I'm not extremely familiar with ATX's...With my wife's van, what would cause the tranny to NOT want to engage into Drive, when cold?

This morning, it was about 25 degrees. I used her van to take the kids to school. Did not let the van warm up - didn't have time. It took reverse just fine, backed out of the driveway, then, when I went ot put it into Drive, it just sat there, slipping??, for a good 30-45 seconds - then the tranny engaged, shifted, and pulled away. It felt like it wasn't trying to shift into drive during that time at all.

Any ideas?

Personally, this van is beginning to **** me off with all the annoying little crap going wrong with it - especially when we don't have the money or time, to fix it...ARGH!

 

Did you check the fluid level? When was the last time the fluid and filter were changed? I had a missing o-ring on the filter and it would cause the tranny to slip when cold. Doesn't affect reverse for some reason.

 

Vango has set you on the right path, change that tranny fluid...you wouldn't run your engine oil for 100,000 miles. auto trannys are precision hydraulic systems that run close machined tolerances and precise hydraulic pressures...need quality clean fluid..if new fluid doesn't solve it then let us know...what year...'96 on are computer controlled and monitored tranny systems with codes

missing or cracked filter O ring allows pump to suck air when stopped at certain angles, not good

in temps above 0d F, not necessary to warm up these modern FI computer controlled engines, in fact more than 30 seconds of idling builds up deposits in engine and wastes gas...engine will warm up faster at slower speeds rather than setting in idle...best to run a couple miles before pulling onto freeway and going full bore....

 

Glad to hear this - I was planning this procedure soon, anyway - just gotta get the wife to stop driving it long enough, and me get enough time off work to do it...

One question I have, though...I've seen filter "kits" selling for as little as $12, which are SUPPOSED to include the filter, a new o-ring, and a pan gasket. Does anyone know if all of this actually comes in the kit, and if they are any good?

 

Chevron and Valvoline both sell a top quality Mercon rated ATF for reasonable price, Chevron can be had for little more than the cheapy stuff which i would not put in a Yugo
both are high quality long life ATF's...

many manuf's sell auto tranny filter "kits", most of the cheap ones are imported from ***** Walmart Land...
lost cost ones are open screen types...expensive $20+ filters should be the dacron media fine filtration type...

i use the screen type to take out the large chunks pre pump and an add in inline fine filter w magnet in cooler neoprene line to get all the fine particles from friction material and any small metal cuttings, change the inline every year...
open box and check to set that all parts are there in kit...i've got home with them missing parts...they get picked over in parts stores.

also 2wd and AWD Aeros have different internal tranny ATF filters, different bottom pan shape and filter pickup...be sure to get the right one

put 6 quart drain pan under tranny...remove back and rear half of side bolts...start loosening front bolts slowly to let ATF start draining out slowly...remove pan when fluid stops and drain into drain pan...scrap pan gasket and tranny seal area with scrapper or wire brush...wipe bottom interior of tranny with large rag to keep fluid from continuing to drip into eyes...i use an RTV silicone sealer...put a bead around pan seal area-both sides of bolt holes...let tack up and put on gasket lining up with holes and pressing gasket smooth...put bead of RTV on top of gasket and spread thinly coating all of gasket top surface...let tack and then put pan back on....
tighten bolts in two stages...last stage with torque wrench only starting from front of pan going to back
10 ft lbs max, any more and pan bent and gasket ruined

put in 5 quarts of ATF thru filler/tranny dipstick tube
says TRANSMISSION

you are 80% finished now..still old goop ATF in torque converter, valve body and tranny cooler....crawl under front and pull neoprene line off tranny cooler in front of radiator or remove steel line nipple fitting front radiator tank tranny cooler and put a neoprene hose on it into bucket....start engine and will pump drain out 2 quarts of old ATF out into bucket...turn off engine...put 2 quarts new ATF in thru fill dipstick...continueing draining old and adding new until new fluid is coming out and is Titty pink...takes about 10 quarts....
check fluid level while refilling and do not overfill...leave at bottom half of fill range....
when finished...drive and warm up...check tranny fluid level on level surface...fill to mid range only...do not overfill or fill to top mark...A4LD's don't like to be overfilled, foam and vomit back out

if you overfill, drain some out cooler line, far easier than messing with tranny pan or put in a tranny pan plug while you have it off if you are going to keep the rig for some time

 

96 has it right as far as the screen pre filter to keep the birds out of the pump and a depth filter in-line to clean the oil. I think a depth type suction filter is bad engineering. I know there is some disagreement on Honda transmissions, but my experience with them is stellar and they only use the bird filter and a drain plug.

Ken

 

when cold, mine takes about 3 seconds to engange when I shift into drive. When warm, it takes 1-2 seconds. Reverse is always immediate. Engagement is rough both reverse and drive. When driving, tranny shifts fantastically. Fluid is nice and pink, level is ok. The tranny has done this ever since I had the van. I thought about going to a tranny shop and having the bands adjusted and the valves checked. Will this do me any good or is it a waste of money in this case?

 

hi tom,
colder air temps cause higher cold engine idle rpms so rougher initial cold tranny engagement....also cold temps cause higher cold tranny hydraulic line pressures thus more severe initial engagements...
synthetic ATFs help....lower viscosity at cold temps and more stable at high temps...I use Mobil 1 Mercon ATF a PAO technology syn. ATF...would run an ester based ATF like Redline but we have 6 months of rain here and ester based oils absorb water moisture like brake fluid...not good in auto trannys...white foamy puss goop.

what brand of Mercon ATF? i use an additive made by

http://www.lubegard.com/automotive/trans_atf_platinum.html
either the "Red" or "Platinum" are good in an A4LD

don't know if it is available in EU....Mercedes and BMW dealer shops here use it..works for me in several rigs...smooth shifts with no jerking engagements or shifts...solves the hunting problem of Honda's
don't mess with one of these snake oil seal conditioners, only a seal sweller..highly reactive hydrocarbon distillates that will eat up frictions bonding agent making the frictions look like an 80 grit sanding belt.

try an ester based synthetic ATF such as Motul if you live in a drier area...the little C3 A4LD E44R loves only the best in lube/fluid ATF's pushing a heavy box like an Aero

 

I am not a big believer in adjusting transmission bands, but if your fluid is at correct level (done carefully) I would definitely adjust the reverse band, I might even simply tighten the screw 1/4 turn. Get other opinions on this but there is clearly a problem and they do provide the adjustment capability. I have heard many times from my transmission rebuilder friends that band adjustments are frought with risks, but I would probably try it in this case.

Ken

 

Hi Ken:

The reverse band is not adjustable. Only the intermediate and overdrive bands are.

 

There I went, assuming again. So there are three bands in an a4ld?

Ken

 

http://www.transtarindustries.com/Fi...4LD_04%20W.pdf

 

I have had the same problem off and on for years. Adding a bit of trany fluid usually fixes it for awhile. Try adding a 1/2 quart (1 pint) of fluid but don't overfill! If adding just a little fluid fixes the problem for awhile and then it comes back then you are losing fluid slowly.
When I back out of my driveway and put it into drive on a cold morning I'm more surprised when I don't have this problem. Usually putting it into neutral and reving the engine a bit for a few seconds allows it to shift into drive.

Hope that helps.

 

Again, assuming proper fluid level, doesn't this almost have to be a band problem. I bet one of those bands is squeezed for reverse even if it is not the specific mechanism of achieving reverse. Just seems to me that only a band could slip for a while and then grab, Just a thought, not based on fact. I can't imagine a clutch behaving that way.

Ken

 

Actually, the bands are actuated by hydraulic pistons. If those pistons leak, that will take a long time to engage.

The same thing with clutches. The clutches are also actuated by hydraulic pistons against lots of springs. Those could also be leaking, causing slow engagement.

But then, it could also be a case of worn out clutches.

Want ot hear something funny? When my brother first got his brand new Thunderbird, the car would take forever to engage when you put it in Drive. The dealer insisted that 5 seconds is "within specs." Imagine that!