1st gear only is slipping/not engaging - 1999 Automatic VR4

[kzv76]

I have a 1999 Galant VR-4 Automatic with 88K. When I select drive it sometimes shifts into 1st, sometimes not, then when I press the accelerator I get some drive then it slips and then I get no drive. If I slide it over into tip tronic mode I can select 1st and it works perfectly. Once near the top of first gear moving along I can slide over into D and it shifts perfectly up into 2nd 3rd 4th and 5th, and also shifts fine in tip tronic. When I come to a stop, It shows its in 1st but has no drive and slips. Slide over to tip tronic and it engages first and drives away.

I've already flushed the transmission fluid and replaced with new but no change.

Any ideas what this could be?

Thanks in advance

[elnevio]

Strange one!

How is the fluid level?

Also, have you pulled the fault codes, as this may give some pointers.

[Subaru ETA]

ECU fault maybe? Is it on its original trans?
Also, what fluid is in it?

[kzv76]

Fluid level is correct as it has been flush and been filled with the mitsi Queen SPIII. Cost me £84! Fluid that came out was a bit dark but didn't smell bad. Haven't attempted fault codes yet. Looks to me as if the trans has been pulled and dissasembled at some point as there is orange sealant between the alu casing parts. I'm sure mitsi didn't use orange sealant.

[elnevio]

If the SP-III was approximately £15 a litre (IIRC), then only the oil in the sump will have been dropped. There is about the same again in the gearbox internals. The only true flush is to run the engine while the feed and drain pipes are disconnected so that only new ATF is going in until all the old is out and only new ATF is coming back out. Whilst the gearbox capacity is 8.9L, you often need around 12L or so to flush the old crap out.

The best oil for these gearboxes, which far outperforms SP-III, as well as having cleaning qualities, is Amsoil Universal ATF. If you have a problem gearbox, quite often the Amsoil will improve it, or even clear the issue completely. Obviously, it can't replace metal, so if there is severe damage, it won't get any better.

Because your issue only affects first when it is in D rather than 1 in tiptronic, I would think that it could be a fluid issue, but I guess it could be a solenoid. However, the boxes are mostly black magic, so it's difficult to say!

As for the ATF level, it should be checked when the gearbox is warm, and in N, after cycling through P N R D 1 2 1 D R N a couple of times. And repeated readings should be taken as the level is difficult to see.

My original gearbox had the reddy/orangey sealant. Pretty sure that stuff is original.

[kzv76]

I bought 10L of the stuff and performed the flush with the engine running and watched the color change from brown to cherry as it filled into a bucket with the pipe off the cooler. Mitsi are selling it for £7/L down the road from me.

I'm interested in the solenoid route, how many of these solenoids are there and how do I go about changing them?

I'm assuming that only 1st gear solenoid - if there is one - needs replacing. is it these?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/F4A41-F4A42-...f68683&vxp=mtr

[elnevio]

Good to see that the flush was performed correctly!


I'll admit that I'm not aware of people changing the solenoids (unless Peter Thomson did at some point?).

The gearbox may need removing to get to them, again I'm not sure. I'd be tempted to source a replacement gearbox for the price they are. @Davezj had a 1999 autobox with ECU that would be a perfect fit. It was in mine, but I had compatibility issues with mine being a PFL and having TCL/ASC. The box came out of a 80,000 mile car, having been previously run on Amsoil, and also for the 5,000 miles or so it did in mine, as well as having the TC seal replaced. It was running beautifully in the car it was removed from the day before it went into mine. I subsequently sourced a PFL box to sort my issue.

Just an option, if it's available.

[kzv76]

The seller states "This is generally a high failure item and many times the cause of shifting issues." Part of me is thinking that's saleman talk, but does sound like that's the problem with mine. I do fancy getting one but I'd like to know exactly where it goes first.

How much are these autoboxes and do you need a matching TCU to go with them?

[Confused]

Moving to tiptronic will have no bearing on how the gearbox is mechanically operating - however, it will affect how the ECU controls the gearbox, mostly due to using different bits of code. Maybe it's possible that something has gone awry with the memory/programming within the ECU and when in D it is encountering a memory issue and not executing the bit of code to shift into 1st properly.


However - when you move the lever into D, it is making a physical movement within the box, engaging what is essentially 3rd gear. The other gears are then selected hydraulically from here. I'd have expected that without the correct signals to the valves, it would fail back to 3rd. When slowing in D, it will bypass 2nd gear and drop directly from 3rd to 1st... But, that doesn't explain why it would work when flicking over to Tiptronic mode...


Auto gearboxes for these cars are ridiculously cheap - it's cheaper to just replace the box than even bother to open up your current one. There are a number of revisions of the gearbox, which from experience on the site needs the matching ECU - but in some cases even with the matching gearbox ECU, there are still odd issues (due the interconnectivity of the various ECUs for engine, gearbox, AYC, ABS etc)

I would suggest getting the 99 box + ECU that was in Nev's car, and try initially swapping just the ECU - this should be identical to your current setup, and might rule out an ECU issue - and then if you need to swap the boxes, you've already got the correct box.


Sorry - this was a bit of rambling and typing whilst randomly thinking things, it may make some sense, it may not!

[kzv76]

The thing is, it does go into 1st when you select D from P. It then gives some drive but then looses it. sometimes it'll have enough bite that it'll shift up into 2nd. You flick over to tip tronic, it engages and your away. come to a stop and it doesn't engage 1st, but shows it in 1st. It won't roll backwards on a hill either whilst doing this.

Does that change anyone's thinking?

Also I'd like to get hold of a replacement box and TCM if anyone has one?

[BubbaLeggyVR4]

Torque converter slipping??
Jus a guess as u say its holding on a hill but looses it if u speed up sometimes.
Does it change with take off? Eg Booting it or Pootling it? lol

[kzv76]

When I change between N and D it does engage 1st but after 1500RPM it slips. After this it does not hold on hill I've come to realize. Also once it slips, 1st never comes back unless I select tip tronic. If I flip back to N and then into D 1st comes back and process starts all over again.

[kzv76]

Does anyone know of a 1999 autobox and matching ECU for sale? I've tried so many things that I think this route is going to be the easiest IMO.

[Davezj]

I have a 1999 Galant VR-4 Automatic with 88K. When I select drive it sometimes shifts into 1st, sometimes not, then when I press the accelerator I get some drive then it slips and then I get no drive. If I slide it over into tip tronic mode I can select 1st and it works perfectly. Once near the top of first gear moving along I can slide over into D and it shifts perfectly up into 2nd 3rd 4th and 5th, and also shifts fine in tip tronic. When I come to a stop, It shows its in 1st but has no drive and slips. Slide over to tip tronic and it engages first and drives away.

I've already flushed the transmission fluid and replaced with new but no change.

Any ideas what this could be?

Thanks in advance

Has it always done this or is it a recent occurrence?
What I am getting at is have you just bought the car with this issue?

I and a few other have had the same symptoms after swapping out a broken gear box in my case it wa a mismatch between the older auto box and and Newer ecu, I just swapped out the auto box ecu for the correct age one to match the auto box and it worked perfectly. This was in a pre facelift car.

Just thought I would point this out.

[kzv76]

Hi Dave, I bought the car like this, the box looks as if it has been swapped out at some point. So possibly the correct age ECU will cure it? Any numbers on the autobox that will help me match it?

[Davezj]

Yes the numbers are available.
Firstly is you car a facelift or pre facelift?

[kzv76]

It's facelift 1999 UK Spec 5sp Auto

[Humpty's Revenge]

It's facelift 1999 UK Spec 5sp Auto

I have got 2 facelift 1999 gearbox ecu's from 2 imports

If there is no difference between uk/import I have one readily available & one I will need to find ?

If that helps out please let me know what numbers are on top of the black plastic cover so I can see if there's any difference if that matters of course ?

[Davezj]

It's facelift 1999 UK Spec 5sp Auto

OK so can you post up you chassis number so i see what model number your original auto box was.
then you need to remove the air box inlet snokle and get a torch and shine it down on the top of the gear box, there is a model number on top of the auto box on a small flat area next to where the external filter was on the earlier version of the auto box.

i will try and find the threads that show the location of the model number in a picture and the different model numbers there are, it is only about 3 different models.

[kzv76]

Chassis: EC5A-0300366
AutoBox: W5A513E6A ES2166

If I knew where the transmission ecu was I'd give you those numbers too.

I'm a Mk6 Galant VR4 & DSM guy I've got one of each - I'm new to these Mk8's

You guys are really helpful!