Date: Sun, 12 Sep 2010 22:39:31 -0400
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Transmission slippage - help!
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTinbQiDkdwWiMtBQWZdYW_ZUKCsmfQqPUHY-ThLj@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Please accept my apologies. My response was a bit hard but it was not in
response to your gender.
I regularly see folks get these vehicles based on a perception of that
"great VW' tradition. While these vehicles are great for many reasons,
getting a 20 year old high mileage vehicle of any nature should not be
considered for long term, reliable, it has to run every day, easy to keep
transportation. If you really "Can't have any getting stranded" then you
may have to re-evaluate having a vehicle like this as your only vehicle. The
reality is that any vehicle even new ones can and do have failures. I can
tell you some stories about my 2004 Diesel Pusher motor home.
Engines and transmissions rarely fail without warning or cause. You are
getting the warnings. Fluid changes, magic treatments, adjustments etc., is
just denial of the inevitable. Unless you tell a shop differently, most will
only point out things that need to be done immediately and if you are not
using someone that knows these things intimately you will also get some poor
advice. At some point you may find that the purchase price was just the
down payment. This will happen quickly if you live in an area with $100/hour
labor rates and retail parts pricing. If something has not been replaced in
the last 5 to 10 years you will at some point have to deal with it. This
includes heater cores, radiator, brakes including calipers and drums/rotors,
wiring parts, and the suspension. Some of these repairs will require down
time.
If you have not already done so, one of the best investments you can make is
a towing plan. If you notice most participants on this list do much of their
own work. Get some books, including the Bentley service manual and consider
some other education. Auto mechanics and basic electricity will get you
through most any situation and some of the night courses can be a lot of
fun.
And since you are a girl, welcome aboard and let us know when we can help.
Dennis!
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Annie
Sent: Sunday, September 12, 2010 12:05 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Transmission slippage - help!
Dennis -
I may be just a girl, but I'm not that dumb. ;-)
Of course I didn't think "all I had to do was just drive it." As I mentioned
in the original post, I bought it in January and had the transmission
serviced. I actually had more than that done - tuneup, oil change, new
exhaust, flushed the cooling system, new brakes, new CV joints, new wheel
bearings all around, new axles in the rear and much, much, much more.
No, I'm not stupid.
*Annie Anderson* Blogger, Designer, Thinker & Mom
web: annieandersonblog.com email: lsandrsn@gmail.com
twitter: silverlunace <http://twitter.com/silverlunace> facebook:
anniesanderson <http://facebook.com/anniesanderson>
*Blazin' a trail where there is no path.*
On Sun, Sep 12, 2010 at 6:55 AM, Dennis Haynes
<d23haynes57@hotmail.com>wrote:
> At 25 years and 175,000 miles that tranny owes nobody anything. The
> symptoms can be a hydraulic problem or the clutches are just plain
> worn out. You need to get it properly repaired before you burn it up
> an make it non-rebuildable. Hopefully you didn't buy that vehicle
> thinking all you had to do was drive it.
>
> Dennis
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
> Behalf Of Annie
> Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 2010 2:23 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: Transmission slippage - help!
>
> Ok . . . this morning after I took my kids to school, making sure it
> was good and warm by time I got home, I checked the fluid level again.
> It was a little below the lower dot so I added some fluid and brought
> it up to about midway between the dots.
>
> I haven't driven yet since I added more fluid but I will check it
> again after I get home this afternoon from picking up the kids and let
> you know what happens.
>
> Thanks,
> ~Annie
>
> On Tue, Sep 7, 2010 at 9:40 PM, Annie <lsandrsn@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > No, I'm sure it isn't overfull. It's a little below the top mark. I
> > am always super careful when I put fluids in anywhere to ensure I
> > don't get too much.
> >
> > It's got 174,000 miles on it. But I've only owned it since January.
> > Had a bunch of work done to it including a complete trans service
> > back in February/March. From what I can tell, it was very well cared
> > for in its early life. The guy I bought it from, however, had driven
> > it pretty
> hard.
> >
> > I will double check it tomorrow and make sure again that it's not
> > too full just to be even more absolutely sure. I'll let you know
> > what I find out. If anyone else has any other thoughts in the
> > meantime, please
> do
> share!
> >
> > Thanks!
> > ~Annie
> >
> > On Tue, Sep 7, 2010 at 9:18 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <
> > scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
> >
> >> maybe Daryl will comment.
> >>
> >> one things ...make super sure it is not overfull.
> >> that's like fully warmed up and parked on the level, the AF level
> >> must not be above the top mark on the dipstick. Hyper important.
> >>
> >> re the comment " I just thought
> >>
> >> perhaps it was because I'd driven quite a few miles traveling back
> >> and
> >>> forth
> >>> to Seattle and Bellevue "
> >>>
> >>
> >> that by itself will not cause a problem ..
> >> it should be able to drive tank after thankful after thankful, back
> >> and forth across the US several times if you ask it to.
> >> Just 'driving it normally' doesn't make it act up unless something
> >> is worn or tired.
> >>
> >> how many miles on it ?
> >> be super sure it's not overfull.
> >>
> >> Scott
> >> www.turbovans.com
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Annie" <lsandrsn@GMAIL.COM>
> >> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> >> Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2010 8:47 PM
> >> Subject: Transmission slippage - help!
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Hi, all
> >>>
> >>> Seems I'm having some transmission slippage. I've got an '85 GL
> >>> with an auto trans. I've checked the fluid levels numerous times
> >>> and it's right where it should be. I did add a little a few weeks
> >>> ago but it wasn't too low. I haven't noticed any fluid leaking from
anywhere.
> >>>
> >>> The slipping seems to happen shifting from 2nd into drive and then
> >>> once you come to a stop and the transmission downshifts. Sometimes
> >>> it's like it doesn't fully disengage or something as it kinda
> >>> "clunks" once you've stopped and makes the van lurch slightly. I
> >>> hope what I'm saying makes sense. ;-)
> >>>
> >>> It also seems to slip once you've slowed down a little and then go
> >>> to speed back up again - it's like it doesn't engage again. It
> >>> started this a few weeks ago but it was very intermittent at the
> >>> time and I just thought perhaps it was because I'd driven quite a
> >>> few miles traveling back and forth to Seattle and Bellevue for two
> >>> weeks every day. (About 130 miles or so per
> >>> day.)
> >>>
> >>> Any thoughts, ideas, suggestions etc would be greatly appreciated.
> >>> This is my only vehicle right now and the kids just went back to
> >>> school today.
> >>> Can't
> >>> have any getting stranded!
> >>>
> >>> Thanks!
> >>> ~Annie
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >
>
>
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