Hi Guys,

 

Well, those of you that know me that I have had no luck with this car and the bad luck continues.

 

The problem would see to be with the auto gearbox, which is a UK car but has a seperate oil cooler.

 

I went to my friends this morning and parked up which was a 2 miles drive. I went back to my car and then reversed off the drive and put the car into neutral whilst my friend pulled oof the drive. I then out the car into drive and proceeded to drive up a slight hill anout 100m and then the car seemed to just lose drive. I tried to put the car into 1st and 2nd but no difference.

 

I then left the car for a bit and started it back up, this allowed me to drive about 1/2 a mile down the road when it starts happening again. This did enable me to get back to my mums.

 

Has anyone any ideas as to what the feck is going on?!?!?

 

There is no oil leaking from underneath the car and does anyone know how to properly check the oil level on a 300zx auto gearbox????:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

Sounds to me like low on fluid, (you went up hill too?) check engine warm, remove dip stick, wipe dry and dip. In park...

oh dear mine did exactley the same a couple of months back and it cost me 1500 pounds 4 a gearbox rebuild.

Trouble is low fluid can wreck the box if not caught soon enough.

Well, it does seem like the only thing left to go on the car has gone then!

 

I checked the fluid last week and it was absolutely fine!!!

 

I had the torque convertor replaced about 4 months back and they also carried out some other work, is there any chance that this may be linked to this?!?? Warranty perhaps?!?

 

I have just spent £4000 getting the turbos replaced and before that I spent £650 what with the torque convertor etc, is this ever ever gonna stop?

 

I wouldnt mind if I drive it hard but I honestly dont?!?!??

 

OK, OK, I'll calm down, although I have just about come to the end of my tether with this car.

 

Lets say it is the gearbox, whats my CHEAPEST alternative other than selling??:confused:

 

Convert to manual?!?

if u get the gearbox looked at it shouldnt b as xpensive as mine as uv had ur torque converter done thats the most xpensive bit i think good luck with it i also have spent about 3k in a year just on bits goin wrong:eek: still luv it though:D :D

Hi Mark, if I may ask why did you have the converter replaced, and who did it, was it Ken?

 

In this weather it is easy for the autobox to get too hot, and if it does the fluid does expand a lot and it can dump it on the floor, maybe the reason you are low?

 

But, the reason I ask about the converter is if it was shot, it was probably making swarf, lots of very fine metal, or alluminium particles. These are very hard to clean out of all of the nooks and crannies of an autobox, cooler, cooler pipes etc etc. And then they go and get stuck somewhere and this can make the box go wrong, easy.

Well, just got off the phone from Lee @ VMTP (good old boy he is), he says that they have checked the pressure inside the gearbox and it would seem that the pump is being blocked in some way preventing the build up of pressure. This would explain the lack of drive!

 

He says they have also taken the sump off the gearbox and there are bits of shrapenel there but he doesnt think it is the gearst as I would have noticed this going?!? Ie. this problem just appeared! He thinks it is more likely to be some sort of fricion material thats showing?!?

 

Anyone got any ideas?!?!:confused: :confused:

 

Am I still looking at bucks you think??

Yep, sounds like the brake bands to the clutchs are going.

Was the fluid dark sort of browny colour rather than a clear red.

If it is then they have been braking up for some time.

Sorry but sounds expensive.

If you took it to autobox specialist they should Know what it is?

What happens is that the filter on the oil pump intake gets blocked with crud, therefore, no oil pressure, no drive. You may get away with a filter clean and oil change, but will more likely need a box rebuild, but presumably without the torque convertor change. Sounds a bit like warranty work to me, if the box has been apart before ....

Andy,

I guess I should change my transmission fluid. Do I just need a new gasket for the pan ? ( dextron - does it make any difference which dextron ?

 

Thanks

 

John

Yes, but WHY was the converter changed???? see my earlier post...changing the converter alone is almost always a total waste of money, and if there are more metal filings in the box how do you get all of them out of the converter?? easy answer, you dont very well, and then they migrate throught the box again and away you go. get on the roundabout.

So what your saying then Mark is that these guys should have known better than to just replace the torque convertor?? And when they replaced that, they should have noticed the bits of shrapenel and looked further afield!

 

I guess then I would have saved on labour charges!

 

Hoe can the rebuild be expensive if:

 

1) The torque convertor and pump and warranted

2) The gearset is OK?

 

Surely these parts are the most expensive????:confused:

Oh and the fluid has always been a crystal clear red!?!

 

I always check fluid levels and consistency!:)

Hi Mark, all of this is IMHO, it has been years since I did autos.

 

There is an inconsistency with what your man is saying,

 

"He says they have also taken the sump off the gearbox and there are bits of shrapenel there but he doesnt think it is the gearst as I would have noticed this going?!? Ie. this problem just appeared! He thinks it is more likely to be some sort of fricion material thats showing?!?"

 

Friction material is not metal, well it can be in some boxes but genereally not, so what is he saying???

 

Yes the gear set is expensive, and this can be cleaned OK, but the converter, IF full of bits needs cutting in half, cleaned and then rewelded to do a proper job. Otherwise it can, and often does, all start again. So your "new" converter might not be so "new" anymore.

 

Another trick is to charge for a new converter and just repaint the old one. Same can apply to the pump, did you see the old parts, might not help much as they are hard to know where they came from. ie which car.

 

My opinion, not knowing why the converter and pump were changed, is that metal fiilings were left in the box, and these have caused a drop in presure, which you may not have noticed, and this then could have wrecked the bands/clutches.

 

In simply terms, why is the pump blocked? If he did a proper job it should not be possible, becasue he would have ensured the box was CLEAN.. Having the pump out means he was only minutes away from checking the clutches etc. If he did not look he was wrong. If he did, and they were OK see my last paragraph.

 

Its his fault, without knowing all the facts, but someone who fits a new converter because the old one was worn out (guess) and does not fully clean the rest of the box, (and at that stage he might as well rebuild it) is no good at autos. IMHO.

 

And why was the pump changed?

Not sure about the Pump Mark, he never did say why they changed the pump??

 

So you think that they havent cleared out the box properly!?

 

Thing is, and I have no reason to support them what-so-ever, but VMTP are a huge firm that deal just about with nothing else then auto boxes, so is it possible that they have messed up here?

 

How would I get them to admit it??:confused:

http://www.vmtp.com/

The "Nose" of the converter drives the pump, so maybe the pump was worn, and damaged the converter, maybe. And again maybe not. But even if it was worn they can often be cleaned and reused ok. Who knows? And as I said, have you got a new pump or your old pump inside? May be you could ask them that, and let them know you are going to have the pump and converter checked to see if they are new?

 

The size of the firm means nothing, look at Claims Direct for a dishonest company which was big. And how do they get big? sometimes by ripping peole off, especially when, like auto boxes, most people know nothing about them.

 

I see no way you will get anything from them, but I feel, and it is hard from here, that they did what I said. And you stand more hope of winning the Lotto than getting them to own up to it.

 

Why dont you ask Ken? I feel for you but cant help really.

looked at your site, if I remember they used to be called Van Matic.

 

I used to deal witht hem years ago. cant say I was very impressed with their rebuilds then. They do, If I am right, sell a ot of parts, which were OK, but there rebuilding dept was a bunch of immigrants who thought they knew best. More like a production line then a Specialist Operation back then.

 

As I said, ask Ken iat STA, he knows them, if they are Van Matic.

Worst part is I have just had an old debt arise which I have now gotta pay, not good!

 

Looks like the cars gonne be with them for a few weeks till I can pay them!!

 

This cars cost me so so much!:( :(

 

Must be my worst experience with a car.......:( :(