Most common gearbox problems!

[Kalle]

I figured we could make use of a thread collecting the most frequent errors on the Auto boxes!

I start with a few I have heard of, any moderator is welcome to edit my post as more information comes up!


Leaking ATF - blown seals, usually the torque convertor seal
Shuddering/juddering
Rough gear changes
Gears slipping - usually due to low ATF level


Please post as much useful information about these problems, such as: What is the most common reason why this error occured, what can be done to correct it, etc

And if you find any more usual errors feel free to post them here!

The correct way to measure your ATF level:

Warm the car thoroughly (at least 15 mins driving.... long after the water temp has stabilised) and park on a level surface. Cycle the box from P through each gear, stopping in each for a few seconds, and cycle back to N. Take out the dip stick, wipe it off and put it back for 1 minute. When taking it out for reading level should be between the hot marks.





Stories/experiences:

Me myself I experienced some problems with my car after I bought it..
The symptoms: A little rough gear changing, wheen braking hard and then giving it a little throttle it revved like in neutral before slamming in the correct gear.
Cause: Worn out seals causing the ATF to leak, giving the box a low ATF level.
Solution: Taking the gearbox down and replacing all seals, flushing all the old ATF out and replacing with Amsoil ATF (also changing the ATF filter).
Needed 16Liters of ATF to completely flush it and fill it up to the correct level.



Mine was:

Low / Dirty fluid = Overheating = burnt and degraded seals = shuddering and slipping = bits of metal everywhere = full rebuild


from my own experiences, i have blowen my gear box.

causes were, oil leaks and no transmission oil. gearbox missing a gear. will go from 1st gear straight to 3rd. (loud revs). some of the symptoms i had withe my 93 Galant VR4



Links to threads about gearbox problems:
Gearbox "slipping" when changing down to 2nd gear:
http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16130
I think my Super VR4 is finally forked in the transmission area:
http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16875
My Tiptronic gearbox experiences:
http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16982
juddering box:
http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16886
judder in transmission:
http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15842
removal / refit gear box :
http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11906

[mpau009]

Mine was:

Low / Dirty fluid = Overheating = burnt and degraded seals = shuddering and slipping = bits of metal everywhere = full rebuild = /Fever :5shots:

[ristor]

Has anyone noticed or experienced the same as I am with my tiptronic Galant (-99) when driving constantly at 80 km/h and using the fourth gear the car twitches time to time. And at the same time the revs of the engine jump up about 100 to 300 r/min. After a while revs drop down to original level again. It feels like the turbine locking of the gearbox releases once and a while and then after a while fastens again? The automatic gearbox oil is Mitsubishi's original so I cannot be that...

[bradc]

ristor, you are best to talk to Kieran about that, and do a search for shuddering, it will solve your problems as long as you do it fairly quickly.

[Kieran]

Well, Ristor did indeed PM me and I explained the shudder fault. He then replied again. As you can see below.

I'm not sure what to make of this... As Ristor says, it doesn't *seem* like the symptoms of the dreaded 'shudder'... And it looks like the correct ATF has been used anyway - anyone else got any comments/ideas?


Ristor's reply and extra details are below:

"Thanks a lot of your reply!!

I've just started to think (after I reading more of ClubVR4 forum's similar cases) if this this the very same shudder case? ... Because I noted that all the other that mentioned this similar problem had a very serious "shuddering" - but my Galant only does this about once in a minute when cruising smooth speed. It is it almost unnoticeable. But the fact is that when this happens the revs go up *once* a bit (100-300 r/min) and then come down again. Only once and the car isn't juddering constantly I you know what I mean. And like I said it is almost unnoticeable (for example my wife haven't noticed this at all during our trips...). But still it happens once and a while and it must concern the torque converter (it locks and then releases for some reason)...

I have now asked the local authorized Mitsubishi service to change the automatic gearbox oil three times and they used this this oil (it had Mitsubishi logo on it so it should be ok): DIA QUEEN ATF SP II or SP III). But should the gearbox still be flushed some way? (I can soon read your article of flushing because I've paid the membership fee yesterday)... What if that flushing wouldn't help my cas: do I then need a new torque convertor maybe...?"

[bradc]

I've noticed that with my car when it is cold and I am on the motorway right out from my house that the car will be at say 2600rpm, then after about 2 or 3 minutes when it is warmed up, the revs will suddenly drop by about 100rpm down to 2500rpm. This is at 110kmh, my cruising speed.

[ristor]

I think that is normal behaviour, because the automatic gearbox's torque convertor won't lock before the gearbox has certain temp. And when it locks the revs should go down a bit. But mine sometimes unlocks suddenly even if I am driving smoothly at the same speed and there is no uphills on the road and then after a while it locks again and revs go down again a bit... :huh2:

[Kalle]

It would be nice if this thread is updated and edited so that only relevant info is left

[d i c k i e s]

from my own experiences, i have blowen my gear box.

causes were, oil leaks and no transmission oil. gearbox missing a gear. will go from 1st gear straight to 3rd. (loud revs). some of the symptoms i had withe my 93 Galant VR4

[You See]

I figured we could make use of a thread collecting the most frequent errors on the Auto boxes!
1st error.....IT'S AN AUTO!!! /duh
2nd error....IT'S AN AUTO!!! :smash:
3rd error....IT'S AN AUTO!!! :sleeping:
:P :P :P :P :P :P :P

[david]

in my origional post rear end wiggle i am sure you have a similar problem the revs go up and the car twitches this prob has now progressed over the weeks it started to lock up a rear wheel when you droped below the abs cut in speed this has got worse i have now pulled the 2 60 amp fuses from the abs and tcl this has cured the jump in revs and twitch and have now noticed the brakes have a problem which i am hoping was giving false info to the ayc&tcl