Eoc
 

This came up in another thread so I thought I would post an FYI. I've had two tanks were I've been fishing about 20% of the tank and the transmission has started to complain a little. Although that only works out to about 150-200 miles when I move it in to gear now it klunks and when it cold it take about 15 sec for it to engage. Both new symptoms. Once it warms up there is only the klunk. So I'm hanging up my rod until the transmissions goes then will see about a 5 speed. :D

Nothing says I told you so like I told you so.
Quit playing the autotragic and get a real manual.

That's too bad, zpiloto. But as you say, it may just speed up the arrival of a better gearbox, so there's your silver lining.

Something to try?.................before the trans won't shift at all.....

My experience (which is limited) is that when you change or flush an auto, you remove the buildup of clutch grit and metal particles (which are wearing your trans out), but you also put in new ATF which starts to pull the varnish and gum out off of the interior surfaces, valves, etc...and with the grit gone, you can have more slipping.

Best bet is to totally flush the trans thru the hoses at the rad...this way you can remove almost all the ATF from it and replace it with new...instead of about 1/2 of it thru the pan.

You would probably want to start with regular ATF and do a full flush 2-3 times lasting about 1000 miles of drivng each....in order to clean out most old sludge, grit, and varnish......and then put in Mobil 1 synth ATF.

Mobil 1 synth usually helps a trans to have crisp shifts, if it's not loaded down with crud.

The vacuum modulator valve also controls shifting in a major way and my limited experience says it would be best to use a used OEM vac modulator rather than a new aftermarket one. New OEM is even better.

How to do it: Check that the trans is at a FULL level first.

If you've removed or drained the pan, you've probably removed about 1/2 the ATF already & cleaned the pan & replaced the screen or filter.

With the front of the car on ramps....find the hose at the radiator that comes from the trans (one that flows to the radiator), put the radiator end in a bucket...& with a hot trans...run the car at IDLE in PARK till the flow almost stops...then shut it off.

Add the same amount as you took out. Do this until you see clean new ATF coming out. If you have a clear container you can compare old & new ATF.

Put the hoses back on securely and check your ATF level. Drive for 1K miles.

* Need to be very careful when removing the old hose from the radiator...or you might end up replacing the rad. You also might want to replace the old hoses if they are hardened...but use ONLY the right hose type though. With new clamps.

Later, if you do the flush a couple of times without removing the pan...you will need to exchange all of it.

If the pan gasket did not leak, and it comes off with the gasket intact...just bolt it back on to specs...do not overtighten the bolts.

This flushing method is easier on the trans than the commercial methods, since it uses the regular working of the trans to do it. Keep things very clean...no lint from a rag even.

I also use Lubegard trans additive which can help with sticking valves and governors that synth ATF might not help...you need to buy the right kind though.

https://www.lubegard.com/automotive/index_trans.html


Also sell a flushing additive:

https://www.lubegard.com/automotive/trans_flush.html


I do a total flush about every 15K miles with Mobil synth ATF after cleaning the pan. And add more Lubegard.

Another method is to drain the trans pan at each motor oil change and refill, replacing about 1/2 of it. This would be done after the flushing process was done.

For a trans with a lot of problems......Valvoline MAXLife ATF might be the best...it is thicker and made for high mileage auto trans. Supposed to cure rough shifting, slippage, and shuddering. Flush first? Add Lubegard.

Some trans have bands/clutches that can be adjusted, but if it works reasonably OK...I'd say, just flush it and don't mess.

* no guarantees....this process may or may not work as expected....all transmissions are different....so are the people working on them....

let me break it down for you. Unless he stops screwing with his transmission no amount of tranny flushes or repairs will help him.

This is one of the reasons i sold my car. If you want to do ICE off and bump start it with minimal problems the manual is the way to go. Or get a Prius.

Nice:rolleyes:

I don't think that the transmission is going to die in the next week. The symptoms are very slight and I was very aware of changes that were happening. The transmission has over 100k on it so it going to die eventually. It could last another 2-3 years or die tommorrow. It might even come around now that I've quit fishing. I just though I pass it along for the group in case anyone else was fishing so they could watch out for it. Thanks for the advice ZugyaNA.

just giving advice to a fellow member. I tried it out once and I saw right away that the transmission didn't like it.

Just a side note. If you replace the hoses to the radiator make sure you get hoses which are for transmission fluid. I used some hose for fuel injection line, because I figured it carried gasoline, under pressure, so transmission fluid should not be a big issue. It took about a year, but the hoses started leaking, which led to a couple of episodes of "goofy" transmission shifts, before I finally figured out what had happened. The transmission rated hose is more expensive, but obviously far cheaper than a replacement automatic transmission.