Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2006 00:30:09 -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: <C0E5C6C4.9B3D%robertmstewart@mac.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Robert,
I am only about a 1/2 hour or so away from you. I'm sure I can help.
If you can do your own oil change, you do not need a shop to check and
adjust the ATF level. Unscrewing the dip stick tube will drain it fast
and 2.5 quarts will pretty much refill it. It really has to be super
overfilled to burp out of the tube. I'll bet money on a breather
problem. Under filling can starve the oil pump and that can be damaged
but that takes some doing. Having the tranny slip from trying to drive
it when low will burn up the clutches and that is bad. Do you have a
Bentley? Check it. It will ID the breathers.
If you have a lot of money to get rid of, keep bringing the van to
shops. If you want any resemblance of economy of operation, you need
some training. I can help there also. You also need a really good
evaluation and then a plan to keep this thing alive and well.
Another thing to check is the ATF cooler. You need to make sure it is
getting good water flow.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: robertmstewart [mailto:robertmstewart@mac.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2006 11:48 PM
To: John Lauterbach; Vanagon List Serv; Dennis Haynes
Subject: Re: AT Fluid Burping out of ATF Dip Stick Tube? Causes Trans
Malfunction, 88 Auto
John, Good point..
Dennis do you recommend anyone in the Long Beach/Ocean side area?
How do I find a good place? What do I look for?
What kids of questions do I need to ask?
Robert
on 7/20/06 11:39 PM, John Lauterbach at lauterba@bellsouth.net wrote:
> Rob, around 2001-2002, the AT in my '84 started doing strange things,
> popping seals, burping, slipping, etc. One of the techs at what is
now a
> Tires Plus store suggested I get the van towed to an AT shop on the
other
> side of the city. He and his boss arrange the towing and a couple of
days
> later the AT shop called me up and said my van was ready. I asked how
much
> and I was told to bring $125. I had a buddy drive me to the shop,
which
> from the outside looked worse than a bad junk yard. Inside the
building was
> a different story.
>
> In any case, I was glad that I took the van to some real AT pros,
people who
> were doing AT for a living and had their own shop, not a franchise.
>
> John
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "robertmstewart" <robertmstewart@MAC.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2006 11:24 PM
> Subject: Re: AT Fluid Burping out of ATF Dip Stick Tube? Causes Trans
> Malfunction, 88 Auto
>
>
> John,
>
> Thanks for this info, what's a good cleaning run?
>
> My mechanics all charge around $85 an hour.
>
> Do I need to take it a professional Transmission mechanic?
>
> Do I even think of going to a place like Midas?
>
> My closest VW mechanics are very finicky, they are bit lazy too. Old
timers.
>
> They are good but hate to get really messy.
>
> Rob
>
>
> on 7/20/06 11:15 PM, John Lauterbach at lauterba@bellsouth.net wrote:
>
>> One good thing about the Vanagon AT is that it is relatively simple
and a
>> good, honest AT shop should be able to fix the problem. My guess
would be
>> that some of the critical fluid passages are clogged up and the
internal
>> fluid pressures aren't correct. It may be that all the transmission
needs
>> is a good professional cleaning.
>>
>> John
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "robertmstewart" <robertmstewart@MAC.COM>
>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>> Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2006 9:52 PM
>> Subject: AT Fluid Burping out of ATF Dip Stick Tube? Causes Trans
>> Malfunction, 88 Auto
>>
>>
>> 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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