Help me understand auto-trans issues please!

[BrianWC]

Okay, I profess that I understand automatic transmissions as well as I do calculus. I'm just trying to figure out where this is heading.

Over a year ago, I had a leak develop in my transmission. I didn't notice for a while b/c of the location of the leak. At the time, I also had an oil leak. Well, after installing the new PCV kit for my car, I still had a little leak. By chance, I was having something done to my car at a local shop and the mechanic offered to check my transmission fluid. He told me I was a quart low. I nervously allowed him to top up only to discover a few weeks later that I was still a quart low. At this point, I realized it was my transmission leaking and chased the leak for weeks while I constantly topped off. I finally took it to a transmission shop who identified it as a loose connection in the transmission cooler hose. They fixed it and refilled and I never had another leak. But in the meantime I had begun to notice a little bit of slippage. For good measure I added a couple of ounces of arx to the new fluid. Well, almost a year later and nothing has changed. But I am just wondering if I am going to have more and more slippage until something needs to be replaced or if there is something else I can do? Did I basically toast something from a low fluid level??? Can it be cleaned with another, more intensive arx application or something similar? The slippage is only noticeable when I am in 4th gear on the interstate going say 70 mph and go to pass. I still pick up speed but it there is a definite over revving sound and slipping sensation for a second if I stab the pedal too hard.

Thoughts? Not sure I want to hear it....

 

[jmac]

they don't call them slushbox's for no reason.
Like the doc said when the patient said "it hurts when I do this."
"Well don't do that".
My experience is start saving for a rebuild.

 

[c3po]

A couple of things:

1) What type of vehicle, what is the mileage
2) How many miles on the Auto-Rx in your transmission
3) You said you added a few ounces of Auto-Rx, you need to add 6 ounces.
4) When was the last time the transmission filter was changed

 

[BrianWC]

Saab 9-5, 146k miles. Aisin Warner 4 speed.

I didn't add 6 ounces but may have added an ounce or two of Lubegard before adding the arx.

No filter on the transmission, AFAIK.

It's really not serious slippage. But the reason I've had renewed concern (and I forgot to mention in the OP), is that I heard a little bit of a low grinding/rattle in the vicinity of the transmission last week. There is a mount there, but it appears intact.

 

[brianl703]

That transmission may use 3309 fluid instead of Dexron/Mercon III.

If so, maybe the shop used the wrong fluid?

 

[BrianWC]

Nope, the 5 speed uses 3309. The earlier 4 speed just spec'd Dex III. There's also an admonishment from SAAB not to use synth. I guess b/c there's no filter??? But a lot of folks have run AMSOIL in it no problem. I take it I shouldn't run something like Maxlife with the arx, right? I was one of the 9-5 arx engine pioneers, I think, but for transmissions...not so much.

 

[gonesurfing]

Was the fluid ever burnt? My wife's Camry has a burnt clutch (also from an ATF leak), but it seems to be holding up well. There is a delay from P-D or N-D, but otherwise drives fine. The fluid was still red, but had the distinctive hot metal smell.

 

[BrianWC]

That's what I have to think probably happened. The first time I noticed it slip was when the fluid was leaking. There's a momentary shudder when switching from P to R or to D. Mine two hasn't gotten any worse over the last year. It's just been on my mind b/c of the noise I recently heard. Anything that could cause a low pitched rattle?

 

[02Pilot]

I hate to say it, but this sounds vaguely familiar. In my 9-5, I never had the kind of fluid loss you did, but I had the leak from the cooler line (and had to rip the front end apart to fix it, since it was the seal washers on the lower connection). I had the slight slippage that didn't change for a while. Then the transmission ate itself on the way home one night, going up a hill. It was deeply unpleasant.

There is a filter screen in the transmission, but it is not serviceable AFAIK. I have a feeling it gets clogged with debris if any little thing goes wrong in the transmission and the thing slowly destroys itself. I never cared for automatics, but I bought the 9-5 with one because they were supposed to be the more reliable transmission choice in those cars (plus the awful shifter on the 5-speed would have really annoyed me after a while). When the transmission imploded, I swore off automatics and went back to a manual BMW. But I ramble...

Sorry to be the bearer of bad anecdotal evidence.

 

[BrianWC]

Well, it only has to last me a few more months, at the most.... I have my eye on a 5 speed Jetta SportWagen.

But yeah, I was the same way with the auto. I'd heard the autos were relatively bullet-proof while the 5-speeds were pretty tempermental. I'd had a 5 speed in my 1997 900, and it wasn't bad. But I couldn't imagine it in a car as big as a 9-5. But I go in cycles where I get tired of 5 speeds and have to buy an auto, then vice versa.

Wonder if a trans shop could do anything for this without major bucks being spent? I paid a local shop to take apart the front end and replace the washers and re-tighten my cooler hoses. It cost me about $180, I think. It was worth it, though, b/c it was pretty dang cold and I didn't want to spend the time outside to do that myself....

 

[02Pilot]

I hope it does last for you. Another thing I recall reading is that there is a thermostat that controls the ATF flow to the cooler; this fails sometimes (and of course there is no indication of this), causing the transmission to run hot and burn itself up. I got rid of my car once the trans went, so I did not have the opportunity to check it, but if you're feeling adventurous it might be worth a look.

Anything a transmission shop does is bound to cost money, but local labor rates will determine just how much. Here in NY, nobody is under about 100/hr.

I'm really a manual transmission guy; the automatic just sucked all the fun out of the car for me. Even in my current 5-series, which I believe is marginally larger externally than the 9-5, the manual is definitely my choice. The only auto I've ever owned that didn't kill the whole experience for me was in my 1973 Dodge Challenger, but that's a different story altogether.

The Jetta SportWagen looks pretty good, though I've heard mixed reviews of the 2.5L. Are you going gas or diesel?

 

[BearZDefect]

Originally Posted By: BrianWC
The slippage is only noticeable when I am in 4th gear on the interstate going say 70 mph and go to pass. I still pick up speed but it there is a definite over revving sound and slipping sensation for a second if I stab the pedal too hard.

Thoughts? Not sure I want to hear it....

I know nothing about Saab ATs, but if you stab the throttle while cruising most ATs will unlock the torque converter to allow engine speed to increase. It will stay unlocked until you ease up on the throttle, or vehicle speed increases significantly.

Torque converters 'slip' by nature, and convey a mushy slushy feeling.

 

[BrianWC]

Yeah but this slight slippage only became noticeable after I had the leak.