PDA

View Full Version : Skittish Gearbox



Funkstar
16-11-2005, 09:33 PM
Been having some issues recently with the gear change. Happens mainly when driving slowly onto my driveway, it will drop down a gear but just rev for a few seconds like its not in gear, then click in lurging forward.
Tends to happen more in the cold but also when its been driven for a fair time.

Also the change between drive and reverse takes much longer than usual.

Had a service with all oils changed not 2 months ago and cant have done more than 1500 miles since. Have checked the oil levels and it seems fine.

Any ideas guys? Should I be worried?

richy rich
16-11-2005, 09:56 PM
this is prob to do with your ATF
low on ATF (best way to check it is worm up engine for about 15 Min's then park on level ground park in N with engine running check AFT level)
wrong AFT

Wodjno
16-11-2005, 10:00 PM
this is prob to do with your ATF
low on ATF (best way to check it is worm up engine for about 15 Min's then park on level ground park in N with engine running check AFT level)
wrong AFT

Or still dirty if cos they didn't flush all the crap out and just drained the sump and filled it back up again. /yes You will find a thread on how to change and flush your ATF written by Kieren explaining how it should and shouldn't be done :thumbsup:

richy rich
16-11-2005, 10:03 PM
Or still dirty if cos they didn't flush all the crap out and just drained the sump and filled it back up again. /yes You will find a thread on how to change and flush your ATF written by Keiren explaining how it should and shouldn't be done :thumbsup:
:thumbsup:

Kieran
16-11-2005, 10:11 PM
:smug:

Funkstar
16-11-2005, 10:40 PM
Cheers for the heads up guys.

Kieran, even though your instructions are extremely well illustrated, I dont think I will be attempting it myself as I haven't the first scooby what the hell I'm doing with cars and would rather leave it to the proffesionals and pay for it to be done.

Have to remember next time to ask for a flush and not just a change.

Thanks again guys. :thumbsup:

Physician
16-11-2005, 11:13 PM
Funkstar ........

Was the service done at Mitsy dealer?

If so, I'd be of a mind to take it back and tell them that you have been having issues with the box since the fluid change. Ask them what ATF they used and tell them you have drained some to have it checked. Also ask them for a copy of the official Mitsubishi service manual instructions sheet for this particular job and ask if they followed the instructions exactly. ie: drain, flush, refill etc.

You will also get a good indication of what they did from the labour details on the invoice for the job.

Now, of course, they may just bullsh|t you with technobabble BUT if they forsee a claim for a whole new box they will at the very least re-do the change correctly.

Wodjno
16-11-2005, 11:25 PM
As Physician says, check with where you had it done and the main giveaway to if they did't flush it out , is the amount of oil they charged you for to refill it.. AFAIR it's around 5litres if it wasn't flushed and 9ish litres if it was. /Hmmm

Funkstar
16-11-2005, 11:35 PM
I took it to a friend of a friends who, as it happens, used to be a mechanic for my local Mitsubishi. Has his own garage now and works mainly with Evos and performance cars.

He did the change the same time as changing my transfer box, and I remember it taking a while to source the right type of oil for that. So I should hope he would have used the right type of gearbox oil also.

But whether he flushed the system I dont know but will definatly find out.

Physician
16-11-2005, 11:39 PM
...........

But whether he flushed the system I dont know but will definatly find out.

OK, also I guess the other thing you could try is disconnecting battery for a few minutes to reset the ECU's and see if that has any effect. However, after some 1500 miles I would guess it would not be that. Worth a shot though ........

Funkstar
09-12-2005, 04:57 PM
Sorry to open up an old thread but I just want to finish this one off. Have had a full flush and change(oil and filter), done by a mechanic friend in his spare time, following a print out of Kierans instructions. :thumbsup:

Seems a lot better, other than still a little bit jerky going from 2nd to 3rd. Even when it is warm.

Regarding Physicians post above, if I was to disconnect the battery for a few minutes, would I have any problems with the settings of the radio (keycodes) or with the alarm???

Thanks for all your help.

I-S
09-12-2005, 05:02 PM
What ATF was used this time around?

Funkstar
09-12-2005, 05:12 PM
What ATF was used this time around?

Dexron 3.

Kieran
09-12-2005, 05:15 PM
Dexron 3.

/wall Probably why you're still getting a bit of a 'grabby' change.... Dex3 is okayish, but it's not the right spec.

Gly
10-12-2005, 03:02 AM
get the lubeguard hmf additive....

i just did my trans today, complete flush, used extron 3 + lubegard... sweet as

Funkstar
10-12-2005, 10:44 AM
I'll give that a go Gly, cheers. Can someone quickly answer my question above about the battery. Gonna give that a go before the missus drags me out christmas shopping. :veryangry

Gly
11-12-2005, 01:27 AM
re battery... alarm will be fine...
your stereo has a keycode??? didnt think that mitsi did this in there cars??

Rossco Type-S
12-12-2005, 07:35 AM
I was have the same symptoms, flushing ATF did the trick, car is smoother than ever.

Wasn't cheap though - $NZ199 at local mitsi dealer.

amsoil
12-12-2005, 10:06 AM
I have been looking into Lubeguard and the best explanation is as below:-

'The fluids are generally cross-compatible except that non-synthetic fluid (+3) won't last as long in your transmission.

I found this out from the scientists at Lubeguard. I spoke to them about adding their friction modifier to the transmission in my 2000 Neon when I added (+3) fluid after doing a pan drop and filter change.

They told me that (+3) was fine in the car, so long as I changed it sooner than I would have with (+4). Adding the modifier to (+3) would overcompensate and damage the integrity of the fluid.

That's something you won't hear from a dealership... probably because they don't even know. Good to know.'

So IMHO the Dex 3 is mineral based and the Dex 4 a synthetic. The Dex 4 is therefore slipperier and the Lubeguard added to the mineral oil will bring it upto the 'slippricity' of the Dex 4. All will appear to be fine (provided you have measured and put in the correct quantity).
If Mitzy are quoting Dex 4 one would think they are doing it for a reason; with a Dex 4 synthetic you wont get varnishing or sludge build up = sticky solenoids etc. The Dex 4 being synthetic will also take a greater temperature and be very much more difficult to break if at all, it will also last longer.
Not wishing to scare people here, nor am I saying that you must buy my oil. Just saying that you must be careful and please do the research for yourselves, I would of course welcome any additional comments or even tell me that I'm completely wrong, just starting to get paranoid that the fix in a bottle may result in tears.

Regards Don

Kieran
12-12-2005, 11:42 AM
For those of us with gearboxes that may already be bunged up (like me), the only flush I can find is by Forte... Are there any others, and is the forte stuff any good? :inquisiti

amsoil
12-12-2005, 12:18 PM
I will 'phone up Amsoil Inc this afternoon (their morning) and see what they say.

Kieran
12-12-2005, 11:32 PM
I will 'phone up Amsoil Inc this afternoon (their morning) and see what they say.

Yeah, let me know - I am wanting to place an order with you, so the sooner you can advise, the sooner I can order some amsoil goodness!

amsoil
13-12-2005, 10:36 PM
Amsoil Inc do not recommend their flush to be put in an auto box and go so far as to say that they would be surprised if anyone would recommend such a thing; the loosening of and the residues could be a major problem. The normal practice in the States is to have a machine put new fluid in whilst the old is pumped out and the change in colour can be noted when this has been accomplished; this procedure usually 'wastes' 2 quarts/ litres to ensure the change is complete. Sounds like the Big Boys version of what is outlined in this Forum to me.
A full synthetic introduced in this way will slowly and continually dissolve residues away. Basically clean everything up over time
As they appeared to be a bit horrified at the suggestion I'm not sure I would go down this route.
Regards Don

Kieran
13-12-2005, 10:53 PM
Right - fair play!

I-S
13-12-2005, 10:58 PM
Don- Mitsubishi don't recommend dexron at all... This is part of the problem. People (including mitsubishi dealerships) use Dexron III instead of Mitsubishi SPII/SPIII, and the fluid specifications are quite different (with regards dexron being friction modified and DiaQueen SPII/SPIII being highly friction modified... Kieran wrote a good piece about it in the member's section). The problem is that you simply can't get SPII or SPIII outside of the far east (Hyundai and Petronas produce SP compatible fluids, as Hyundai and Proton use mitsubishi gearboxes and engines).

Amsoil ATF was the ONLY ATF I could find available in the UK that is EXPLICITY SPII/SPIII compatible.

amsoil
13-12-2005, 11:55 PM
Got it the penny has dropped! Best everyone buys my Amsoil ATF then, just hope the 100 cases I have on the water are enough for you all! :happy: I did wonder because Dextron is a GM spec from what I have found out. Also Dextron 3 is mineral and won't take the heat and abuse of the Amsoil ATF by a long way
If you look at the Amsoil site at
https://www.amsoil.com/storefront/atf.aspx
You will see the comparison, and and the difference is huge....
My site still has the old spec details still shown (yes they keep continually improving their products and don't generally tell anyone which can be a bit annoying in some ways)
http://www.performanceoilsltd.co.uk/automatic_transmission_fluid.html
And you can see the differences in operation temperature range. The differences are again huge ....
When you take time to look at these and think about it a bit anyone not using the Amsoil ATF must be barking; especially if you are pushing the car or tracking it. Hey it will last longer . It will therefore be cheaper . It could save your transmition and how much does one of those babies cost .
A 'no brainer' IMHO but i have said this before and at least some of you are the converted. :thumbsup: Maybe I should approach some of these Mitzy dealers? :rolleyes4

Kieran
14-12-2005, 01:14 AM
Well, my local dealer uses Morris Lubricants, and they sell Liquimatic Super ATF (a DexronIII brew) by the litre to Joe Punter for about £9. Funnily enough I declined. That's also the stuff they'll chuck in the cars at service time. Match or beat that and you could be on a winner perhaps?

Just out of interest, did the Guys at Amsoil understand I was on about a transmission flush additive and not an engine oil flush additive? It's just something about their response that makes me wonder.

This is the stuff I was looking at... Camskill will sell it standalone or as a 'Transmission Service Kit' which is basically 10 litres of Comma AQ3 (Dex.III) a Mitsu Transmission filter and a tube of this stuff - you need two tubes for a flush, apparently.

Lubeguard also do a transmission flush additive - I have already used that and I *don't think* it's had any ill effects:

http://www.forteuk.co.uk/Automatic_transmission.htm

amsoil
14-12-2005, 02:16 AM
Well at £9 per litre that works out more than Club members can get my Amsoil synthetic ATF for.
Yes Amsoil Technical knew it was auto boxes as they mentioned about dropping the pan and cleaning it out properly; things are a bit different over there as most of the additive people have been effectively 'taken out' by the Multi Nationals with litigation over their claims. There was a time I used Slick 50 but I hear they are sued out of existance in the States, makes you wonder. I don't think Lubeguard has come under attack though. (I stand to be corrected) I think I would save the money and let the Amsoil synthetic clean the trannys insides and not be too concerned if it changes colour whilst it does it.