auto trans answers... still searching

[vabeachsupra]

Several months ago after a afternoon of spirtied driving, the next morning i noticed a whine (zzzz) coming from the trans area and a slight shutter between gears. Being proactive i decided to rebuild the trans so, i purchased a rebuild kit(steels, frictions, gaskets, etc), trans pump, new pan, and a "new" rebuilt torque converter. After taking my time, following the tech pubs (i think), cleaning everything and rechecking my work; i still had the noise and a slightly bigger shutter between first and second. Sure that i was a bad "new" rebuilt converter, i swapped them out. Since i have only put about 10 miles on the car but, backing the car out yesterday for a trip around the block reverse took several seconds to in gauge (forever) and the trans wanted to start out in third!! Needless to say i plan on pulling the trans again this weekend to take a look.... any suggestions???????:aigo:

 

[barkz]

r154 starting off in third? hmmm sounds like a gremlin to me. then again im not the most savy when it comes to autos.

 

[Compton74]

On the tranny lines on top of the valve covers there is an adjustment, when I had an auto and it was having the same problem I followed the tsrm and adjusted accordingly which helped alot.

 

[vabeachsupra]

i have checked the tsrm and thought that i had the cable adjusted properly but, i will take another look. Maybe the cable has stretched?

 

[Compton74]

i highly doubt it stretched but if the tranny is in bad order due to something faulty like your torque converter I had to constantly adjust it to shift properly, but devin leblanc on this forum knows a great deal about autos maybe shoot him a pm and see what he has to say

 

[Neodeuccio]

Sounds like a pressure issue to me. Did you remove/clean the valve body during your rebuild? Have you checked your lines/cooler for flow?

Also, hitting Devin up is a good idea. The man really knows his shit when it comes to auto trannys.

 

[vabeachsupra]

thanks for all the suggestions thus far, i adjusted the throttle cable to the TSRM specs this evening. It definitely took a lot of the shock out of going from park to drive and from drive to reverse also, it seemed to make the whine less noticeable. A step in the right direction now, to 1 to 2 to 3 shifting issues.

 

[vabeachsupra]

also yes we did clean and flush, cooler and lines during rebuild. Not for sure about the valve body, i will flush and recheck ball placement.

 

[vabeachsupra]

today i dropped valve body, checked ball placement and size, and verified correct fluid level. Still getting crazy shifting 1-3, going out side now to test to see if the ECT box maybe to blame.

 

[Nick M]

Are you going to unplug the range selector and see how it drives? I take it from your post that is the plan. If there isn't a change, it is in your rebuild. If it drives normal, the solenoids are not hooked up right in some way. Specifically it is solenoid number one that is off when it needs to be on for 1st and second. Since you said it feels like it is in 3rd.

Which comes to the next part. If it feels like it is taking off in 3rd, then how can you have shifts from 1st or 2nd? This makes me think your torque converter is bad. The stator, which is a one way clutch is freewheeling, leaving you with no multiplication. It can feel like you are in a higher gear than you are when you start off.

 

[mkiiichip]

Starting in third is limp mode, so there should be codes set.

 

[vabeachsupra]

I checked for trans codes and unhooked the ECT ECU to perform the manual shift test, all seemed to work fine. Next i will test the ECT ECU itself to check for correct operation and after i will test each solenoid. As far as it being the torque converter, i am already on my second new since this problem has started and i would hate to think that i received to bad ones in a row. making progress, thanks for the feedback!!!

 

[Nick M]

The reason I don't know if it is a torque converter is you are simply a typical human. Not your fault. You said it feels like it is taking off in 3rd. Yet you also say shudder in 1st and 2nd. It can't be both unless the corverter is bad and you are describing how first gear feels. And you didn't say first feels like 3rd. Hence my fishing for more information.

 

[vabeachsupra]

Let me better describe my problem. There is a whine (zzzzz) from the trans area on cold start up, slow to engage into D and R, sometimes shutters while trans shifts from 1st to 2nd under medium load, and from time to time feels as though it does not start off (from stop) in correct gear. But none of these happen all of the time.
Thus far I have rebuilt trans with new frictions and steels, installed new trans pump and torque converter (x2), verified that the check balls are correct in valve body, properly adjusted the throttle pressure cable and fluid level. I have unhooked the ECT ECU and preformed the manual shift test, all seemed fine. Next, all that seems to be left is the ECT ECU or solenoids.
Hopefully this gives you the info you were looking for. Thanks!!!

 

[mkiiichip]

Does the whine change if you pull the pressure cable? Checked the pressures? Checked codes?

 

[vabeachsupra]

No trans trouble codes and as far i can tell the volume of the whine went down after properly adjusting the pressure cable

 

[mkiiichip]

No, i meant pull the cable all the way, while its making the whining noise. Does the noise change as the pressure goes up?

Out of curiosity, how do you read trans codes?

 

[ATL88Supra]

this could be a few things, a simple rebuild kit wont fix a bummed out pump or worn out solenoids or even worn out wires, if i was you i would check the things you did not replace with new things, it could also be that the auto ecu is messed up, it happens all the time, so just back track on the things you DID NOT replace

also check the starter make sure its not rubbing on the drive plate
also keep in mind when the car is idle it will always make a noise cause the pump is loud at low pressure sounds like that zzzzzz sound you said it was making

 

[Nick M]

If it drives normal unplugged, you have a control problem and not a trans problem. In other words, the solenoids in the valve body are not in control. You have to find out why. No comment on the noise, yet. But know that pumps low on fluid, or out of spec clearance wise make whining noises. Or any gearset for that matter.