2G Auto trans help

[basedCHRYST]

Trans pan cracked earlier this week because potholes, swapped it today and put new atf and magnet. Turned her on to see dipstick levels and it’s perfectly around at the “hot” level when in neutral. Tried shifting into anything and no go. No reverse or drive. I’m completely at a standstill and have no clue what could’ve gone wrong

 

[spyderdrifter]

Did you let the trans warm up before looking at the fluid level? If not, that could give you an inaccurate level reading.

 

[basedCHRYST]

Did you let the trans warm up before looking at the fluid level? If not, that could give you an inaccurate level reading.

Yes, let it warm up and read the dip while it was in neutral. The fluid level is right on the money

 

[AWD-Tony]

Did you manually put it through all the gears?

 

[basedCHRYST]

Did you manually put it through all the gears?

I went from park down all the way to L. Let it rest in between the shifts as well.

 

[DSMPT]

Did you check if lock nut on shift cable link on transmission is surely tightened?

 

[basedCHRYST]

Did you check if lock nut on shift cable link on transmission is surely tightened?

I’ll be sure to check it tomorrow. Just confused how other things went wrong when I only touched the pan

 

[DSMPT]

I’ll be sure to check it tomorrow. Just confused how other things went wrong when I only touched the pan

Yeah I know, I asked you just in case. If it's loose, even you move shift lever in the car, it wouldn't shift on transmission side. Anyways it would take only 10 sec to check.

 

[CrackedDSM]

Check and make sure the filter isn’t kinked or pinched. Other than that, how bad was the crack? Did all the fluid leak out, or was it a slow thing?

 

[basedCHRYST]

Check and make sure the filter isn’t kinked or pinched. Other than that, how bad was the crack? Did all the fluid leak out, or was it a slow thing?

The crack was maybe an inch or less, honestly super slim crack. Contemplated on getting it welded instead of getting a new one, but majority of the fluid leaked out over the span of a week. When I drained the remaining fluid from the pan it was probably less than half a quart. I checked the the filter as well because I’m already there and everything was okay. Nothing was out of place, I was slow and careful, but idk what happened. Real bummer

 

[basedCHRYST]

I am going to buy another few quarts in the morning just to cycle it out and check what the others here have recommended. Do everything again just to make sure I didn’t overlook something

 

[AWD-Tony]

How far did you drive after hitting it?

 

[CrackedDSM]

How far did you drive after hitting it?

great question and why I asked about the crack. You may have burned the pump up, OP.

 

[jpmxrider489]

If it was leaking and you kept driving it without topping off, you could of burnt up the pump or clutches. However if it was able to move when you parked it, then it should move. You didnt unplug any trans connectors? Was there any metal flakes in the fluid when you drained it? Did it smell burnt? I would of replaced the filter with a new one.

 

[basedCHRYST]

How far did you drive after hitting it?

It was Saturday the 9th when I noticed the small leak at work, drove home and hadn’t moved it since. I checked the fluid while at work before I even moved my car and it was still at level so it hadn’t lost much then. The rest was drained and leaked while it was sitting at home. Couldn’t have driven more than 30 miles that day.

 

[basedCHRYST]

If it was leaking and you kept driving it without topping off, you could of burnt up the pump or clutches. However if it was able to move when you parked it, then it should move. You didnt unplug any trans connectors? Was there any metal flakes in the fluid when you drained it? Did it smell burnt? I would of replaced the filter with a new one.

Thats what i was thinking at first because I drove home, and let it sit till I was able to find a new pan. All the connectors are in place and the only metal shavings were from the magnet that broke in half up because of the pothole. No burnt smells or anything out of the ordinary, the old fluid was Sort of a darker red so it really wasn’t in terrible condition.

 

[basedCHRYST]

Update for today; car shifted into reverse and drive for a minute or two. Moved 10ft back then forward and once it got fully warmed up is when it didn’t shift into gear anymore. I didn’t press the gas, just let the car move on its own, it did very slightly stutter when I tried to go into reverse again. Could it really be that I just need to add more atf? So far I’ve put 2.5 or close to 3qt.

 

[jpmxrider489]

Was the valve body damaged at all? Might need a full flush and clean up.

Update for today; car shifted into reverse and drive for a minute or two. Moved 10ft back then forward and once it got fully warmed up is when it didn’t shift into gear anymore. I didn’t press the gas, just let the car move on its own, it did very slightly stutter when I tried to go into reverse again. Could it really be that I just need to add more atf? So far I’ve put 2.5 or close to 3qt.

 

[basedCHRYST]

Was the valve body damaged at all? Might need a full flush and clean up.

I’ll go ahead and look again this weekend. The only thing with visible damage and leaks was the pan. No leaks or anything else in the surrounding area.

 

[jpmxrider489]

I’ll go ahead and look again this weekend. The only thing with visible damage and leaks was the pan. No leaks or anything else in the surrounding area.

This got me somewhat stumped. So if the car was driving fine and you kept up with the leaking fluid then nothing changed. You parked then decided to change the pan and the fluid wasnt burnt.

Maybe it's possible that dirt went into the crack? Maybe the pothole damaged the filter to where It let stuff inside? Its odd that the pan got damaged considering. My exhaust and dump tubes hang lower and I'm dropped 2-3 inches and I cant see how a pan cracks.

Maybe I'm missing something?

 

[waltah]

Two thoughts:
1. How much fluid did you take out when you dumped it to remove the pan? The transmission capacity is 7.1 quarts, right? And you can actually dump about 6 quarts -- About 1 qt. stays behind in clutches, etc. So you'd have to put back in whatever you dumped out plus however much leaked.

If it was fully drained -- must have been after you pulled the pan, right? -- it would need 5+quarts, assuming you didn't also drain the fluid coupling. If you did, then about 6 quarts is right -- at least that's what my '95 GST takes.

It's not easy to check fluid level on the Mitsubishi automatics. Are you shifting through all gears, back to neutral, leaving engine running, pulling out the stick, drying it fully, inserting fully and immediately withdrawing? Fluid seems to splash around down there and if it isn't 'dry -- in -- out' a splash can make it look like the stick's in the fluid (it's full) when it's not even close.

I usually do it two or three times just to be sure. What I do when changing fluid in an okay transmission is measure what I take out, put exactly that much new fluid in, and then check it. That way you know you're real close.

2. Are you sure you're using the correct fluid? The Mitsubishi 'made-from-solid-gold' SP III at $14/quart or whatever it is, is safest and works better in the Mitsu autos I've refilled than the only other fluid I know of that will work at all --- the Castrol 'for some Japanese cars' stuff.

The Mitsu fluid is lower viscosity. The others work fine in those other cars but in our transmissions they're like greasing the clutch plates -- they don't get out of the way to let the clutch actually engage.

Professionals will put other kinds of ATF in your trans then tell you 'it's supposed to shift like that' when it's got no feel-a-ble shifts at all and you know it is busy burning up its clutches. When I have to have someone else work on the things now I give them the fluid with the job. Let 'em think I'm a crazy old man or whatever rather than have to explain what fluid they should buy.

I'm sure there are excellent specialty fluids for race use, etc. -- I''m just talking about normal fun driving use and cars, and fluids that ordinary dealers would have.

 

[basedCHRYST]

Absolute thank you to everybody here who helped out with the info and input, I definitely needed second opinions and I’m grateful for y’all with new info and just things I’ve never thought of.

I did end up sourcing a new pan a few weeks after my last post on 10/19/21 from a local junkyard that luckily had a 97 gst and the trans was in great condition as was the whole car so I’m not sure why it was junked, engine obviously gone though.

Then I did end up draining about 5, close to 6, quarts and topped it off with that same amount and made sure the dip was showing that the levels were correct. I drove it only a few blocks at a time to ensure no gears or the trans was burnt and the replacement pan wasn’t leaking and holding up as well as the atf being at the proper levels at all times.

I’m very glad I didn’t drive it anymore than to my house that night it happened, as right now she drives just as I bought it four years ago. Note, I did only drain the pan and not the whole trans and luckily didn’t need a full flush as the ATF wasn’t tar and the only flake was the magnet that exploded on impact.

Sorry y’all for the suspense and for the almost year long hiatus, life just comes quick sometimes but I can assure y’all that my 2g is okay .

Only issue that’s come up lately is a new water pump, from which I’ll soon be ordering from rock auto and installing within the next few weeks, and the egr code. Thankfully this year in Texas 1997s don’t need emissions to pass inspection so I’m in the clear for that.

 

[basedCHRYST]

This got me somewhat stumped. So if the car was driving fine and you kept up with the leaking fluid then nothing changed. You parked then decided to change the pan and the fluid wasnt burnt.

Maybe it's possible that dirt went into the crack? Maybe the pothole damaged the filter to where It let stuff inside? Its odd that the pan got damaged considering. My exhaust and dump tubes hang lower and I'm dropped 2-3 inches and I cant see how a pan cracks.

Maybe I'm missing something?

Some road construction has led to the city putting those giant solid steel plates over the new asphalt and Im assuming I got unlucky and one of the corners from those plates hit directly into my pan. And after I had replaced the fluid I ended up needing a bit more than what I had assumed I flushed out. Initially I only drained 4qts and some change but more had leaked out than I thought, so I kept adding more and more till the dip was fine and it was shifting like normal. It’s not that you’re missing anything just my lack of attempting to communicate things more clearly and properly. Thank you

Two thoughts:
1. How much fluid did you take out when you dumped it to remove the pan? The transmission capacity is 7.1 quarts, right? And you can actually dump about 6 quarts -- About 1 qt. stays behind in clutches, etc. So you'd have to put back in whatever you dumped out plus however much leaked.

If it was fully drained -- must have been after you pulled the pan, right? -- it would need 5+quarts, assuming you didn't also drain the fluid coupling. If you did, then about 6 quarts is right -- at least that's what my '95 GST takes.

It's not easy to check fluid level on the Mitsubishi automatics. Are you shifting through all gears, back to neutral, leaving engine running, pulling out the stick, drying it fully, inserting fully and immediately withdrawing? Fluid seems to splash around down there and if it isn't 'dry -- in -- out' a splash can make it look like the stick's in the fluid (it's full) when it's not even close.

I usually do it two or three times just to be sure. What I do when changing fluid in an okay transmission is measure what I take out, put exactly that much new fluid in, and then check it. That way you know you're real close.

2. Are you sure you're using the correct fluid? The Mitsubishi 'made-from-solid-gold' SP III at $14/quart or whatever it is, is safest and works better in the Mitsu autos I've refilled than the only other fluid I know of that will work at all --- the Castrol 'for some Japanese cars' stuff.

The Mitsu fluid is lower viscosity. The others work fine in those other cars but in our transmissions they're like greasing the clutch plates -- they don't get out of the way to let the clutch actually engage.

Professionals will put other kinds of ATF in your trans then tell you 'it's supposed to shift like that' when it's got no feel-a-ble shifts at all and you know it is busy burning up its clutches. When I have to have someone else work on the things now I give them the fluid with the job. Let 'em think I'm a crazy old man or whatever rather than have to explain what fluid they should buy.

I'm sure there are excellent specialty fluids for race use, etc. -- I''m just talking about normal fun driving use and cars, and fluids that ordinary dealers would have.

It did take me quite a bit of in-and-out with the dip to get the fluid levels proper but at the end i was able to see it was leveled and shifting properly. Also getting the correct atf was also one of the slight delays just because I wanted to do this right as it was my first time doing this on a dsm and also a lot of what I’ve read on this forum, and your comment about the viscosity.

Was the valve body damaged at all? Might need a full flush and clean up.

Valve body was fine when I inspected it and replaced the filter as well just as a precaution and also just due to the fact that I was nearing the 120k at the time. I’m now at 123k and she is driving just as she was before