This weekend my family and I took a 200 mile trip back home. After about 120 miles, we came to a point that forced us to a stop. At this point, the hard shifting come back. I wondered if it was caused by the overheating or one of the computers. We had to stop at a store anyway. I checked the fluid and everything looked and smelled ok (I guess as good as ATF can smell). Of course everything was fine the rest of the 80 or so miles even after going through several towns with lots of stop and go.
The next morning I was working on the air intake box and noticed a good deal a trans fliud on the case of the transmission. I found that there had been ATF blowing out of the dip stick tube! I also found the the vent hose(?) located on the top of the pan, under the battery had been blowing fluid as well. Everything was very nicly coated with ATF!! No! Some how no ATF got on the exhaust. Go figure that one. There where no signs of burn off.
I cranked it to get a fluid level reading and no matter how warm it got, the reading was overfull (level surface). I tried to ride the car around a bit, back and forth, and it sliped horroribly. Also, after putting the car in gear and rechecking the fluid - I found the fluid to be foaming! I was not a happy camper!
I drianed about a quarter of a quart out into a clear bucket and very quickly spoted black debrie and metal particles. I filtered this and set aside as proof for the return visit to the mechanic that replaced the drive chain and did not overhaul!
I had to get home somehow, so I went out and bought 3 gallons of Mercon and began to self flush the tranny. I would drain 4 quarts, add 4 quarts, warm engine and run it through the gears / drain again / fill again... After all this, still had the very bad slip. Got rid of the "loose" debrie after the first drain & fill, but continued to filter all the fluid. Also took care of the foaming.
As a last resort, I got a bottle of my dads Lucis Transmission Fix and began to dump the bottle in the tranny! I figured what the hell!! Can you believe the damn thing shifts better now then it ever has? I am still taking it back to the shop so they can change the filter because it has to be full of metal. Then again, I might just change the filter myself and get them to pay me back! LOL! We all know if that happens that hell would have really froze over.
