Slippage? Tranny suggestions!

[PCGUY112887]

As some of you may have seen from a thread a made a bit ago, I think my tranny is startin to go since the fluid has changed colors.

Now yesterday I was on a fairly long drive with a heavy lawnmower/trimmer/blower/gas/etc in my trunk, and I believe that it went to downshift from OD when I hit the gas or something and the RPM's went wacko and it just felt aweful. Sorta reminds me like tryin to go up a hill on a bike and it starts skipping teeth in the gears, it's like a shake shake and feels like a loss of power then just stops doing it.

Then later that day I was going up a hill and I think it went to downshift again and I felt the same thing.

Is this what a tranny slipping feels like?

So say that soon enough this thing goes, what should I do? I could have a rebuild done, maybe try to have them put in stronger clutches. Or I could have someone do a 5spd or even a 6spd swap from a G6, which would be better/cheaper for me?

Thanks.

[IsaacHayes]

Try some $6 GM automatic transmision seal conditioner from the dealer. Mine sometimes would try to down shift in OD and just get stuck in nuetural and rev up really high and then I'd let off then it found the gear. The bottle also solved some other problems I had. Not saying it will cure you, but it might help. Takes about 800miles to take full effect. I was loosing pressure when my trans was cold, and cuased it to slip. That might be what is happenign to yours, unless your valve body is shot.

One time I didn't let off when it tried to downshift in OD to 1st at WOT (in town, not on highway this time) and it revved high, then finaly shove it's self into gear and did the most hellacious chirp/burn out. I drove back and saw about a 3 foot long tread marks from both tires where I drove by. It was right by a gas station and the people jumped it was so loud when it barked the tires. Kind of funny but it worried me!

I don't drive around in town in OD anymore, as it seems it has problems downshifting to 1st from 4th fast enough. Seems it skips directly from 4th to 1st, but it can't move fast enough to get there. So when in just D, it goes to 2nd, then to 1st, and seems to do better that way, never screws up.

[PCGUY112887]

I was playin with it today, it seems to only happen when i'm goin up a hill in OD and it tries to downshift, when there is a load from the hill ya know. Or a load from the extra weight in the car.

Just me in the car at in OD going WOT downshift seems to work fine.

[IsaacHayes]

Yeah when I had the problem I noticed it more when I had passengers (3 of them).

[PCGUY112887]

Ok it just did something real weird, I was backing out of my driveway, cocked the tires to the right, came to a stop and went to put it in drive and ya know how the RPM's jump a bit when you change gears? Well they jumped... down to 0 when I shifted. Turned off, back on fine, no codes, can't get it to do it again.

wtf?

[IsaacHayes]

IAC may be going out, or engine is not doing fueling right. I had my car die a few times when changing gears like that and it was IAC. Also it doesn't move when changing gears as much now with a new o2.

But I dunno about your situation..

[PCGUY112887]

Could have overfilling about 1.25quarts to stop it from falling out of gear in hard lefts started this? Since it was perfectly red and everything till a few weeks after I overfilled.

It's a bad idea to try to change the fluid after it's turned colors isn't it? How about dumping in some of this lucas "transmission fix" stuff?

[IsaacHayes]

You shouldn't over-fill it. If it was low, no problem, but over filling is bad.

If you dump in anything, dump in the GM seal conditioner. The transmission fix stuff may work, or it may screw it up more.

Falling out of gear going around a corner, explain more please? Sounds like a mechanical thing is worn.

If the clutches are about done changing the fluid will finish them off sometimes. How "brown" is the fluid?

You might be able to get by with this trans, but it sounds like it's going down the toliet and has several things wrong with it other than just slipping clutches...

[sharkey]

in the old 440t4 gm actualy wanted them overfilled by about 2 quarts to help combat the falling out of gear problems. now the 440t4 is just an older 4t60e. it is safe to dump some more oil in it, you wont to any damage to it.

sounds like its headed out the door though. if its slipping with a load, its just the begining. if you dont haul anything and take it easy it could last you a while yet, but if you keep hauling and are hard on it, itll be done in no time.

i wouldnt bother putting any aditives in it. aditives cant replace the friction material on the clutches, broken teeth back on gears, or fix worn out valves. this being said, what can an aditive fix??? basicly, you can throw in some seal fix, and it may temporarily swell the seals to try to get them to seal up, but this is temporary at best, and i doubt its your problem.

[PCGUY112887]

I gave lucas a shot... so far it hasn't done shit.

Guess i'm goin to shoot for a quote for a rebuild on my tranny. What kind of things should be done while it's being rebuilt (performance wise) that woulden't be that big of a deal to stick in?

While i'm askin... maybe this is some tranny feature (I don't know a lot about transmissions). My friend drives a 2000 Alero with the 3400, and everytime he backs out of somewhere when he's in a hurry (always lol), he throws it into D before it's done rolling backwards. Same with going from D to R. He beats on his car a lot but it does fine, I did it in my car once on accident and holy cow did it feel/make a bad sound. What's with that?

Thanks guys.

[sharkey]

an alero has a 4t45e in it. the 4t45e is programed so it wont actualy turn the solonoids on for 1st gear till the vss is showing the vehicle is not moving. a lot of people will argue this, but imho, for stock/mildly modded engines, the 4t45e is a better trans.

when you get a quote, talk to them about what you have done and are planning on doing to the motor. talk to them about what you are looking for out of it. each builder has a different aproch to doing things. id ask about high energy frictions and a higher stall converter, and about doing a shift kit.

[PCGUY112887]

Isaac I was told to overfill by Ben and a few others and the "slipping out of gear" was a common problem, and others have it as well. Basically your full on fluid, however when you take a hard left turn while on the gas the fluid sloshes around and not enough fluid ends up bein where it needs to be so the tranny slips into neutral to save it's self. I bought another quart and stuck it in, stopping doing it right away.

Now it's really overfull, with the lucas in there and such. But I don't think it matters much now lol. Thought for sure the lucas would help it since it seems to help all kinds of problems but when drivin around earlier it seems to do nothing for it.

[SappySE107]

Lucas helped kill my friends trans. The only additive I would use is all Type F, or a quart or 2 of the trick shift. You could run all trick shift. On that trans though, no way. Just get it rebuilt and if you want to know more about performance/upgrade options on the trans do a search or start a new thread on it so its not buried in this thread I know lorenzo knows a thing or 2 on them.

[IsaacHayes]

Hmm I was not aware of that problem or to overfill. I just figured overfilling wouldn't help anything out and could cause negative affects. But I guess it doesnt so disregard what I said. I'll keep that in mind incase mine ever does this. I thought you were just tried overfilling it hoping it'd fix something without knowing for sure. I don't like doing stuff like that unless it's proven (which you have now pointed out).

The GM seal conditioner will take 800-1000 miles to fully work. I'd think the lucas stuff would be similar. If your seals are leaking then perhaps once they swell you'll get back some pressure and it might stop the slipping unless your clutches are worn off too far. I have 180,000+ on my trans and it works great. I beat on it *all the time* too.

Look up 3100_modified or 3400_modified (not sure of his handle on here) for his trans rebuild thread.

If you get a rebuild you'll defiantly need the valve body replaced/built since I hear the valves are steel and wear the body and cause loss in pressure. Or something to that extent.