Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 22:42:22 -0400
Reply-To: robertmstewart <robertmstewart@MAC.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: robertmstewart <robertmstewart@MAC.COM>
Subject: Re: AT Fluid Burping out of ATF Dip Stick Tube? Causes Trans
Malfunction, 88 Auto
In-Reply-To: <44C03C9E.6090500@verizon.net>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"
I checked in Park with engine off. 5-10 min after running.
on 7/20/06 10:31 PM, Mike Collum at collum@VERIZON.NET wrote:
> Were you checking the ATF level with the engine running and while in
> park or neutral?
>
> Mike
>
>
> robertmstewart wrote:
>> Hello everyone,
>>
>> I have a question for you, my 88 Auto with a used good condition Tranny all
>> of a sudden today started to fail and I am at a loss and need your
>> feedback...
>>
>> (The short version is this: ATF burping and how does a perfectly working AT
>> go to a non-functioning AT?)
>>
>> Hereıs the background:
>>
>> The vanıs past owner before the person I purchased it from was a VW Mechanic
>> and the prior owner and he installed another auto trans from another good
>> working vanıs tranny several years ago.
>>
>> I have had the van since January 06. Since then the transmission has been
>> shifting normally, and for the last month I have been traveling 3-4 hour
>> trips from Long Island to Upstate NY and doing some serious highway driving
>> and mountain driving. Usually I put in at least 8 hours of solid driving per
>> weekend for 4 weekends. All in all the van has performed great..
>>
>> Hereıs where the story starts.. Just before my first long trip (4 weeks ago)
>> I check all fluids, stupidly I did it when the van was cold, and in doing so
>> thought the ATF was low so I added just a little bit to what was in there,
>> now after about 3hrs of driving, I pull into the driveway at my destination
>> and park the van, well I see ATF fluid burping out of the Dip Stick tube!
>> Not much just a little 1/4 cup. I figure itıs just the overflow kicking out.
>> I check it in 10 minutes and the level is fine.
>>
>> Well 4 weeks pass and I drive it pretty hard to and from the LI to Upstate
>> NY, 8 hrs per weekend (3x) all is good. Today I start the van up and drive 1
>> mile away from the house in Long Island to the grocery, on the way I can see
>> smoke from the back of the van, it smells like the ATF burping and leaking
>> onto the exhaust. I park at the grocery and see it burping out, about 1/4
>> 1/2 cup. I do some shopping come back 15 min. later, and drive the 1 mile
>> home, all seems fine. No smoke. After it cools down a bit I check the ATF
>> fluid and it appears a bit low, so I top it off with Dexron III and
>> accidentally over fill it but not by much.
>>
>> About 4 hours later I get in the van and drive back the same direction about
>> 1 mile to go to the post office and immediately I can detect something is
>> not right.
>> At the stop light with the brake on I can see the rpmıs go from about 875
>> and revs to about 1,000, then levels off again, normally at idle it stays
>> right at 875. I thought the surging was strange. I then continue to drive
>> and again I see the smoke occurring again from the back of the van, smells
>> again like ATF on the exhaust, now I decide to head right to me local
>> standard mechanic not my VW guy cause he was closed.
>>
>> The local guy tells me the burping is normal if there is to much ATF in the
>> case. So he checks the fluid and he says the level is good. He tells me to
>> bring it by in the morning as I wanted them to check the brakes since I just
>> had all the brakes replaced (the original ones were too rusty). I then
>> decide to take a little drive just a mile down the road along beach to let
>> the fluid cycle through and burn off the stuff was sitting on the exhaust
>> and I thought that maybe taking it up to highway speed would be good, to get
>> the fluid really circulating. Bad idea...
>>
>> As I drive this simple little straight route I notice the transmission is
>> not engaging right, when I take my foot off the brake it usually goes
>> forward on its own, this time nothing.. I have to gas it. Then it gets
>> progressively worse. It goes into 1st, then second, then it revıs and then
>> goes to 3rd, and then I thought, oh crap! I have problems. Time to get it
>> back to the mechanic!
>>
>> Well To late, I turn it around to go back the mile I came and now at the
>> stop light I give it gas and it goes now where!
>>
>> I am stuck during rush hour and everyone is honking, my flasher are on, but
>> people donıt pay attention. I signal for them to go around me. People are
>> screaming, others understand..
>>
>> I call the mechanic and see if they can come by and push me the 4 blocks to
>> the garage, he says he canıt. I then call AAA to haul my van back, but
>> right after I decide to start the van and try... Well it starts to move,
>> each time I stop itıs a crap shoot to whether it will move. It never gets
>> past 1st gear. I have to literally move my body a little forward to try and
>> coax the van to get in gear and move, but somehow I get to the garage. While
>> the engine is still hot I check the ATF level, I see a hair on the end, but
>> it was pretty try.
>>
>> So what is going on with all the burping and how does a perfectly working AT
>> go to a non-functioning AT? The mechanic suspected that the AT is
>> overheating.. What does this mean? I just hope this does turn into a massive
>> money pit now.....
>>
>> I hope someone here can shed some light on the burping issue, and why all of
>> a sudden the transmission would not engage...
>>
>> Thanks in advance,
>> Robert
>>
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