1st gear slipping

[Pete]

Just picked up a 99 Vehicross with tranny probs.106,000 mi. It is slipping so badly in 1st that it barely moves at all but if you can get it rolling fast enough to shift to 2nd it runs great, reverse is fine also. I am wondering if I need to rebuild/replace with used or can this be fixed? One shop said it could be a solinoid??(sp.?) Has anyone had similar experience??? Love to hear about it.

Thanks, Pete

[Apostle]

im not a mechanic, but i have never heard of a solonoid on the transmission, but then again it is the VX


is it slipping out of gear and then popping back in to place with a crunching sound, or is it just reving when you push on the gas and nothing is happening?

both have happened to me before in a t-bird. first was the 1st gear sprocket, was missing some teeth, the second was a problem with one of the computer chips.

hope that helps


(only solonoid i know of has to do with the battery and starter)

[Tone]

There are several solenoids on autotrannies but it sounds as if this is the first gear band that is failing. You'll need to get that fixes as soon as possible though. Make sure you have enough fluid in the tranny by removing the upper plug on the pan and fluid should dribble out.

[Pete]

Thanks for the replies!


When I put it into drive it just revs up as if in neutral but it will move forward ever so slightly on level surface. It seems to move or grab a little more when in low lock.

I have found several used transmissions online ranging from $700 to $1350 plus $125 to $150 shipping, miles ranging from 55,000 to 6,000 and price to rebuild whole thing locally is around $1,600.

Pete

[Apostle]

told ya i wasnt a mechanic. never knew about the solonoids. learn sumtin new daily

[hchen]

yea do what Tone says. mine had a leak in the tranny before and it slipped like how you said...i only had 1/4 of the tranny fluid left when i went to get it checked out. I dont htink it would be any mechanical problems with the tranny like i had thought mine had. fill up the tranny fluid and it'll probably be good to go

[VX_PA]

I always thought it was weird that the VX doesn't have a dipstick to check the AT fluid. Any automatic I've ever seen has had a dipstick to check the fluid.

Does anyone know why they designed the VX without one?? Just curious.:confused:

[SoilDoc]

Would starting in winter mode be a temporary fix?

[MrCrowley]

What a great idea Soildoc. it should work. we will refer to you as trannydoc! LOL.

[Green Dragon]

As has been stated previously:Best bet Ck transmission fluid level. Be sure you fill according to instructions with engine running otherwise you will be almost a quart low which is enough to cause slippage in first.

Dragon Bob;Db;

[Pete]

Thanks for the info!
The guy I bought it from said he drained and refilled tranny and it didn't help. I don't know if he had engine running when he filled it. I asked him if he cleaned or changed screen and he said no. He said his tranny guy that he uses told him it was a waste of time.

I will first chk. fluid level. Do you think I should do screen if fluid is okay? assuming there is a screen ....(this is my first VX) I have been looking for one for a year and a half! I am really anxious to drive it!!!! Its 21 degrees here right now and I don't have a garage so I'm not as motivated to crawl under there as I would be if it were a little warmer.

Thanks again, Pete

[AlaskaVX]

I wouldn't waste too much money doing things that "might work" I would just check the fluid level and if it is full then look at finding a low milage transmission or have it rebuilt. At 106,000 miles I would find another one instead of rebuilding, especially if its the cheaper route. And if the guy drained and filled it, most likely it needs to be replaced. $1500 is a pretty good price for a transmission with only 6,000 miles on it. Hell thats how much the transmission for my old Bronco II was.

[Pete]

Hey Soildoc!
I just went out and tried starting in winter mode and it worked!!! I just went down to the end of my road and back ( about a half mile) It was awesome!!!! Thanks for the suggestion!! Pete

[Green Dragon]

Originally posted by Pete
Hey Soildoc!
I just went out and tried starting in winter mode and it worked!!! I just went down to the end of my road and back ( about a half mile) It was awesome!!!! Thanks for the suggestion!! Pete
Winter switch places you in 3rd gear until 10 MPH.

Dragon Bob

[Tone]

Waste of time to change the filter that can stop the life blood of fluid from flowing? I’ve changed half a dozen tranny filters in VXs at 15-30K and it DEFINITELY needs to be done - there is some nasty funk in the filter and in the tranny pan. I flush my system at every other change at Jiffy Lube to get all the fluid changed in the converter (10 qts) and at the other intervals, I go through the hassle of supporting the driveline, dropping the crossmember and removing the pan.

[Dallas4u]

Originally posted by Tone
...there is some nasty funk in the filter and in the tranny pan.

I can concur with Tone here. Although I'm not too rough on my VX, the filter and bottom of the pan were pretty damn sludgy. The magnet on the bottom of the pan was caked with grime.

If I was buying a used VX, the first thing I would do is change the oil/filter and tranny fluid/filter... depending on mileage, maybe even the diffy fluid. ALWAYS better to be safe than sorry!

[ScubaSteve]

know what... soildoc had a great idea using winter mode, but if it's just 1st gear slipping, wouldn't it be less strain on the tranny to just drop the gear selector down to 2nd?

so you have to shift a little - sometimes i do it for fun to pretend i'm driving a manual:) also makes it easy to smoke the hoop-riders that pull up next to me doin' the chin-jutting head-bop lip-curling 'whatchu got?' to me =)

anyway, just start in 2nd, eh comrade?:)

[AlaskaVX]

Putting it in 2nd will still start you in 1st, winter mode is the only way to bypass 1st.

[Pete]

Well, I checked fluid level today with vehicle level and running in park. I pulled top plug on transfer case and fluid began to dribble out so I assume it is full? Fluid was a brownish red and didn't smell to terrible but a little funky. Then I took it to local tranny shop (using winter switch to start out) and they checked for electrical probs, couldn't find any. They said I needed to replace or rebuild. The only thing that hasn't been checked is the screen/filter. I can't imagine a filter can be too pricey, can it?

Thanks, Pete

[BigMeatVX]

Ive got a low mileage auto for sale....

Sent ya an e-mail...


Allan

[AnalogVX]

Originally posted by Pete
The only thing that hasn't been checked is the screen/filter. I can't imagine a filter can be too pricey, can it?

Thanks, Pete

I paid $68.00 for mine.

[Dallas4u]

Originally posted by Pete
I can't imagine a filter can be too pricey, can it?

Paid $35 or so at AutoZone... but I wouldn't think it would make much difference considering your problem right now.

[ScubaSteve]

Originally posted by AlaskaVX
Putting it in 2nd will still start you in 1st, winter mode is the only way to bypass 1st.

oh yeah... duh.:homer:

[psychos2]

"Well, I checked fluid level today with vehicle level and running in park. I pulled top plug on transfer case and fluid began to dribble out so I assume it is full?"

did you check tranny or transfer case? they are not the same. sounds like you are checking the wrong fluid level. shawn

[Pete]

I checked fluid at back of transfer case, (upper plug) I didn't think there was any other place to check tranny itself? Is there?

[Pete]

OK, I just went out and climbed under there and did find an upper plug on the tranny pan itself. I also talked to the guy I bought it from and he said he pumped enough fluid up into the upper plug hole on the pan to make it come out the breather. He said sometimes you can free up something that might be stuck by over filling and running through different gears while on the lift. he said it didn't seem to change anything so he dranied back down to correct level?? I am not sure? So, should I take out upper plug on transmission pan while level, running in park?

Pete

[AlaskaVX]

If you trust the guy you bought it from, then look into getting a new/used/rebuilt transmission

[psychos2]

as they say on the X-files "TRUST NO ONE" . i would pull the plug and check it.what damage could it do. shawn