Transmission Failure on the way home tonight....

[Subix]

I know I keep harping on and on about this and I haven't done the filter yet but I don't get it. While driving the car around for about 20 minutes tonight it did not "quit moving" like it did before the ATF change. Before, it would stop moving after about 5-10 minutes....

The shift from park is roughly 2-3 seconds, not 4-5 as I had thought... or at least anymore. The RPM goes up as I slowly accelerate but it keeps moving and eventually will shoot into 2nd gear at around 4500-5000RPM and then kick down in RPM to match the new gear. So here's the deal... if I floor it... the car takes off hard and powerful as it should and when preparing to change gears I now have a long 2-3 second flare but it does finally go into 2nd... quite soft but it does go and kicks down in a subtle way and is no longer powerful anymore unless I left off the gas and punch it in second gear... in which case I get power/speed again. I did not get going fast enough for 3rd nor do I know if it goes in third yet... I don't see why not but I'm fearful of getting too far from home and finding myself possibly stranded again.

All the things I've read online points to most likely a clogged filter.... (yes, I'm getting there and will be doing it soon!) but if it were really clogged, would not flooring it just make it plummet in speed? and all the posts I've found on here points to possible brake band needing adjusted to an out of whack TPS. (Brake band being set too WIDE it almost seems to describe the symptoms I'm having only though as if it were between wide and too wide, although that isn't on the chart... eh) IF the new filter doesn't seem to work after I put it on (I'm having this sinking feeling it'll make zero difference... but I can hope)... then is it possible to not consider other issues as to why it is doing this such as the TPS or brake band, as mentioned above? If the tranny is toast... then at what point of time would or could it have power like this and all while having problems shifting or flaring rather and slow engage... does that seem normal with a transmission failure?

I'm just being cautious since the SVX is notorious for transmission failure.... once you have an issue related with it, everyone is so quick to write it off as a bad tranny instead of looking at the alternative issues that could be causing it... or am I just completely ignorant on my hopeful perspective on this? I guess I just need to be sound in knowing the tranny is actually a POS before I toss a possible $1,000+ out the window only to find out it was something stupid or much minor after the fact. The transmission hasn't acted up in any way prior to the just total loss of power on the night I had to have it towed and no codes so... I dunno.

[OmegaSVX]

In my experience, given the bad looking fluid, I'd say your fluids were mixed as Mike mentioned. That squeek... or dying squirrel, could potentially be your clutch packs packed with the gear oil rather than tranny fluid. I've heard it before... not in an SVX but regardless of what car it is... not a good scenario. If you can find a tranny rebuild kit, attempt it. It can't get any worse.

That's also a good reason it takes longer to shift too. Doesn't matter what kind of car it is... SVX tranny issue or not, I think your trans is toast, dude. sorry....

Hey! good news is that its the perfect excuse to do a manual swap!

[Chuckls]

Clint, let's do a swap

[Subix]

It's been a little over a month since I've touched this subject (as I've already got a replacement lined up) but will still be doing the filter change... possibly this weekend as it should be nicer come Saturday.

On top of doing that I will check the lines running to the radiator to make sure there are no cracks or splits. It's possible this is where the 'bubbles' are coming from but at this point I still think it's filter related. I started it up and it shifted into 1st/reverse quickly and as normal. It would shift into 2nd but flare hugely. I can still see tons of air pockets/bubbles on the dipstick after checking it and the whining still isn't there. Well, it was for about 4-5 seconds when first starting the car but it quickly went away. Also I don't think the fluid is mixed just that my ATF was really dirty/junk.

How many and where exactly are the vents at? as I've read clogged vents will result in bubbles. Could someone describe/pinpoint the location for me please so I can at least attempt to tackle it. Thanks.

@Chuckls - when you had your tranny issue did you check the fluid level? was it or did it at all seem to be bubbly?

[Chuckls]

Originally Posted by Subix

@Chuckls - when you had your tranny issue did you check the fluid level? was it or did it at all seem to be bubbly?

Mine was just fine. Idunno :/

[Subix]

Ok, so here's the deal:





Anyway, new fluids + new filter and realizing how weak my neck is after sitting under the car for 4 hours = still flaring like an elephant between shifts. HOWEVER, If I run in manual 3rd, it's fine. It doesn't flare above 2k and driving around 40-45mph is in the 2 to 2.3k RPM range. In manual on 3rd it still seems like it is shifting out of 1st and 2nd (I guess that's normal) and it does it right... the way it should be. Plus, the gargling noise is gone.... at least, for now and from what I've heard which was nothing..

So... what is the problem then? What is out of whack on my transmission that makes it drive fine in manual but not in reg. auto? Torque Converter? And aside from MPG and avoiding the highway, what are the adverse affects of running it strictly on 3rd this way? I'm guessing it will eventually just go kaput anyway but no reason why I can't drive it in 3rd from now on until I get the replacement yea? I'm guessing I don't really want to drive above 60mph on it this way, yeah?

[1986nate]

Clint, if 3rd gear holds fine as you say, you shouldn't have to worry about taking it even up to freeway speeds (70-80mph). I would just advise not taking it on longer trips. I drove my silver around for about a year with only 1st and 2nd. I wouldn't take it for anything longer than 20 miles at highway speeds (usually would stick to 55-60) and never had an issue. I probably put about 4000 miles on this way and the engine is no more damaged than it was before that point.

[THE NEW GUY]

Originally Posted by 1986nate

I drove my silver around for about a year with only 1st and 2nd. .

Why did you used it this way, damaged high clutch due to lack of fluid while running in 3rd or 4th?

[1986nate]

Originally Posted by THE NEW GUY

Why did you used it this way, damaged high clutch due to lack of fluid while running in 3rd or 4th?

The high clutch failed and I didn't have the money to do something about it at the time. So I made the best of it and it got me around just fine. I also got 15-18mpg whether doing city driving or the drives when I needed to go on the highway.

[icingdeath88]

^ I have a similar story about driving around with only 3rd gear for several months. The trans was bad in the car before I got it, and I bought it specifically for that reason to swap in the 6-speed from my wrecked pearly. But I also needed it to take me to and from school. It would have kept going for a very long time too I think. I have no idea what was wrong with it.

[Subix]

WIN!


ok... not exactly. Once I get up to 50+ I can switch off the manual and flip into D and it'll jump down to 4th gear just fine. I drove it 30+ miles on the highway between 60-80mph and had no issue with it at all and I think it didn't see an inch above 2500rpm but mostly sat around 2 to 2200rpm. I did of course throw it back down to 3rd/Manual once I got around 50 and taking an exit, driving the rest of the way in 3rd.

So my questions are:

1st - am I correct that when driving in 3rd/manual it actually does shift from 1st, to 2nd and into 3rd....? which explains the rpm drops and feeling of shift changes as you reach towards 40mph? And 2nd... if that is the case, what exactly is manual mode overriding that allows the shifts to be smooth and normal that normal drive mode does not?

I suppose it's better to have a manual-automatic than nothing at all...

[Chuckls]

Manual does nothing when engaged in 3rd?

I read on the svx site that it only did something in 1st/2nd

[1986nate]

Gear selector in "3" and the manual button depressed will not allow the transmission to drop down into 1st gear.

[Subix]

Originally Posted by 1986nate

Gear selector in "3" and the manual button depressed will not allow the transmission to drop down into 1st gear.

Something is amiss then. I'll have to take video of it in manual in 3rd showing the rpm drops as if it were shifting gears into second and third. I may be delirious sometimes but I'm certainly not crazy

[NikFu S.]

It's been a while since I've been auto, but I thought the manual button forces it into 2nd, and allows for the shift into 3rd after some accleration?