93 Legacy Tranny / Differential Question

[mikeamondo]

93 Legacy Wagon, auto tranny... When first starting out, normally in reverse, the tranny will slip for like 2 to 4 seconds prior to engaging. Once it warms up it normally does not do it.... but has at least once while warm. Has not done it going forward.... yet. I checked the transmission fluid per instruction in owners manual. It shows way overfull. Not sure how this is possible, as I've done the maint. and know that I've not put any fluid in this car anytime recently. (Sears might have when they did an oil change.) Also... the oil looks a little brown when cold... not very red. I drove the car 6 or 8 miles and checked with the engine running... then the tranny fluid looked more red (a little) and frothy. Do you check engine running or engine off? The fluid was way passed F both ways.

 

Then I checked the Differential fluid, on the opposite side of the engine. (Never even knew that bugger existed!) It was solidly low... even more so after driving. It looks like engine oil on the dipstick... is that what goes in the differential... or is their special diff oil? Stupid question, I know....

And of course the big question... could low diff oil cause the slip in the tranny?

 

Any advice on this car would be greatly appreciated.... We've put the old boy up for sale... I think he's punishing us.

 

-Mike

[nipper]

the tranny is going. The slipping is a delay between forwar and reverse. The inner seals are bad. This will just get worse with time.

 

sorry

 

nipper

[NorthWet]

I would go ahead and change/flush the ATF. Dirty, degraded fluid can cause sticking of the internal actuators.

 

Diff oil is gear oil. It is in a separate tranny segment from the tranny internals and its ATF

[mikeamondo]

Second opinions! Dear God, let there be second opinions! (and I don't mean "Okay... and it's ugly, too!")

 

Alright.... I accept the fate of the car... so tell it to me straight doc.... how long have I got with the old boy?

Is there any hope at all? Could the overfull tranny oil or the low differential oil possibly, maybe, pretty please, any chance in hell, be the culprit?

 

I figure I'll do the tranny fluid swap just in case......... ugh.

 

Thanks,

Mike

[Kilroy]

Definitely do the tranny fliud change, that should help at least a little. Let us know how it turns out.

[nipper]

change the fluid it may help, but thats usually only with shift harsness. Sadly this is a differnt animal. You may have years like this, you may have months.

[SaltCar]

Do change the fluid, often. Don't wait until it looks bad, that means you waited too long.

 

Don't let the transmission slip, slippage is accelerated death.

 

This probably won't help you but it is worth a try. I am not an expert on transmissions but I have read quite a lot about them in expectation of rebuilding a few someday. Most slipping starts with low pressure in some circuit in your trans. If you can find a sequence of shifting that allows your trans to build pressure before you ask it to transmit power you may be able to drive the car without it slipping at all. Try things like shift into low range and let it catch before you shift into reverse. Some little combination like that may let you nurse it along indefinitely. Good luck.

 

If you are going to have the trans fixed, sooner is cheaper than later. A swap is probably even cheaper still.

[nipper]

three causes of this delay

rubber seals in the d/n/r valve

bad accumilator

bad front pump.

 

Once slipping starts it is basically too late.

 

 

nipper

[mikeamondo]

Thanks for all the input guys. I'm going to swap the tranny fluid in the next day or so, and I'll let you know if it helps. Not that it makes a diff... but I posted '93... it's a '92. Anyone want to buy a parts car?:-\

 

--Mike

[idosubaru]

i've seen trans that never really failed...went many many miles with a condition like that. you say "slip" but is it really ever slipping or just a really long delay going into gear? that's two different items. if it's a long delay, it probably won't go away but probably doesn't really matter either. i've seen this a number of times and while annoying it's never caused a failure or gotten significantly worse.

 

if after finally getting in gear it actually slips while shifting and such then i suspect that is a much worse scenario and give your trans a limited life expectancy.