Tranny smell

[cougar214]

Hey guys.I did the tranny change the other day to get out the SeaFoam trans tune.I added two bottles of Lucas Oil to the tranny per the instructions(says to add a second bottle if one doesnt do the trick in bigger trannys)

I have added Lucas Oil before and one bottle never seemed to do anything so I went ahead and added two this time right from the get go.Now the old fluid looked almost new so that tells me there wasn't much in the way of gunk in the tranny which I guess is a good thing.

Now heres the problem (possible problem) I am getting this weird rubbery smell on the dipstick when I check the tranny fluid.Is this a bad sign of anything or could it perhaps be just the Lucas Oil giving off that smell?

And if it is a bad sign should I siphon out a quart or two of the fluid and put fresh fluid in the water down the Lucas?

Thanks for your input guys.

[rhaigh08]

Why did you have Sea Foam in there in the first place was there a problem with the transmission? There are many parts in the trans that cannot be fixed with a bottle of lube. Also if you overfilled it even a little bit that could cause a problem. It could be the lucas that you are smelling. The burning smell could also be a pressure regulator hose that usually bursts when the pressure gets really high in the trans due to a pressure regulating solenoid failure. The hose could have started burning up somewhere in the trans. The only way I would know how to tell you if that is your problem pther than having it looked at, is to drive the car for about an hour while running erronds, letting the transmission get really hot. If you start to smell the rubber smell with a mixture of burning trans fluid in the car coming out of the vents (which is where I smelt it while the heat was on) you will know ur hose possibly blew. That is the only reason I knew my hose had blown. But the smell came and went and for some reason I did not smell it with the air on only with the heat and only when the car was parked.

[cougar214]

there was nothing wrong with the tranny persay..I just wanted to use the trans tune because allot of people say its really good for cleaning out the trans.An alternative to flushing I guess

The Lucas oil I put in was basically a hail marry for the shifting.When I changed the fluid it was still pretty clean.So the more I rule out the more its looking like a solenoid problem.

The smell I'm referring to I can only smell on the dipstick and the main reason I noticed the smell was I could for a brief time smell it outside the car in the air.Thats what maid me check the dipstick.

I know what burning rubber smells like and this isn't quit that smell.Its the best I can describe it.I was also thinking maybe somehow I accidentally spilled some tranny fluid or Lucas on the manifold but thats unlikely because i did use a funnel.

As I said before I think I will siphon a quart or two out and replace it with fresh tranny fluid to dilute the Lucas.

[cougar214]

I quick note.When I added the fluid to the tranny I used the suggested dexron VI from wally world but they ran out so I could only get 4 quarts of it so I had to buy that Valvoline high millage stuff with the detergents in it.

As far as i know mixing fluid is ok as long as its of the same type.But I was wondering if having all those additives in there could be doing it.i know what the lucas does but i have no idea what the additives in the fluid will do or react with the lucas.

[rhaigh08]

I have heard that alike ATF can be mixed. However myself I would not do that because no two fluids are the same. Some add more detergent some add more lube. Have you checked your fluid levels with the engine running and in neutral with the parking brake on? That is a good way to check it. The levels should be right in between add and full as I'm sure you know, But I have to say it. The smell is burning transmission fluid that means something is wrong in the transmission, that is one of the many smells you dont want to smell comming from your car. Rubber is the best way to describe it. That could be from having too much fluid in there which could cause more extensive issues like blown solenoids, broken rings around the pistons in the trans because, with age they crack too much fluid can add extra pressure on them and other parts and they break then fluid gets where its not supposed to and can burn off in those places. You deffinately should get any extra fluid out right away and should not drive it until its at it's proper levels to prevent any damage or further damage. Some transmissions run very normal with extra fluid in them and sometimes never even cause a problem. However these transmissions are very delicate. 4T65E transmissions are a nightmare to have rebuilt and simple mistakes can cost you big. My 2002 Intrigue just went in for the 8th time on Friday for a shifting issue after 3 rebuilds (thankfully I only had to pay for one due to an awesome warranty and shop) and several random parts replaced between rebuilds. This time I got lucky no internals were messed up and I just have to have my computer flashed by the dealer to fix random shifting issues.

[cougar214]

I always wondered about that.When a code is stored in the PCM or the TCM and after fixing the problem,If the code is still in there will the car continue to act and drive as though the problem still exists?

The fluid level in the tranny is dead on.A quart of fluid is 950ml.And a quart of Lucas Oil is 750ml.Factory specs for this car is 8 quarts for a pan drain and filter replacement.After adding 6 quarts of tranny fluid and two bottles of Lucas Oil,getting it to specs is just a matter of adding an additional 400ml of tranny fluid.

Which is what I did.So my fluid level at at the very top of the hash marks and not over.I'm still leaning towards draining out about 3 quarts of the fluid and refilling with fresh fluid to thin out the Lucas Oil and the detergents in the Valvoline fluid.I picked up 3 quarts of the Wally World Dexron VI.

[cougar214]

O'k.I just finished draining out 3 quarts of fluid and replaced it with some fresh tranny fluid.Drove the car for a few minutes to get it worked through and the smell isn't as strong now.

I'm thinking the smell was coming from all the Lucas Oil that was in it.Maybe thats how the Lucas smells when it gets hot.Just never noticed it cause I only ever used one bottle.

P.S There was so much Lucas Oil in there my fluid had a blue tint to it.Guess the makers of it were wrong when they said to add a second bottle for larger or badly worn transmissions.

[rhaigh08]

Codes are not stored for the transmission permanently. When the computer detects a slip, hard up or downshifting or anything else it will throw the code temporarily. If the problem stops the code goes away. Or let's say if the problem is @ 40MPH it will throw a code at 40MPH but you are driving at 60 MPH after several rounds/minutes of not detecting a problem the code clears itself. Which is why when the transmission shops test drive it they have the car hooked up to the code reader/diagnostics pc. It also clears when you turn it off. If its a serious problem and the computer keeps detecting it that means it is a frequent issue that the computer detecs so quick it is on at start up but, not all codes engage until it's been driven for some time or certain things are done like driving heavy on the throttle etc.. I am not positive on how long it takes to reset but part of the problem I had for a while was the codes would clear before I got it to the shop. Most of my problem was at 10 MPH and 40 MPH speed limit to the shop was either over those speeds or under so it would clear.