Auto box bug

nikos · 09-10-2008, 12:54 AM

Hey guys

I have an au1 6cyl auto sedan, 163k on the clock. The other day i jumped in, went for a drive, initiated my usual braking procedure of pulling the shifter back through 3, 2, etc....but nothing happened! The car stayed in 4th and I had to use the brake pedal like a sissy.

It seems that lever positions 1, 2 and 3 are all functioning like D. Car is a 5 seat floor shift. ALSO the converter doesn't seem to be locking up in 4th, I'm not sure if its locking in 3rd or not. It doesn't lock in 1, 2, 3 or D.

Does anyone have any ideas as to whats going on under there? I don't know when the car last had a tranny service, if at all.

Cheers, Nic

mik · 09-10-2008, 01:12 AM

sounds like its in limp home mode, oil level would be my first check.

The Monty · 09-10-2008, 06:56 AM

Get a servics pronto, and ask them to check your stall converter. It might have died.

nikos · 09-10-2008, 11:42 AM

I don't think its in lhm, all 4 gears are still being used as normal, just without locking. Think I'll take it to my mech, sounds like the best thing to do, pretty sure them cogs are spinnin in 10 year old factory oil, if any.

Don't know if its actually good or bad if the converters gone, I might be forced to upgrade stall

Cheers guys, appreciate the input!

Dauphin · 09-10-2008, 02:05 PM

From what I understand, if you use the BTR auto like a complete manual process the whole time you drive then that could have led to this problem.

The Monty · 09-10-2008, 03:10 PM

I have used mine as a manual for about 100 000k's, and thats all the time Im driving, and so far (touch wood), not one problem.

**Jastel** · 09-10-2008, 08:56 PM

This is normally one of the first signs a box is going, it loses it's engine braking ability, this is only a problem if you go down lots of hills and have no brakes.

Keep driving it (the normal way leave it in D) it won't die tomorrow, will do another 20000km or so

You can change the oil it wont hurt but I'd start looking for another one
If you intend to recondition it remember the more you drive it the worse it will get

The cause could be a few things but they all mean the box has to come out and be pulled apart or swapped which is usually cheaper.

nikos · 09-10-2008, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jastel

This is normally one of the first signs a box is going, it loses it's engine braking ability, this is only a problem if you go down lots of hills and have no brakes.

Keep driving it (the normal way leave it in D) it won't die tomorrow, will do another 20000km or so

You can change the oil it wont hurt but I'd start looking for another one
If you intend to recondition it remember the more you drive it the worse it will get

The cause could be a few things but they all mean the box has to come out and be pulled apart or swapped which is usually cheaper.

Awesome. Might start looking for a 5 speed. I'll see what a service will do first but.

Cheers

sly · 09-10-2008, 10:41 PM

Mine used to go into neutral when pulled back to 3rd when the oil was getting low. A service should make it all good. My BTR now has 345,000+km up, having had 4 services and 3 flushes in 9 years.

Fireblade · 10-10-2008, 01:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monty

I have used mine as a manual for about 100 000k's, and thats all the time Im driving, and so far (touch wood), not one problem.

Last 80,000k's for me in a V8 Auto, never had an issue...

nikos · 10-10-2008, 05:04 PM

Drove from Melbourne to Geelong today and while cruzin at 100ks the car randomly dropped to 2nd gear for a second then back to top. Happened about four times on that trip, and now its doing it up hills.

I called a couple of auto shops today and explained the symptoms, both said its probably this switch on the side of the box, I forgot what its called, but I can get it supplied and fitted for $120.

Fingers crossed they're correct!

sly · 10-10-2008, 05:38 PM

That'd be the one that tells the computer what position the selector is in... sometimes called a "neutral switch" as it tells the computer when you're in P or N so you can start it. Easy to replace yourself, I did one when I had to bash the stick into P to get the engine started. Dunno if it'd produce the symptoms you describe though.

After 163,000km and not knowing when/if the tranny was last serviced, a tranny service is a no-brainer IMHO.

bodes-sh · 10-10-2008, 10:07 PM

that switch is probably the transmission range selector. it tells the ecu what gear the ecu is in (through different voltage and resistance) so it knows what gear to go into...

blackers10 · 11-10-2008, 12:20 AM

if you look under the car its the big white plastic thing with wires going into it on the side of the gearbox(near the bottom)
it has a shaft that runs from 1 side of the box to the other (1 end is the selector bar from the shifter inside the car, the other passes thru this white box)

The Mighty Red · 11-10-2008, 09:24 AM

It would be the inhibitor switch

**Mechan1k** · 11-10-2008, 12:30 PM

If you have the $$$$ and are going to keep the vehicle for quite sometime.
Get the auto rebuilt/strengthened to handle this type of driving.

If you don't already .. get an external trans cooler ... and make sure you keep the servicing up to it as well ... it will increase the longevity of the auto as well.

**Jastel** · 11-10-2008, 08:27 PM

Hope for your sake it is the inhibitor switch

The usual symptoms for busted inhibitor switch is wont start in P or N, or will start in other gears when it shouldn't. Or it stays in limp home mode as it cant tell the computer what gear it is in.

Cooper69S · 12-10-2008, 03:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikos

I called a couple of auto shops today and explained the symptoms, both said its probably this switch on the side of the box, I forgot what its called, but I can get it supplied and fitted for $120.

Fingers crossed they're correct!

Mine did the same thing a couple of days before it was booked in to have a trans cooler fitted. They trans shop said same thing as you were told - switch on the side - they said I could do it myself but the switch sometimes didn't come out cleanly or something, and that apparently would be a big drama.

Anyway it only did it for a couple of days and then started working fine so when the cooler got fitted I told them not to bother changing it and its been fine since. about 3 months so far