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Help me diagnose auto trans problem

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JayB98GST

20+ Year Contributor
72
0
Aug 20, 2002
Chicago_IL
I am having problems with my automatic transmission. Sometimes when i get to about 45 mph the trans will automatically throw itself in neutral until i start slowing down. other times it will stick in 4th gear until I pull over and stop. And sometimes it wont move at all, but it does feel like there is still a load because the rpms down rev up as if it were in neutral. So I pulled the codes off of the TCU and this is what i got: 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gear incorrect ratio, and short-circuited kickdown servo. Can anyone tell me what this means and what I should do to fix it? I am already guessing that this means I need a new tranny, but I just want to make sure before I spend the money.
 
ok, i reset the TCU to see if anything would change and now it seems that once I get above around 35 mph, it will just go into neutral and the rpms will rev up. Then if I turn the overdrive off, it will go back into gear and everything is fine as long as it is off. anyonr have any ideas?
 
i'm having the same problem off and on for over three years now, everyone once and a while it wouldn't shift from third to fourth and if i let off the gas it would take a second then shift like normal.
well last thursday i lost fourth gear completely and unless it's the tranny itself you can also try replacing the two shift-solinoids and/or the AT-control unit, iml try them first and i'll let you know what i come up with.
 
I'm equally interested in knowing what will fix this problem. When I press the O/D switch on my 91 2.0 n/t, my trans going into nuetral until I press it again and it shifts back to 3rd.'

Any help will be greatly appreciated.
 
wow, so i'm not crazy ,,,it's not just me.......two days ago..well to start off...i have a 92 awd turbo,,,with a/t and two days ago, i was layin a lil beatin on a 2g awd turbo 5spd.well needless to say..sumthin didn't sound right with his car..so..still...go me right? well, i start to lay off and slow down from bout 120 and then come to a stoplight but i don't stop completely.
Then it happens. It kicks down just fine, so i proceed to gain speed and instead of going into 4th,,,it says...HEEELLLOOOO nuetral. :mad: Well i usually drive it around with the overdrive pushed in...so it runs through all four gears,,unless i need the slower speeds or greater engine loads..then i'll put it back to 3rd (overdrive off) or whatever gear accordingly right....and i leave the power button on too...u know that nice lil but that holds the gears out longer...i don't use the economy much because i don't like the fact it runs through the gears so quickly
Anyway, i have the same pressure applied to the accel. pedal and yet the tranny's goin nuts shiftin through all the gears and then gets stuck in third. Even when i pulled to a complete stop and then started out again, it didn't kickdown it started out in third. I'm thinkin great wonderful....aghhh this sucks. the tranny fluid never smelt burnt or was discolored at all , but now has a slight smell to it out of the normal.
I drove it a lil the next day to kinda get a better idea on it and it shifts through 1st, 2nd, 3rd and back down just fine...i didn't "get on it" or anything but it still holds boost just fine so i've ruled out vacuum leaks....but as soon as i push that button in (o/d) to take it to 4th.....nope.it goes to nuetral. Or if i leave the button in to see if it'll go by itself...nope . again 1, 2, and 3 just fine but it's like 4th no longer exists for the tranny,,,it goes to nuetral. Oh and to the one person...it drops to nuetral around 45 or 35 because depending how wide you got your throttle/ gas pedal down...if your just normal drivin,,third usually likes to upshift around then. And if your problems the same as mine, when it wants to upshift from third,,it'll drop to nuetral.

I called a dealer and they said the auto. transaxle unit for our cars is discontinued..nobody makes it or remans. it. i'm gonna look at some junkyards...im just tryin the whole process of elimination ..mechanical or electrical or both, but...... i don't think it's the tranny comp. because technically, it's still doin it's job....when the o/d switch is engaged the computer reads it as so, but instead tranny goes to nuet. instead of 4th...
if anybody has had some progress or success in fixing this problem will you let me know?? PLEAASSSEE. till then i'll post what i find out. i didn't plan on messing with this tranny right now,, but what can u do?...it pulls for the drivetrain it has,,i wanted to buy a manual. 1g,,,but i wasn't really lookin to swap this auto for a manual...too much engine work goin on,,,but thanks for the help.
kylei
 
It sounds like you smoked your endclutches during your highway race. They aren't grabbing anymore, so you've lost your OD, and the burning smell could definately be attributed to it being burnt out. I would suggest you drive your car as little as possible until you get the tranny flushed and a new filter put in. Then put in the end clutch kit from somebody like IPT, it's only about $79. It's an EASY job, probably take you about 15-30 mins. Check the VFAQ procedure, and you SHOULD have your OD back. Depending on how much junk is floating around in your tranny fluid, you might want to give a VERY good flush.

Good luck!
 
same problem here , but mine goes out sumtimes in all the gears i think , it doesnt slip like the clutches are burnt but it just feels like its goin into nuetral all of'a suden then it kicks back in when i let off the throttle, same with the o/d switch also ect.
it will do this also when its just ideling and i want to put it in gear but it wont i have to rev it up alittle and it will eventualy kick into gear,
ps. i have a tranny leak to but i havent got the time yet to see where its coming from since its cold as hell outside.
once when i put a new quart of fluid in it , it didnt do it as much.
im hoping its just an electrical problem thow like the silinoids, can any body tell me where these siliniods are i might have a spare trans for parts but i dont kno yet.
 
I can save everyone a little time on diagnostics- if a trans goes into neutral or slips, it isn't an electrical problem.

If the slipping or neutralization is in overdrive only, an end clutch repair kit may fix the problem for a while, but it's not say that there isn't other internal damage as well.

If the slipping occurs at times other than overdrive, suspect internal trans damage that will require a rebuild to fix.

-John
 
that sounds like flare up, I would say (not knowing about the internals of a mitsu tranny) a seal or valve bodie gasket are torn or slightly busted. but thats just my guess, as the ford taurus had a similar problem on early production 04 cars... but again just speculation...
 
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