Transmission Q's!

IwantaSVX · #1 11-30-2002, 02:05 PM

I'm looking into buying another SVX. The one I am looking at is a '92 with 137K. The owner is not sure if it is the original transmission. This is the story I have heard:

The car would slip out of gear, it would get worse as it warmed up, and eventually it would quit shifting leaving the owner stranded. One time the guy waited and when it cooled off he drove it home, the next time he was close enough to his house and walked. Since then it has been parked. His mechanic suggests it needs a new transmission and says that a computer module went out which contributed to the premature failure of the transmission. I guess this was his daughter's car, and to his knowledge it was fine up until it started the above problems.

I have had the owner check and make sure it will engage into gear to be driven on a trailer....and he confirmed it will. I also asked him to drive it cold and see if it went through the gears. He confirmed it went through the gears (1-3) but it will quit shifting after about 10 minutes. I'm assuming since he only took it down his road a few houses the car wouldn't pick up enough speed to go into 4th not to mention the car was cold.

I've read a thread back a few months that sounds awfully familiar to the problems I described and the guy fixed his problem by having the filters replaced and the transmission flushed. I'm not hoping its that simple as I'm expecting the worst but I was hoping to get some thoughts.

I don't understand why it quits shifting once warm. Since the car shifts through the gears when cold, this is a good thing, correct??

P.S. I'm waiting to hear back from him. I asked if it makes any noises when it quits shifting.

IwantaSVX · #2 11-30-2002, 03:25 PM

The guy is not sure about the noise. He thought it was just the engine revving.

Beav · #3 11-30-2002, 04:12 PM

I believe you were reading one of Nick's threads (Mr. Pockets.) The cure got him to Lafayette and back but soon gave up after he returned home.

Generally what happens is the tranny will work until it sucks enough debris up from the bottom of the pan. When that happens the filter clogs and it can't maintain pressure, killing its mojo. After sitting for however long the debris falls from the filter and settles back to the bottom of the pan. Changing the filter and fluid allows it to maintain pressure, but as I told Nick, the debris had to come from somewhere and the transmission's days were numbered.

The best thing to do is to consider it already dead and quit driving it while you still have something left to rebuild.

IwantaSVX · #4 11-30-2002, 04:26 PM

Thanks for the reply. I already assumed the transmission was gone, its a SVX. So, do you think thats what is causing it to quit working after 10 minutes? Sounds logical. I do believe it was Nick's post I read.

I tried to search and see if he actually ended up replacing his transmission but the only information I could find was that his transmission was skipping 2nd gear. He did the brake band adjustment and it finally found 2nd gear. I believe he was going to adjust it one last time.

Do you know if he actually replaced his transmission yet or if it is still kicking??

Beav · #5 11-30-2002, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by IwantaSVX
Thanks for the reply. I already assumed the transmission was gone, its a SVX. So, do you think thats what is causing it to quit working after 10 minutes? Sounds logical. I do believe it was Nick's post I read.

I tried to search and see if he actually ended up replacing his transmission but the only information I could find was that his transmission was skipping 2nd gear. He did the brake band adjustment and it finally found 2nd gear. I believe he was going to adjust it one last time.

Do you know if he actually replaced his transmission yet or if it is still kicking??

Normally I don't speak for others (yeah, right

) but I think he's currently enjoying Justy season and leaving the SVX in the garage.

Mr. Pockets · #6 12-01-2002, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Beav

Normally I don't speak for others (yeah, right ) but I think he's currently enjoying Justy season and leaving the SVX in the garage.

You are correct, Beav. It is, indeed, Justy season (isn't it always???) and my SVX is sleeping soundly in the garage until spring. It really slips a lot now and getting up to 4th (which it holds) is difficult. I wanted its last drive for the year to be to the car wash and back, but now I hear there's a lot of snow on the ground in MI. (We're in NC visiting Amber's parents.)

I have a used Subaru rebuilt tranny lined up, and I'll put that in the SVX when it's available. Since that'll leave my dead tranny as a spare, I plan on rebuilding it myself. That'll be an adventure. :P But, if I'm successful, I get to put the original back in the car.

IwantaSVX, your potential SVX sounds like it has exactly the same problem that mine did. Yeah, you can probably flush it and make it work, but for how long is anybody's guess. My mechanic's has lasted for two years and mine only a week. What's clogging the fluid lines is debris and, as Beav wisely said, 'that debris comes from somewhere.'

Earthworm · #7 12-05-2002, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Beav

Normally I don't speak for others (yeah, right ) but I think he's currently enjoying Justy season and leaving the SVX in the garage.

It's Justy season here!! 185,000 and finally replaced the axles. Now it's smooth around the corners. (Next will be the shifter mount and tranny mount)