7dust

iTrader: (14)

First - spare me the 5 speed swap stuff, okay?

I have the car marginally okay running okay - seems to be making boost and running smooth without hesitation.

The car is shifting at strange points. It seems to run through the gears very quickly and not exceed 3 or 4000 RPM so it drives like less than a dog.

It also seems to be shifting spongy - not notching into gear like it used to. Kind of sliding? into gear.

If I use the hold button - I can get it to really run pretty healthy but when I shift it to the next gear it tends to overshoot and not shift to the next gear in a timely fashion. This causes the car to bouce off the redline before it shifts.

Also, the car will not downshift from a higher gear if I mash the accelerator.

The ECU throws no codes.

I haven't even changed the fluid or filter and probably will with Redline synthetic or similar - if the transmission is still healthy enough to warrant it. I really don't want to waste an expensive fluid and filter on a tranny that is on its way out.

Car is all stock with a recent vacuum line job. 108,000 miles Only mods are downpipe and ported wastegate.

For what its worth, the car started making a rattling noise when I take off sometimes similar to a playing card in bike spokes. Not sure if this is related.

I guess my question is what input other than electrical does the transmission receive from the engine? Are there any vacuum lines or sensors that need checking? Maybe something I messed up during the vacuum line job?

Thanks in advance.

weaklink

when you say no trouble codes, you are talking about the tranny ecu and not the engine ecu right? Just clarifying. I think if your tranny ecu had a problem, then the hold light would be flashing. Incidentally, the field service manual, which is available on this site, has an excellent troubleshooting section for the auto trans and shows you exactly what input it receives. I don't recall that there are any vacuum lines. It sounds to me like something may be wrong with the torque converter.

7dust

iTrader: (14)

^^^ No trouble codes from the ecu and no flashing of the hold light.

7dust

iTrader: (14)

I was thinking the same thing along the lines of no torque converter lockup as well but really didn't want to hear it.

7dust

iTrader: (14)

Also - seems that of all the copies of the FSM I find online - they always neglect to include the automatic transmission section. Its like they are disowning a bastard child.

Sure would like to find a scan of that section that includes the auto tranny.

bajaman

There isn't a 'filter' in the conventional sense, not like you'd find on say a Turbo-Hydramatic 350.
There aren't any vacuum lines to the tranny, it is all electrically controlled.
While I am no expert, it sounds like your torque converter is malfunctioning. Logically, there aren't a whole lot of things that it can be IF you still have forward and reverse progress available. Yes, the transmission can wear to the point it starts "slipping", but that doesn't sound like what you have going on.
I am going to ask a dumb question maybe...have you checked the fluid level?

There is indeed a whole wealth of info in the FSM about the auto tranny. It literally tells you...well, EVERYTHING.

If you need it, I can send you my FSM. You aren't that far from me.

7dust

iTrader: (14)

^^ I see fluid right at the hook on the end of the dipstick...

I guess it could be residual from the neck. Maybe I'll add a little bit more to see what happens to the level I'm seeing. Don't worry, I'm not going to overfill it or anything.

Thanks for the offer to send the FSM - but I have access to one already... just need to access it later tonight.

Ive changed the filter on a 7 tranny before and really it seems to be in place just to catch metal chunks in the pan... and thats just about all it seems to be in place to do.

Is there an alternate way to evacuate all the fluid from the system short of having a shop do it? Dropping the pan will only get a fraction of the fluid out. I want to eventually do a synthetic change.

bajaman

Oh certainly! I have had this cool device for years, you can pick one up from any marine supply store or even a lot of automotive places. It is a pump that snarfs thru the dipstick. It has a small diameter polypropylene line to feed down the dipstick tube. Connect this to the 12v pump, hook the pump up to your battery and...voila'! Takes about a minute if the fluid is nice and warm to suck out about 95% of the fluid.

These things are ridiculously cheap for the job they do, they start at about $20 and go up to $120 or so.

7dust

iTrader: (14)

^^ Thats the one I've heard about! soooo what I'm wondering is how a device like that eveacuates the fluid from the torque converter, pumps, coolers, etc?

I asked about it at my local auto parts stores and they all looked at me like I asked them to light my crack pipe for me.

Is there a web page where I can read about that gizmo and how it works?

Whats the brand and product name?

bajaman

Here is a web page with a lot of different ones....
And no, it won't get it out of the torque converter.
When I changed my fluid, I snarfed out thru the dipstick all I could, and then used a Shop-Vac to snarf out the oil cooler and lines leading to the cooler.

http://www.nextag.com/oil-change-pump/search-html

grimple1

iTrader: (1)

1) this is gonna sound really odd but what does the transmission fluid smell like? take out the dipstick and smell it. does it smell like clean fluid or is it slightly "burned" smell?

2) could be your tps

3) what are your mods? Is this a stock 7 or highly modified?

------------------------------------------------
when you change the oil thow in some lucas tranny fix in there as well.

http://www.lucasoil.com/products/dis...tid=2&loc=show


You can also get the fluids changed at a jiffy lube if you're not a DIY type person. You want to get all the fluid out of the TQConverter .

7dust

iTrader: (14)

So - I changed all the fluid I could get out of the pan and the filter. Shitty job. Next time I'm installing a drain plug. Anyhoo, no change.

I checked the shop manual... I think the biggest section of the manual covers the automatic transmission. It outlines how to retrieve codes from the auto tranny. My car had so many codes I decided to reset it. It is the same way you reset the ECU but for some reason, it seems that it takes the ENTIRE 20 seconds with the ground removed and the brake pedal pressed...

I checked again before I started the car and no codes were stored in the ECU or tranny computer.

BINGO! The car took off and shifted great. Best drive Ive ever had in the car. About 5 miles down the road the tranny started the same **** but strangely no codes were thrown when I checked. I reset the computer and off I went. I'm suspecting a computer or sensor problem somewhere. Everyone seems to be so eager to ditch the auto that I'm sure I can find whatever I need to fix it easy enough once I troubleshoot a little more.

Seems that the tranny goes into a limp mode of its own. Downshifting is inhibited to an extent and the shift pattern is conservative. Also, torque converter lockup is disabled.

Wanted to update everyone with auto tranny woes.

grimple1

iTrader: (1)

thanks for the update. I'm curious as to what it could be. think it could be the auto tranny computer malfunctioning?

7dust

iTrader: (14)

^^ One of those Five Speed Swap ***** ought to send me their old tranny computer for 5 bucks so I can see!