4terryc

Gents
My '93 3.3 with 3spd auto 208kms (130mis) has developed a persistant slip on pulling away that feels like I've run over a small ice patch or pile of gopher guts. I can sometimes feather it thru the zone but any load and it just feels like the thing has jumped in and out of neutral for a one second burst, then it hooks right up and takes off with no further drama 'til the next light.
I've run this car in mostly stop and go commuting for the last 10 yrs and 160kms. It has had oil/filter once a year and a 4 litre refresher by way of a pan drain plug every oil change.
Current blinky codes are 26/27 which my fabulous factory service manuals indicate involve quad drivers for, among other things, tcc and mid gear switch.
It just seems like a momentary fluid starvation but it does it every time and very predictably. Fluid level is up and a litre of Lucas didn't help. Maybe as my old buddy said "There are no mechanics in bottles and jars" - but there may be one online. Thanks for sharing.

swalt

I have the same vehicle, same engine and had the same problem with the slippage symptoms you describe (no codes though). My problems were typically evident during last summer and this recent summer after highway driving. I found the fluid to be a bit foamy and slightly low the first time it happened so I did the Lucas slip additive and it seemed to fix it. Again it happened this year and I resorted to a transmission flush. You mentioned you did the 4L drain and fill. Consider doing a complete flush as the entire system takes 16L as just a drain does not get any of the fluid out of the torque converter. After doing the complete professional flush this year I have not had a problem since and the transmission shifts smoother than ever.

4terryc

Many thanks for the comeback swalt. I'll bet you'll agree that (as I forgot to mention) the car needs to be thoroughly warmed up for the problem to occur. I also have observed that the fluid gets foamy and that is why I installed the drain plug thinking that the fluid circulates eventually all around and I could benefit from some kind of dilution factor without the hassle and expense of dropping the pan. I also experienced the temporary improvement with the Lucas. Will take your advice and do the flush and also add the Lucas afterwards.

GTP Dad

What works for one may not work for the other. One of the issues that has been hotly debated on this forum is whether or not to flush transmissions. As for my experience here it seems that anyone with a high mileage transmission who has the transmission flushed usually ends up with a dead transmission shortly thereafter. The flush worked for swalt but it may not work for you.

It sounds to me that your money would be better spent having the transmission issue diagnosed at a transmission shop to see what is going on and concentrating your efforts on repairing that issue. Unfortunately, it sounds like you already need a new transmission.

4terryc

Oh well, I had the flush done today. For $100 the kid at the quick lube hooked up his machine to the cooling port at the rad and it exchanged 6 litres of fluid while the car ran in park. I declined his kind offer to drop the pan and do the drain and filter thing. The object of this exercise I assume is to change the fluid in the torque converter. Next week's commute will tell the tale on whether the glitch is cured. You may be right and I may just be going through the normal stages of major component death ie denial, bargaining, why me etc. It sure would be good hear some other history from some other owners to shed some light on what we can expect from this combination in terms of lifespan of original equipment and success on keeping it going.

swalt

I would have thought it would have been more than 6L. My buddy works at a Ford dealer and he has the ability to do some side work after hours so he does most of my maintenance. His dealer has a unit called a Transmission Revivor Flush Unit and it required 16L of fresh fluid (actually just shy of 4 jugs). Hooked up to the tranny cooler and you could actually watch it flush the old fluid out and see the new fluid go in. GTP Dad has a point that some vehicles don't take to a flush well, but it is usually those that have been neglected and then subjected to a tranny flush. In your case, you have been changing "some" of the fluid on a regular basis. The foaming is definitely contributing to your slipping as well.

Let us know how it goes next week.