Failing Trans?

[ES96SHO]

Yesterday my trans (w/ 45k mi.) started to slip out of gear once in a while and experience periodically harsh upshifts. It was made remarkably better by resetting the computer, but still appears to have some problems.

I know these symptoms are indicitive of a failing trans, yet feel that it's awfully coincidental to happen directly after my coolant leak of 2 days ago. When the water supply hose to the oil cooler burst, I immediately shut down, so there was no overheating, but can't help but wonder if all the leaking coolant didn't saturate a trans sensor or something...

Does anyone know if there is a sensor or anything in that vicinity that might account for my symptoms...or is this merely wishful thinking?


Thanks!
George

 

[Mr Anonymous]

Have you checked your tranny fluid level?

 

[ES96SHO]

>Have you checked your tranny fluid level?

Yup.
And was flushed about a month ago.

 

[SHOZ123]

Try taking the connector to the tranny that is under the intake hose and cleaning it. This is where the signals for the shift solenoids and TC solenoids are routed. It is the one with about 7 wires on it and connects vertically.

 

[Mr. SHO]

^^^ What he said. ^^^

I had some goofy problems a while back and when I checked the connectors on top of the ATX, they were dirty. One of them had a dead spider and cobwebs in it.

 

[ES96SHO]

Try taking the connector to the tranny that is under the intake hose and cleaning it. This is where the signals for the shift solenoids and TC solenoids are routed. It is the one with about 7 wires on it and connects vertically.

Disconnected both of the connectors under the intake hose, cleaned and WD-40'd them. Reset the PCM and tried it out.... Still the same problem.

Specific symptoms are...car tries to take off in 2nd or 3rd when placed in D. I can manually put it into 1st and 1st works, but then doesn't upshift when I manually move it to 2 or D. Probably would if I got up to speed, but I was on my street and unable to go over 20 or 30mph..

I'll try it again tomorrow on the open road, but I expect the same results.

Another symptom is that when I put it in D and try to take off, it begins to make a very faint hissing sound....almost as though a vacuum leak, but I don't believe it is actually air...probably something inside the tranny...

Does that scenario sound familiar to anyone?


Thanks,
George

 

[black93sho]

>Have you checked your tranny fluid level?

Yup.
And was flushed about a month ago.

I think I remember hearing that getting the transmission flushed can do more harm than good on these transmissions.

Does anyone else remember hearing this?

 

[Snow]

Is the tranny over full?

 

[MilTownSHO]

I think I remember hearing that getting the transmission flushed can do more harm than good on these transmissions.

Does anyone else remember hearing this?

Not true, if your flush your transmission regularly it helps greatly.

If you wait till 100k then do it, you may run into problems.

Our 98 has acted goofy a few times (3 off the top of my head, but none recently) and it also has 45k. I flushed it at 32k and also changed the filter. On the 98 though it would almost do the same thing kinda as your describing. If you stopped at a stopsign and then proceeded to go again it would barely move, it would then clunk, and then it would go fine. I always attributed it to the car not going back into first because it felt like if you were trying to start in 3rd in a stickshift.

Hasn't happened in the last few thousand miles though (knock on wood.)

 

[Bizzy]

Sounds like you need someone to plug into the tranny connectors and make sure everything is within the operating voltages that they are supposed to be. I don't know enough about the EEC-V computer but cant a good scanner read tranny info and codes?

If you were nearby I'd send you to a friend of mine with a really nice snapon scanner. Thing reads everything under the sun, and tells you what the specs are for your car and how near or far from them you are.

If you end up needing a tranny he does quite a few atx tranny rebuilds, I think his ax4n pricing is around $1800-1900 for a full rebuild with install, that is all new bearings, bushings, seals, clutches, shift kit, and TC, basically the works.

 

[Wess]

Hissing Tranny

Disconnected both of the connectors under the intake hose, cleaned and WD-40'd them. Reset the PCM and tried it out.... Still the same problem.

Specific symptoms are...car tries to take off in 2nd or 3rd when placed in D. I can manually put it into 1st and 1st works, but then doesn't upshift when I manually move it to 2 or D. Probably would if I got up to speed, but I was on my street and unable to go over 20 or 30mph..

I'll try it again tomorrow on the open road, but I expect the same results.

Another symptom is that when I put it in D and try to take off, it begins to make a very faint hissing sound....almost as though a vacuum leak, but I don't believe it is actually air...probably something inside the tranny...

Does that scenario sound familiar to anyone?


Thanks,
George

My tranny shifts normal, but I have that same hissing sound. Although mine can be heard in each gear, near the high end of the RPM band. I'd be curious to know what this sound is. Any thoughts?

 

[SHOZ123]

I think I remember hearing that getting the transmission flushed can do more harm than good on these transmissions.

Does anyone else remember hearing this?

I think power flushing any tranny without dropping the pan and changing the filter is bad for the it. The filter is your pickup point. So if you are power flushing it then all the crud is forced into the filter or through it.


For longest life completely change the fluid as described on V8sho.com at 15k for dyno fluid (this includes Mercon V) and 30k for true synthetic fluid.

 

[ES96SHO]

For longest life completely change the fluid as described on V8sho.com at 15k for dyno fluid (this includes Mercon V) and 30k for true synthetic fluid.

Exactly what I recently did...

 

[ES96SHO]

I know it's far from preferrable long term, but how bad would it be to use a tranny that's been sitting in my garage for 1 1/2 years?

It has 109k and I know seals would be marginal from sitting so long, so I know it's only short term, but would beat shelling out $2k+ right now... That was my original tranny which was replaced just because the TC was failing.

I'm getting my original TC back from being beefed up at the shop, so might be worth throwing the old tranny in, flushing and changing filter, then saving up for one of Doug's upgraded AX4N's...

George

 

[Mr Anonymous]

It all depends on what you're going to pay for R&R labor on the old tranny. If it costs you say $1000, now your next tranny costs you $3000.

If you do use the old tranny, be sure to replace the converter hub seal.

 

[ES96SHO]

It all depends on what you're going to pay for R&R labor on the old tranny. If it costs you say $1000, now your next tranny costs you $3000.

If you do use the old tranny, be sure to replace the converter hub seal.

I would do the R&R. Not the easiest job in the garage, but I did it the first time...can do it again...and would really have it down by the 3rd time! The hardest part of the first job was removing the old ball joints! Hopefully with only 22k since, they won't be so tough.

As for the converter hub seal...what's involved in replacing that?


I don't suppose you or Kirk have any rebuilt, beefed up trannies, do you?


Thanks,
George