New problem swapped transmission won't move

[ericem]

Hey guys, I have my car parked at my friends house trying to figure out wtf happened, but when the car is rolling it is binding, locking up, and bucking! Its reallly bad, it happened all of a sudden as well, I can't even tell if my awd still works because it is very scary when I accelerate!

 

Its a 94 SS auto, quiete a few months ago replaced the tranny and the transfer case, however the awd is very delayed and possibly could have shocked it. Is it possible the transfer case broke like the gears etc?? I really need to get this fixed ASAP had a long road trip planned even bought new brakes and booked a alignment

 

I can get the car towed thinking ill use a friends shop and take apart the transfer case I have a parts tranny I can get from a friend. Hoping it is just the transfer case.

 

Any other suggestions or opinions to help get this resolved BEFORE friday night would be WELL appreciated!!

Edited October 16, 2010 by ericem

[eulogious]

Have you check the rear diff fluid? It almost sounds like your rear diff broke or something, especially if you just replaced the trans. I would check that. Maybe a tooth broke off and wedged itself in the teeth of the diff?

 

Also, have you tried putting it up on stands and running it? Then you could tell if the back is moving or not. You should also be able to turn the rear wheels and see if you get anything weird out of that while its up on the stands...

[johnceggleston]

or put in the FWD fuse to see if it is rear related.

[ericem]

I tried putting the FWD fuse in last night did nothing. Is it possible the transfer case broke? im hoping it is simply the rear diff though since its much easier to take apart. I can still repair the transfer case though.

[CNY_Dave]

Oh man, does the new trans diff ratio match the rear diff ratio?

 

Could be the clutches have slipped as much as they could and have now bound up... going straight it should never bind.

 

 

Dave

[wtdash]

Hi,

Post your trans ID # so I/we can double-check trans vs. rear diff ratio, but if it drove fine AFTER the swap before acting up, that's not the issue.

I briefly drove a car w/a 4.11 trans/3.90 rear dif and it wasn't as bad as you describe.

 

On my own Legacy I had the delayed AWD engagement and fixed it by following the instructions on here to file down the grooves (POST) on the rear output shaft that hooks up to the tranfer clutches.

 

But the fact that the FWD fuse does NOT help, means it's electrical or completely broken.....if the FWD fuse DID work, you'd get rid of the binding since the Duty C disconnects the rear drive....but the binding in a straight line has me puzzled..unless it completely destroyed the tranfer clutches???.....

 

So.....if it's an electrical issue, look under there and see if you find something loose, etc. IIRC, the Duty C is enclosed in the rear housing (PIC), so unfortunately it has to come off to replace - you don't have to remove the trans to fix, but it's still a big job, IMHO. Also, you should be getting the 'Power light flashes' and can then check the codes.

 

If you have a replacement rear housing, I recommend filing down the grooves b4 installing it...save some more grief later.

GL

 

TD

Edited October 15, 2010 by wtdash

[Fairtax4me]

AWD in an auto shouldn't be doing much of anything unless the rear wheels start slipping. The rear diff should just be "tagging along" so to speak.

My guess would be you chewed a tooth or three off the front diff or broke an axle.

Check fluid in both diffs for chunks.

[ericem]

Brought the car home. Definitely not the rear diff. I tried spinning each wheel one by one in neutral seems fine. Sometimes if I put it in D or R with the car in a certain position makes grinding sounds etc.. I am thinking broken tooth in the front diff as well, remember this is not torque bind I can still turn without it binding, but in a straight line or moving in general car is bucking.

 

This is not another zomg eye has torx bind thread lol.

 

Can a axle actually do this though? I am hoping it can!!!!!! Going to take a look tomorrow I have had a axle clicking for many many months now.

[eulogious]

Can a axle actually do this though? I am hoping it can!!!!!! Going to take a look tomorrow I have had a axle clicking for many many months now.

 

If it's been clicking, and then it started to do this, that would be my first guess. Replace that guy and see what happens, hopefully that is all it is. If anything you have just replaced something that needed to be fixed anyways

[Gloyale]

if you didn't replace the trans with another turbo trans, you may need to install a regular, non-turbo ECU.

 

The turbo trans have slightly differnt valve body, and aaccordingly have a different TCU.

 

I put a turbo trans into a non-turbo car and theTCU caused problems, as soon as I put the turbo ECU in everything was normal.

 

Easy plug-n-play swap for the TCU's

[ericem]

another issue replaced the tranny and i know it worked in the last car it will not do anything in any gear selection goes into park and comes out but everything else does not engage poured in tranny fluid yet still nothing at all. Any ideas now with this ? Theres no weird sounds torque converter should be seated fine no strange noises really disappointed now.

[eulogious]

Pull the TCU and see what happens. Then you can rule out electrical or mechanical. Since the 4EAT is electronic, something could be messed up with the electronics or harness. Just a thought...

[wtdash]

another issue replaced the tranny and i know it worked in the last car it will not do anything in any gear selection goes into park and comes out but everything else does not engage poured in tranny fluid yet still nothing at all. Any ideas now with this ? Theres no weird sounds torque converter should be seated fine no strange noises really disappointed now.

 

Just to clarify...the fluid shows on the dipstick, correct? It's a PITA to fill these 4EATs as the difference between Low and Full is about a pint, and fresh fluid can be hard to see on the 'stick...so it may still be low.

[ericem]

i added probably 7l and it appeared fine now i didnt fill the torque converter is it possible there is a issue priming? Also the shift fork on the tranny was cracked so i swapped it from my tranny and i used the impact yet when i tightened it the for whipped over to the right not sure if that could have damaged anything debating pulling the pan.

[bheinen74]

Subiemech85 had same symptoms on his SVX recently.

it was a broken front axle.

[Turbone]

i added probably 7l and it appeared fine now i didnt fill the torque converter is it possible there is a issue priming? Also the shift fork on the tranny was cracked so i swapped it from my tranny and i used the impact yet when i tightened it the for whipped over to the right not sure if that could have damaged anything debating pulling the pan.

 

Did you reseat the TC correctly when installing?

If not, the pump is borked and will need replacing.

[Fairtax4me]

You did reconnect the shift cable right? (Just had to ask. )

 

Did you drain the torque converter prior to installation? If that was empty or near empty then you need another couple quarts of fluid in there I think. I don't recall exactly how much an auto trans holds, but 11 sticks in my mind for some reason.

 

Is fluid pouring out under the car anywhere?

[wtdash]

AT Trans fluid Capacity is 8.8 US Qts, per the FSM. Doesn't specify the TC capacity separately.

[johnceggleston]

AT Trans fluid Capacity is 8.8 US Qts, per the FSM. Doesn't specify the TC capacity separately.

 

the outback trans which has a larger torque converter, is 9 point something, the TC is the only difference.

[Gloyale]

Also the shift fork on the tranny was cracked so i swapped it from my tranny and i used the impact yet when i tightened it the for whipped over to the right not sure if that could have damaged anything debating pulling the pan.

 

This could DEFINATELY be you're problem.

 

The way the lever rides in the selector/valve/plunger it can simply slip out the end if the lever is moved past "p" there is a detent to preven this, but I could see an Impact easily twisting the selector past, which it sounds like that happened.

 

Pull the pan. Remove the fork engagement with the plunger, reset the assembly, reseal.

[ericem]

Thanks for all the advice. Got back from a trip and got to work on the car noticed the oil pan was dinged in quiete noticeably. Pulled it off looked at the shift linkage as suggested by gloyale and banged out he oil pan, cleaned the magnet and rest of pan then put it all back together.

 

Tranny works! guess the pan was restricting flow through the strainer. How much damage could this have caused though? Reason I ask is when I accelerate or put it in D and R it is very delayed and even after it has caught D it still acts like I have a high stall torque converter. Shifts are slow and don't catch fast, and when it's locked up definitely doesn't hold nicely. Thinking this killed the pump in the transmission what do you guys think?

 

I am thinking 5spd swap ASAP!!

[wtdash]

Did you check the wiring while the pan was off?

 

There is a POST (I can't find it!) about a dented AT fluid pan that I subscribed to on an Outback...my 1st swap I pushed up on the AT trans pan and dented it. This BROKE a wire that caused some issues - can't recall exactly what - it did also throw a code.

 

Dropped the pan, repaired the wire and I was good to go.

 

Just (another) thought.

[ericem]

this morning it worked perfectly when cold once it warned up back to the same thing i have a bottle and a half of trans x. Now i noticed its leaking may have overfilled it.