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Date:         Thu, 20 Jul 2006 23:39:24 -0400
Reply-To:     John Lauterbach <lauterba@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Lauterbach <lauterba@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Subject:      Re: AT Fluid Burping out of ATF Dip Stick Tube? Causes Trans
              Malfunction, 88 Auto
Comments: To: robertmstewart <robertmstewart@MAC.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

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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