Tech-

While driving to work today I came to a stop and the car shuttered hard. Almost like something got stuck in the front end. Very hard to describe. I needed it inspected as it was making a thud noise in the left front at start and stop. Turned out it was a ball joint. Had both replaced. Sounds silent now, however my mechanic said this.

When he placed it on the lift to assess the ball joints it sat for about three hours until the parts were delivered. When he installed the parts he lowered it down to move it to the alignment rack. When he placed the car in reverse it clunked when he tried to accelerate backwards and seemed to hesitate badly? He then put it in park and let it warm up and sure enough then moved perfectly.

I picked the car up and they told me about this issue and when I went to back it out of the parking lot sure enough same thing in reverse... Clunk and hesitation? I did the same, put it in neutral and let it sit for a minute.

Now they said something about a pump circulating the fluid and letting it warm up and that it could mean new trany down the road?

The car shifts perfectly smooth 1st thru 4th in auto and 1st thru 4th manually. It downshifts just fine and I can't see any slippage?

Any suggestions? I'm seeing NO lights on the dash at all. Funny thing is when I backed it out of my driveway this morning to drive it up to the garage it backed out fine with no issues?? But again, I did have an issue this morning which caused me to get it in right away.

I can't dump any more into this car. It has 128,000 on it and I planned on keeping it until the wheels fell off.

I am into the car for ton's of money so far. New front lower control arms, new struts around, new strut mounts around, new ball joints, new rack in the front. I mean the suspension has been completely replaced.

I am considering trading it but don't feel comfortable passing my problem off to a dealer or another buyer. Is there anything I can try? Fluid change? Filter etc......

Thanks for your help, and on another note, I fixed the turbo surging I had (yet another part) I bought from IAC the turbo control valve and sure enough like new.

Spankey

 

I would do and flush on it. Not a power flush. The one where you run the tranny line in to a bucket and add fluid at the tranny pumps it out. Does it look really dirty?

 

Thanks Tech, sorry I didn't reply sooner. I have been busy.

The fluid is no longer red and is more light motor oil when it's been changed with about 1,000 miles on the new oil. Very light brown. Doesn't stink and or seems smooth no flakes or such in the fluid.

My mechanic needs me to do some networking at his shop and he isn't very computer savy. I myself work in IT so I swapped him, my time to hook up his wireless network and he will change my filter and fluid on the trany. He said he is going to use synthetic so I hope it would be OK?

He also said the reason why it's doing it only when the car is cold is due to it not building up enough pressure. He feels confident this should cure the problem. He thinks the fluid hasn't been changed ever on the car as I bought it with 70,000 on it and I didn't think to and it now has 128,000. Who knows what the first owner did? So I'm praying nothing is wrong with the trany and a filter and fluid change cures it.

Thanks again!
Spank.

 

Well my mechanic has been so busy that he hasn't had time to get the car in the shop this week. I'm driving it very lightly.

I will say this and don't know why but I just checked my fluid and it does have some redness to it but not deep red as it should. It smells fine also so it's not cooked. I also noticed when I checked it the car is cold and it's showing its 2" over the cold mark which can't be good? It has me thinking that the place that did the alignment that noticed the slipping might have added fluid to the car and way to much?

Arggggg....