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Date:         Wed, 16 Oct 2002 14:21:02 -0400
Reply-To:     Marla Stelk <mjstelk@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Marla Stelk <mjstelk@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      87 tranny problems (sorry -kinda long)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Hi Volks,

So I've dug through the archives and found a few suggestions to try, but I thought I'd also write to the list and see if anyone could say "oh yea -same thing happened to me so try this!". My van came with a new transmission that was put in by a shop called "Transmission Specialists" - not a VW place specifically. When I got my pre-purchase inspection done, the VW mechanic told me my tranny was leaking and to get it fixed while I still had a month warranty on it. So I took it in to the tranny guys, and they said the transmission was not leaking, but my differential was. So I go back to the VW guy, and he said, well, their both leaking, but don't worry about it, just keep checking your tranny fluid level. So now its a year later, and I drove up to Buses by the Buoy gathering in Maine about 2 weeks ago. My tranny started acting weird - sticking a bit. We all pulled in to a campground and of course, as soon as I opened my engine compartment I got a bunch of guys who came to look. They noticed that my tranny fluid level was below the minimum mark and we filled it up. I also had oil all over my engine compartment, especially around the air filter area. I think that was due to having a NAPA oil filter instead of a Mann b/c since I changed it I haven't had oil on the engine. Anyway, I drove home (southeastern Mass.) and still had problems with tranny sticking occasionally. So I took the suggestion of some folks on the list and changed the tranny filter and gasket. There wasn't any metal flakes in it, but it was kinda brown. The guy who helped me change it said that it was a Japanese transmission....(is that okay?) We filled it while warmed up and running, but it took in a little more fluid than was stated by Bentley...

Thinking since the tranny was only a year old, that the filter change would fix the problem, I took off to Western Mass. for an art show that I was in over the weekend. The tranny started getting weird again, this time slipping from 4th into 3rd while highway driving, and then sticking and slipping while trying to accelerate off the highway ramp. Then my power steering belt flipped. So I was able to replace the power steering belt myself, but had to hobble home with the tranny acting all weird. Athough it would sometimes drive okay - it was more difficult if going up a hill, but if I put the gas petal to the floor, it seemed to accelerate okay. BTW - its had a funny smell to it for a while now. Oh yea, I don't see any leaks dripping from the tranny or the differential, and I've had it parked with a piece of cardboard underneath it. But, it somehow leaks fluid, because it checked the levels while stopped off the highway and the tranny was again low on fluild even tho it had been just filled two days earlier!

I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. I don't really understand what what the diffential does. From what I've read in the archives, it could be the seal between the differential and the tranny, or it could be the hydrolics... I'm really upset because I feel like I had this checked out by 2 mechanics who told me not to worry about it and now I'm worried that I have some really expensive repair on my hands that I really can't afford right now. Thanks for any and all help on this.

Peace, Marla '87 Westy Van "Morrison"Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com


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