory or even more frequently.

TB

ps, you can just e-mail that $1500

spokane · October 2001

I have been looking after an '87 LeSabre for 135,000 miles and it's still in excellent condition. Even though that THM-440 transmission doesn't have a very good reputation, a good rebuild should be good for 60,000+ miles if cared for. Fluid changes at ~20k would probably be well worth the cost. And you're right, that 3.8 engine is excellent. By the way, what did you do about the strut replacement question a few months back?

tboner1965 · October 2001

Wasn't much choice for struts, did that in the Summer of 2000. There were no bilstiens, some KYB's but nothing to write home about, so I just went with the Monroe SensaTracs. I then bought a set of Caddy DeVille 16" wheels and some Dunlop Sport SP5000's in 225-55ZR16. Much better than the 14" 205-75R14. A guy I know at tirerack.com got me the wheels for about $60 each and the tires were $100 each, the whole thing was shipped to my house ready to bolt on for under $800. When I part with this car, I can cruise down to East St. Louis and get more than I paid for the wheels

The tires really make a difference in handling. I can take 25MPH ramps at 2x that speed with ease.

I was hoping using the Mobil 1 fluid would buy less frequent changes. The nearly 30K miles I drove since the last fluid/filter change were done in 12 months, mostly highway, so those should be the easiest miles on a transmission.

If I'm going to do them more frequently, I'll probably look into putting a drain plug on the pan to reduce the messiness of that job. It would be nice if you could pump out most of the fluid through the dipstick, then drop the nearly empty pan. However, the dipstick goes into the filter, so you can't put a siphon pump hose down to the bottom of the pan. I tried that when I changed the fluid last fall.

TB

adc100 · October 2001

You can go down the fill wth plastic tubing and a pump and get 2 quarts or so out in GM vehicles. I'm not saying that it's the way to go. Plug would be nice. Damn GM.

spokane · October 2001

Thanks. Didn't I try to talk you into the Monroe SensaTracs way back when? But, I didn't know you really meant business on the handling question.

Back on topic. Yes, fluid changes on that GM transmission are particularly irritating. I'm embarrassed to report that I have had more than one pan-gasket to leak. Will soon try the Toyota brand super sealant. At ~$5/ounce, it had better be good. Has anyone tried this sealer?

joe3891 · October 2001

Mobil 1 in an 87 transmission no wonder it failed it couldn't stand the shock of $4.00 a quart oil.I would not put mobil 1 in anything i own,its because if it breaks i have to fix it,engine,transmission what ever.Dino oil has served well for many years.

tboner1965 · October 2001

The tranny fluid is $5/quart 8^)

TB

chikoo · November 2001

for tranny shudders/slip while shifting.
If that does not solve it, try going to the tranny shop.
Worked for my 90 ford taurus. Save me from goign to the tranny shop.

www.lubegard.com

corlt1 · December 2001

My 94 Ford T-Bird with the 4.6L V8 and the AODE transmission. It has been regularly serviced many times over it's 60,000 miles. It has had 3 torque convertors and 2 rebuilds over its 60K miles. Recently, while warming up (live in 80 degree South Florida), and at a steady 35 to 50 mph, the transmission will feel like it is either going into neutral or like its downshifting to 1st gear. The engine RPM goes way up and the car isn't accellerating. At the same time the speedo seems to stick until the car gets up to about 30 mph.

I replaced the VSS (vehicle speed sensor) and had the transmission flushed with a filter change, and refilled with Mobil 1 synthetic ATF. Afterward the shifting was very much improved and the flaring problem disappeared. After 2 weeks, the problem is back. Any ideas? Do you think it could be "Shift Sensor"?

stoner1011 · December 2001

Hi, I have a 91 Mitsubishi Mirage with an automatic tranny. For about the past year the car has been stuck in Drive or 3rd gear. The gear shift isn't stuck. It's just that when you put the car in any of the forward gears, the car is in 3rd gear. You can drive the car, it just accelerates quite slowly. Since we only use the car for short, local driving, we decided to not spend the money to get it fixed.

However, someone recently mentioned to me that a simple transmission additive could maybe "unstick" the tranny. Anyone think this may work? Conversely, anyone think this may be a bad idea? Older transmissions can be sensitive to new fluid, I've been told...I wouldn't want to just totally kill the tranny. Any other ideas on how to fix this, short of spending $750+ to overhaul/replace the tranny? Thanks!

brucer2 · December 2001

Assuming you just have something (selenoid/valve) gummed up you could try taking the car to a shop that can do a proper flush & refill. They would use a flushing solvent that would clean things out before putting in the new fluid. Unless you can do a full flush (not just pulling the drain plug and refilling) yourself I wouldn't suggest any "magic" additives.

alcan · December 2001

Ford transmission shift points are controlled by the powertrain control module. It uses inputs from several sensors to schedule shifts and apply the torque converter clutch, including VSS, throttle position sensor, manual lever position sensor, coolant temp sensor, and transmission oil temp sensor. Start by retrieving any stored diagnostic trouble codes as outlined at the link below. I think your car displays the 3 digit codes. If so, there are a dozen or so codes in the 600# range which relate directly to transmission operation. Perform the KOEO (key on, engine off) and KOER (key on, engine running) tests. Any faults indicated by stored codes must be addressed first.
http://www.batauto.com/Ford.html
At the very bottom of the link page is a link to Ford EEC-IV diagnostics giving clear, concise instructions re diagnostics info and code retrieval/interpretation. If no codes are present and the trans continues to drop out of 3rd or 4th gear, the direct clutch or overdrive band are probably on the way out.

flintstone5 · December 2001

I have a 88 Honda Prelude Si with a 5 speed automatic transmission it only has 120,000 miles on it and I have a strange problem. When the car is driven for a hour or so I lose first gear. At stop lights when I try to speed up it starts off slow or sometimes begins in first and slips into second and slowly comes up to speed. I was wondering about something computer controlled vs. a mechanical problem? Any info would be great. Thanks

corlt1 · December 2001

Alcan, Thanks for your assistance. I took it into a transmission shop and they replaced the MLP (manual lever position sensor). On the 25 mile ride home, it drove fine. The shop owner was so confident that he fixed the problem, he told me to drive it for a while and if it was fixed, I should mail him a check. Thanks again.

alcan · December 2001

Glad to hear you got it resolved. Thanks for posting back.

fran15 · December 2001

A funny thing happened last week...

I was backing my 2001 4mo TipTronic out of a parking space up a slight incline. I heard a soft 'clunk' and then a soft grinding noise. It sounded like I had backed over something (orange cone or something soft). I opened the door and looked under the car but there was nothing there.

When I put the car into drive, I hear more grinding (soft) and the car moved forward about 15 feet. That was it. I put the car in park and heard loud grinding and a bit of whirring. To my surprise, Park didn't hold the car and I found myself rolling down a hill backwards whilst digging for the manual and 800#.

When I spoke with the dealership they said they are replacing the entire transmission. I'm very disturbed that they haven't figured out what's actually wrong with the car. I'm even more shaken that something this major could happen by backing out of a parking space. There's only 17k miles on the car and I don't push it. What would have happened if I was on the highway...

Oh yea, the front CV's were replaced a few weeks ago due to a leak in the boot. Could that have anything to do with this failure? Hasn't this transmission be around for a long time and isn't it licensed from Porshe?? I just can't believe this is happening.

Has anyone had any problems like this with their Passat?

comjoe2 · December 2001

I bought my Honda new. currently it has 19000 miles. Overall is excellent. My only and major complaint is the poor acceleration of the car. I had taking it to two Honda dealers and the say that is the way it is supposed to run. I had my nephew adjust the transmission downshifting and it worked good for 3 or 4 weeks but since 3 days ago it went back to lauzy pickup. Sometimes I am stuck in traffic jam and I want to change lanes but I am afraid if my car is going to respond on time. Does anybody has any suggestion. thanks Joe

zeke707 · December 2001

Does the 2000 Suzuki Vitara 2.0 litre have a filter in the automatic transmission?

bburton1 · December 2001

If you ever have tranny problems within the warranty period-don't let the dealer know about this adjustment. An automatic honda is not a performance car. If you are really unhappy with it-suggest you get something with more zing. Several of the kids in my neighborhood have the 5 liter Mustangs and those things fly-gives the cops something to do. They sound pretty good with those juice can tail pipe extensions.

ob11 · December 2001

This is a bit off topic, but I have been wondering. Do you folks thing that the Auto transmissions of today are a major part of a car reliability problem? It seems we are asking them to do a lot of conflicting things. Make cars accelerate like dragsters and shift right when the engines are making peak power..or shift when at our whim (tiptronic) etc. Get the MPG of Geo Metro, shift like our Dad's Cadillac (almost undetectable) and not slip at all. Not weigh anything, but be built like a Freightliner. And to top it off, be maintenance free. If you made a graph with the type of driving, etc. and other factors like engine power, vehicle weight and such do you folks think this might show some significant trends? Anyone thinking along the same lines? Thanks.

joe3891 · December 2001

They used to be very reliable if proper maintenance was performed.Then along came the overdrive transmission,everybody that manufactured them had trouble.Some are getting better and some are not.

mark4444 · December 2001

The repair shop said the dark fluid was caused by aluminum particles in the fluid. The next day, a large puddle of this darkened fluid covered my driveway. I have not attempted to move the car as I went ahead and got on the waiting list at the repair shop when I was there the day before. The leak appears to be from the right hand side of the car - any ideas where it could be coming from?

Thanks Alcan for your original reply stating that these transmissions are generally reliable. I have never had a problem with the transmission, the vehicle has 75,000 miles.

Thanks

Transmission Traumas?

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