No, please no... (Help..)
 

I took a road trip up to Rochester over the weekend. SVX took it well, made it all the way up in the rain without problems. Helped some buddies haul a fridge and a christmas tree and other dorm-room goodies, hung out, cool.

Monday morning I'm shuttling people between dorms and all of a sudden I notice that there's something really, really weird with power application. It doesn't feel like there's enough torque, and in turns I didn't feel connected.

After some trying out of different situations, I have concluded the following:

1.) There is a general loss of torque. Once at speed, flooring the pedal allows highway speed, but it takes much longer to get up there.

2.) The second half of a turn (straightening out the wheel) causes the transmission to disengage. At least, that's what it feels like. You make the corner, push on the gas a little, begin to straighten the wheel and all of a sudden there's no torque and the engine revs freely until the wheel is nearly straight again, then it latches on and you go.

3.) This phenomenon also occurs from a rolling stop. If I make a complete 0 MPH stop, nothing strange happens aside from what was detailed in #1. However, making 1-2 MPH stops where I'm still slightly moving forward causes the effect in #2 with the following addendum: The engine revs freely as soon as you press the gas pedal, and does this for about second before suddenly going into gear.

This happened all at once. There was no gradual involved. One day the SVX was running fine, the next I have (I'm hoping not..) tranny problems. Anyone experienced this before, knows what's going on exactly?

There's also smoke pouring out of the right side of my timing belt cover but it only started happening since the car was detailed, so I'm guessing that whatever degreaser they used is still burning off. Still, that was Wednesday of last week and I've been driving it daily since then... And it just keeps pouring smoke out of the passenger's side...:(

FirstDo not drive it!!!!!!!!!!!
Check the trans fluid !!

Second drop the transmission pan (20, 10mm head bolts)
remove and replace the transmission filter and gasket.

Refill it with Dexron and check the fluid again.

Now try it gently.

Will do that. With any luck it's just fluid (though the only time it could've lost fluid was when the radiator was replaced... hmm...). Thank you.

Fluid level is fine, no loss there. Nice cherry red color too. Front diff fluid is also nominal (I was there, figured I'd check it anyway).

I don't have the equipment here to drop the tranny pan and replace those parts though... Nearest place I'd trust to do such a thing is about 40 minutes away... :o

pop your timing covers... Check to see if one or more of your timing belt components seized and caused the belt to jump.... If there is smoke from your timing covers, this is a good chance

Tom

another cause could be clogged fuel filter, or air filter. hows the service history?

It could be your ABS has a component going bad or an electrical glitch from having the engine cleaned. Some of your symptoms are pretty similar to what my car and a few others I've driven with ABS problems do in terms of the tranny momentarily letting go and so on.

Provided all of what you report is accurate, your main problem must be confined to the transmission. The difference noted during turning confuses the issue, therefore more information on this would assist.

You report a jerky sort of torque restoration, rather than slippage. Again more info on this aspect would help.

It COULD be an axle IS disconnecting inside the boot.

Sure, I will detail what I can to answer all of your comments.

1.) The service history prior to me owning it is nonexistant. I get little glimpses here and there, but I honestly have no clue what was (or wasn't) done until I had it. Since I've had it I put in a brand new K&N filter and had the entire car serviced. Replaced all fluids including transmission, replaced fuel filter, just had the whole thing done over.

2.) My dad just got home and said, "You know your car's leaking right? There are puddles in the driveway." He's right. There are puddles. I moved the car behind his (I had it in the grass) and turned it on. Looking at the car from the front, the leak is coming from the passenger-side (left) connection between the tranny hose and transmission cooler element of the radiator. It's all over the clamp and the hose and is dripping fluid onto the pavement. This morning my fluid levels seemed okay. Right now they're dangerously low.

So now I know the tranny problem. Cooler's leaking. Or the hose is. Or the clamp. Something.

I can get a photo. Here.

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/1...leaknf0.th.jpg

So, anyone know what tranny fluid looks like when it burns? White smoke, maybe?:rolleyes:

Lucky Chris is providing space, free and N/C. :rolleyes: :p ;)

My dad's explanation for turns and rolling stops is fluid shift within the torque converter. It sounds... well, sound.

I can put more fluid in to get the car somewhere, right?

Quote:
Originally Posted by svxfiles
It COULD be an axle IS disconnecting inside the boot.



I am not sure what you are saying, Trevor, but I have personally seen three SVX axles disconnect inside the boot, and slip.
This would explain why it would rev up in the turns.

Sorry, sorry, if you had been more specific I would have understood your meaning. :confused: "The" boot". Luggage boot? Universal protection boot.:eek:

Oh yeah, SVXfiles, ya gotta be careful 'cause in other parts of the world "boot" means "trunk." :D

Gonna put a bunch of ATF in her and get it out to Mann tomorrow. This is getting kinda ridiculous.:rolleyes: