Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 23:08:49 -0400
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
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
Yes, Good point. Van level, especially side to side. Tranny driven at
least a couple blocks, engine running. Park or neutral does not matter.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of Mike Collum
Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2006 10:32 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: AT Fluid Burping out of ATF Dip Stick Tube? Causes Trans
Malfunction, 88 Auto
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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