'97 850 Transmission DipStick Stuck>>Is this normal?
 

I have recentlyencountered a orange arrow icon on the dashboard one day from sitting idle using a power converter to charge a laptop one day for approx. 30 minutes. Upon taking my car out of p[ark to the drive positionI noticed the orange arrow towards the right of my dash pop up right away. Can an electrical problem cause this arrow key to pop up? Or can it be a tall tale sign my transmission is starting to go bad?

I tried:

* Changing the gears to 3 and L to no avail.
* Upon restarting the car it went away and hasn't returned in almost 2 weeks now.
* I tried to check my transmission fluid, but cannot pull the yellow dipstick for the life of me. Turning it both ways, pushing it in and of course pulling it out without success. I even tried pulling it with a wrench.

Should the transmission stick be stuck like this? If so, will I need to lift my car in order to check the automatic transmission fluid from the bottom of the car?

Any insight to these small ocurrences would be most appreciated as I am not a qualifiedmechanic nor an electrician.

Thanks and good day.

RE: '97 850 Transmission DipStick Stuck>>Is this normal?
 

What kind of car do you have? Year and Trim?

RE: '97 850 Transmission Dipstick Stuck>>Is this normal?
 

Hello Mr. earthguy00,

Greetings from Chicagoland.

As for the orange arrow, it remains on when the transmission is in:

1. 3rd hold mode
2. L hold mode
3. Winter mode

As long as it's "on" and not "flashing", it is not a problem. Double-check the position of the "Winter Mode" switch, and the shifter is positively engaged in "D", rather than "3". If the arrow is flashing, however, there is a fault code in the ECU and must be accessed either by OBD-I or OBD-II scanner, find which code has been stored, then erase it (correct problems, if there are any). Some auto parts stores, such as AutoZone can reset codes for free (except for ABS and emissions-related codes).

As for the dipstick, I assume that the O-ring somehow got cured onto the tube, due to age orheat, asno one ever bothered checking the fluid level for years. It should come out just as the engine oil dipstick does. If the O-ring is cured/damaged in any way, it will need to be replaced. If it's so tight that you would have to force it, I would use a Vise-grip/locking plier, jam something soft, a cloth or something so it doesn't destroy the dipstick. Grab the stick and try turning & pulling up at the same time. Eventually the SOB will give up and come out. One of my aviation college instructors used to say, "If it ain't working, force it". If it should break, I assume it's probably $10 or so. Check with local Volvo dealer to see how much it is before you decide to abuse it. Should something break off and falls into the transmission via the tube, DO NOT drive the car and flush the system with clean Dexron-III/Mercon fluid, as even a tiny piece of FOD can render an auto-gearbox useless if it clogs up one of the hydraulic passages.

No, you do not have to raise the vehicle to check for the gearbox fluid. Also, the car has to be parked level, in order to measure the correct fluid level.

I wish you the best of luck.

P.S: Judging from your last name, I think you'd be an excellent electrician. Just my stereo-type, please ignore.

Oyasumi-nasai.


JPN

RE: '97 850 Transmission Dipstick Stuck>>Is this normal?
 

Auto trans dipstick ('96 850T) will not seat correctly. Suspect that o-ring is culprit. Was under car, but appears that I cannot get to end of DS tube unless I take off small cover and gasket. Is there another way to get to o-ring?. Many thanks. Tombo.[8D]

RE: '97 850 Transmission Dipstick Stuck>>Is this normal?
 

The tube can be removed without removing the cover.

RE: '97 850 Transmission Dipstick Stuck>>Is this normal?
 

Yeah I'm thinking that is the way to go right now. However before I do that I'm going to do a few drain/refills with name brand fluid. I'm worried about doing the flush because the radiator hose is rusted. I'll post pics later and ask specifically about it when I get those. But also I'm looking around, quite a few cars have the AW50-42LE tranny, such as the 1999-2003 Daewood Leganza. I'm wondering if this is an exact bolt on? I know you don't know specifically but just wondering what your thoughts on the matter were?

RE: '97 850 Transmission Dipstick Stuck>>Is this normal?
 

Not sure I wish I knew for sure though.
Funny thing is the wife worked as a Daewoo service writer for many years till they went under.

RE: '97 850 Transmission Dipstick Stuck>>Is this normal?
 

I had this same problem, and I believe it was the O-ring getting stuck from years of not being removed. I tried the suggestions of pulling as hard as possible, twisting and turning, but that little fu*#er would not move! Then, I got an obvious suggestion - HEAT.

I just used a long candle/BBQ lighter on the neck of the dipstick tube for abt 20 sec, as I was afraid a propane torch would be too hot, and the dipstick came out with a quick light tug!

Only problem now is it feels like the dipstick is not very snug when I replace it, but I think that O-ring is due for replacement anyway.

Good Luck

Viv

The AW-42LE (and derivatives) is a very common "off- the- shelf" transmission supplied by Japanese gearbox maker Aisin- Warner. They simply install whatever gears, sensors, connectors, and bellhousing specified to make it work with whatever vehicle it's intended to go in. This basic transmission design was used by Toyota/Lexus, Volvo, Suzuki, Daewoo, Isuzu, and numerous other automakers... however, it's not possible to use one out of a totally different car manufacturer due to different bellhousings, gear ratios, and electrical connectors/ software. It is, however, one of the most durable and reliable automatic transmissions ever made, and because it is used in cars that span the whole range of pricing, from the most expensive Volvo and Lexus models all the way down to Suzuki econoboxes- my dad's old Suzuki Aerio had one-, prices for the interchangeable parts such as clutch packs, some solenoids, gaskets, etc, are usually very low.

As for the specific question that started this thread: it sounds like you probably bumped the winter mode switch on your car... unless, the light was flashing. However, even if the light WAS flashing and a code was set, I'll bet it was related to your use of the power inverter. Either your power inverter ran the battery down to the point where the TCM detected a momentary low voltage condition and set a fault code, or it was related to the characteristics of the inverter itself. Most consumer power inverters use a form of power inversion- Modified square wave- that is EXTREMELY noisy, imprecise, and somewhat flaky... they create excessive noise and power fluctuations throughout the host vehicle's electrical system, and even worse within connected equipment. This noise CAN interfere with sensor signals in the vehicle's powertrain control system, which could cause a fault code to set. This doesn't mean that these inverters are poor quality, or shouldn't be used- I have a few of them, and even used my 1000- watt unit to run my refrigerator after a windstorm in September '08 took out our power for 3 days.

An aside to this, however: anyone who uses diagnostic software on a laptop computer should NEVER EVER power the laptop on a consumer- grade power inverter that is connected to the vehicle being tested, unless you are absolutely certain that the OBD adapter you are using is completely internally isolated from its controller (meaning it has optical signal processors inside it that keep the input and output sides electrically isolated from each other.) Most OBD-USB or OBD-COM port adapters are NOT isolated, and it's likely to cause severe damage to the vehicle's electrical system and your laptop by backfeeding 120 volts AC through both devices, due to the way inverters ground their current- they use the vehicle's ground for their neutral. While this is normally not a real problem, if you have something connected from 2 ends, 120 VAC can pass through everything connected- the laptop, the OBD connector, and ECU/ TCM/ etc. This WILL destroy these devices! I've seen it happen! (no, I didn't do it... I know better!) Only inverters that use "true sine wave" or "pure sine wave" inversion are properly isolated from the car's electrical system, but I'll bet you don't have one of these, as they cost 3-5 times more than a modified square wave inverter (the usual type) of equal wattage. If you must use an inverter to power your laptop for vehicle diagnostics, run the laptop from a separate car that is not touching or connected to the vehicle your working on in any way, especially with jumper cables.

Take the whole dip stick out, shaft and all. One bolt.

Funny, I always seem to forget the things I've learned when I run into a 'new problem'. Heat, one of my favorite tools.

Thanks!

-Was what I was actually thinking I'd do. I have another tube, and dipstick.

But I assume I'll lose some fluid. How will I know exactly how much so that I can replace that exact amount? Just try and catch it in a jug and then measure?

Thanks.