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Transmission won't engage


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Hfriesen
Novice

Jan 23, 2008, 2:04 AM

Post #1 of 14 (5603 views)
Transmission won't engage Sign In

My daughters 91 Topaz made a loud bang then coasted to a stop. The motor ran fine but when shifted into any gear it just made a faint whirring sound. I thought it might be the drive axel so I raised the car to test it. The right front wheel could not be rotated with the car in park but would turn in all other gears so I don't think it's the axle. The axle feels solid and has not pulled out of the tranny. Any suggestions other than replacing the transmission?


dave284
Enthusiast
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Jan 23, 2008, 12:07 PM

Post #2 of 14 (5595 views)
Re: Transmission won't engage Sign In

The info you gave sound like torque converter busted but it still could be the trans, won't know until converter is remove for inspection. Unsure


Hfriesen
Novice

Jan 26, 2008, 1:43 PM

Post #3 of 14 (5582 views)
Re: Transmission won't engage Sign In

I have the transmission out. How do I test the torque converter?


dave284
Enthusiast
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Jan 26, 2008, 10:52 PM

Post #4 of 14 (5575 views)
Re: Transmission won't engage Sign In

Drain what you can, look inside at where the splines line up with the main shaft ,when draining the converter check for metal particals in the fluid too. What you are looking for is the signs of a strip gear inside the conv. Do this and post your findings. Unimpressed


Hfriesen
Novice

Jan 27, 2008, 1:14 PM

Post #5 of 14 (5570 views)
Re: Transmission won't engage Sign In

The oil is clean. I can see inside both the transmission and the converter. The bearing slides up and down in the transmission and nothing appears out of place in the converter. The long square shaft comes out ok. When you put them back you need to wiggle the bearing a bit inthe tran so it goes all the way in and the move the converter a bit so it seats. Thats all I can see there and no sediment in the oil.


dave284
Enthusiast
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Jan 28, 2008, 8:56 AM

Post #6 of 14 (5561 views)
Re: Transmission won't engage Sign In

This is an automatic trans right?


Hfriesen
Novice

Jan 28, 2008, 11:19 AM

Post #7 of 14 (5557 views)
Re: Transmission won't engage Sign In

Yes, automatoc.


Hfriesen
Novice

Jan 28, 2008, 12:08 PM

Post #8 of 14 (5554 views)
Re: Transmission won't engage Sign In

I'm having a bit of trouble posting a picture so I will try again.
Attachments: attachment icon Topaz 0015.jpg (153 KB)


dave284
Enthusiast
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Jan 28, 2008, 3:28 PM

Post #9 of 14 (5546 views)
Re: Transmission won't engage Sign In

I saw the picture, going on of what you told me, other than replacing trans I would take the converter to trans shop and have a service man check it out.


Hfriesen
Novice

Jan 31, 2008, 12:47 AM

Post #10 of 14 (5534 views)
Re: Transmission won't engage Sign In

I took the transmission apart because I couldn't find any filings and really wanted to know what went wrong. I'll post some pics but deep inside after you remove everything that you can there was one very seriously stripped gear. my daughter said it made a bang so this must have failed in a catastrophic manner. Well it's fubar anyway.


(This post was edited by Hfriesen on Jan 31, 2008, 1:11 AM)
Attachments: attachment icon Jan 30 012.jpg (103 KB)
  attachment icon Jan 30 011.jpg (148 KB)
  attachment icon Jan 30 010.jpg (134 KB)


dave284
Enthusiast
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Jan 31, 2008, 7:22 AM

Post #11 of 14 (5521 views)
Re: Transmission won't engage Sign In

The bang was caused by the stripping of the splines all at once. Thats the way inside the converters look when they go out with a bang, but you now know the cause. Just remember to have the converter cleaned out /flushed before installing it in next trans, and the oil cooler too. good luck.Unsure


Hfriesen
Novice

Feb 10, 2008, 1:49 PM

Post #12 of 14 (5479 views)
Re: Transmission won't engage Sign In

Ok so I changed transmissions as carefully as I could. Flushed lines, did all the right torques and have the car back on the road. It seems to idle much faster now. I checked to see if I had inadvertently disconnected any vacuum lines but can't find any. If you put the car in gear it starts to drive. On some other car when some of the the vacuum lines are disconnected they speed up. I didn't readjust anything but this job requires a whole lot o messing around under the hood.
Attachments: attachment icon almost there.jpg (159 KB)
  attachment icon back in.jpg (200 KB)
  attachment icon Removed air filter.jpg (159 KB)


dave284
Enthusiast
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Feb 10, 2008, 8:38 PM

Post #13 of 14 (5466 views)
Re: Transmission won't engage Sign In

Ok the problem now is idle is too high, to check for vacumm leaks ,spray WD-40/ or carb cleaner anywhere theres a vac -line that you might have bumped also recheck all eletrical connections ! post back.


dave284
Enthusiast
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Feb 11, 2008, 7:57 AM

Post #14 of 14 (5462 views)
Re: Transmission won't engage Sign In

the trans modulator could be bad .






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