icemanhg3

First off, I don't wanna hear anything about a transmission rebuild!!! (unless there is no other option....BUT I STILL DON'T WANNA HEAR IT!!!) Anyways, going from 1st to 2nd, there's a slight pause between gears (kinda like if I had a stick, but I don't.) It doesn't do it 100% of the time, but about 80-90%. It's enough to make me question it.

Anyways, I just got the car, so I'm not sure whether or not this is something that's normal or not. It just does it from 1st to 2nd, the rest of the gears are perfect. It doesn't matter what mode I'm in (Power, Normal, or Comfort), it still does it. Although in Comfort, it's a lot less noticeable.

I haven't had a chance to check the fluids in it or anything, but I'm kinda wondering if the fluid would have much to do with it if the other gears are just fine. Anyways, HELP ME!!! If anybody needs more info to help me out, just let me know...

All info is much appreciated!!!

subs1000w

well go out start your car go back in side and let it warm up then go back out and check the friud while its running if its low than add some if not let us know. this is very important

icemanhg3

cool...I'll let you know when I get off work tonight or tomorrow....thanks!

icemanhg3

The tranny fluid is fine (assuming that's the black canister on the far left near the antifreeze), both marks (cold and hot) at matched at the correct temperatures.

The car didn't do it today except for twice for the whole couple of hours I was out today. Those times were a lot less noticeable than the norm. It kinda puts me at ease, but I still worry a little bit...

Any more suggestions???

Ricanprez1

iTrader: (2)

How many miles on the tranny? Mine went on me this Monday night at 148k, it is currently being worked on, tranny was in bad shape. The Tranny cooler is also being replaced. $1100 down the drain.....ouchhhh

icemanhg3

Just passed 102k about 2 days ago

Menel

what the hell? antifreeze is on the right-front of the car and only blank canister that you describe that i can think of is in the rear right side of engine bay and that is Brake fluid

Tranny fluid is a dipstick type thing like engine oil should be just a little be lower and to the right of the engine oil dipstick. wit ha round thing on the end to pull on.

edit: my directions are talking if you've got hood open and looking at it from the front.

icemanhg3

Your setup must be different from mine, my antifreeze is to the left-front of the car looking at it with the hood open. (Driver's seat is on the right)

There is only one long dipstick and that is for oil. I know where the brake fluid is b/c it's labeled.

The black canister in the front is not labeled, however, I'm pretty sure by smell and coloring that it is the transmission fluid. If I had a digi, I'd take a picture, but I don't. Although I appreciate your responding to attempt to help me, Menel, I believe that you might be mistaken and that our engine setups are different. I have a '94 GXE. Thanks!

Menel

yea *imbarrassed* ive never seen the bay of a VG30DE

I have the VE30DE...sorry

also I had a tranny at 123kmiles still doing well, wreck caused damage to it and had to be replaced so i don't know how long it would have lasted

icemanhg3

It's all good, like I said, I appreciate you trying to help!!!

Roco

Black can with dipstick marked for hot and cold...sounds the the power steering fluid to me. Just my guess...I don't have your set up either

Menel

doh, that could be it too, forgot about that one.

I just figure there's no way the tranny has a black canister, On any car ive ever looked at tranny fluid of its been a dipstick. I've not been under hood of a VG but i would think it would be teh same, keep looking for a second dipstick

Gjohnson

iTrader: (1)

Tranny is always a dipstick. Should be in the front, driverside area. But again, another VE rider.

icemanhg3

Aiight, I'll try looking again....I, too, could be mistaken...So what I'm looking for is another dipstick like the oil dipstick, right? A long skinny piece of metal??? Where are the VG's when u need 'em???

94MAXGXE

Sounds like he has the ABS brake setup. ABS brakes on the left, and coolent on the right by the battery. TRANNY dipstick is still in the same place. Mine is mostly hidden under the wires from the battery, very hard to see. Look just to the left and down of the battery, and push the wires out of the way. Standard dipstick.
Also, these trannys dont warm up and shift really well for the first 20-30 miles in the winter......did this just start when it got cold outside?

icemanhg3

Thanks for more specific directions...I'll look tomorrow when I can actually see what I'm doing...I just got the car about a week+ ago, so I don't know if it's a cold weather thing or not...It ran fine today, but I did let it warm up for about 10-15 minutes first....I'll check that too.

Thanks for the tips everybody!!!

Ricanprez1

iTrader: (2)

Dip stick for the tranny should be to the lower right. Just had my tranny rebuilt, they charged me 1225 after starting with a quote of 975, said my tranny was in really bad shape. I also had installed a transmission cooler which should help keep cool the tranny fluid therefore increasing the life of this rebuild.

broncoguy

VG30 auto tranny dipstick is definitely down to the lower right, as you are facing the engine. Tucked down under and a little hard to see, but it is there. Has a round top on it as mentioned before, but it is DEFINITELY a dipstick, similar to the one for the oil. Also, as mentioned, better to check it hot or warm, on a level surface, after you have driven it around the block a couple times.

icemanhg3

Okay, found the tranny dipstick (for real this time, apologies to Menel), and the fluid is at the proper levels. I checked it after letting it warm up for 10 minutes, after driving it for an additional 10, and after taking a 40 minute highway drive. In all cases, the fluid was in the right place.

Are there cases in which this fluid needs to be changed at all??? If so, that might be something I could look into. As I said, I just got the car, so I don't know if the other person took care of it. (If my f*ed up tires and alignment are any indication, then they didn't.)

Anyways, as far as the transmission goes for today, it wasn't bad at all. It still would give that slight hesitation every once in a while, but it didn't jerk or lunge into gear under regular or hard acceleration.

It might just be that I'm not used to this tranny yet, but I feel like all the shifts should feel the same. Any other shift besides 1->2 is fine, instantaneous. But that 1->2 just takes longer...

It's getting better though, so could it just be that the car was sitting for a while???

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

What color was the fluid?
if it's maroon change it.
if it's cherry red leave it alone

icemanhg3

It was a pretty bright red...it wasn't very dark at all...It wasn't cherry bright red, but it was FAR from Maroon...

I think I'm just gonna warm it up first at all times and then see how it does...It seems to respond well (all day) when it starts the day with a 10-minute warm up...

Golden Ice

the thing you thought was the coolant reservoir is the winshield washer fluid..the coolant is attached to the front of the battery (the washer fluid has a funnel shaped spout that sticks up at the front right hand corner of the car (sitting in the drivers seat) and the black cylinder you mentioned is the power steering fluid res. which ALSO uses dexron compatible transmission fluid..and you should be in decent shape with the tranny fluid as it is..As for hesitation and jerky shifting from 1st to 2nd, if its less noticeable in comfort mode than in power, it doesn't sound like a real problem to me, just normal wear..the 3 way switch (power, auto, comfort) selects how the tranny shifts..power waits till a higher rpm to shift for better acceleration but it feels like it shifts hard if you don't accelerate fairly hard, comfort shifts at a lower rpm for a "softer" shift, and auto basically judges whether to shift in power or comfort mode based on how hard the accelerator pedal is pressed.

Hope any of my babble helps..