Thread: RRC lost drive???

Your transfer hasn't dropped into nuetral has it.If not i would say its terminal.

jack stand the vehicle and with the trans in park play with the wheels and prop shafts.

If the operation of the propshafts is as you would expect it to be then the auto has let go.

the trans oil should be checked with the engine running after its been cycled through all the gears and it shouldnt be higher than the high mark on the dipstick at this point.

at rest with the engine off its ok for the oil to read high as the oil in the TC, shafts and vavling will drain back into the sump.

if you get very very lucky it might just be a valve having a hissy fit and a transmission flush and oil change may solve the problem but I doubt it.

thanks both of you. I'll get it up on stands and see when does what. Its a strange one, I got on the highway and gently drove for 3 1/2 hrs and it didn't give any dramas. Got into the city and it started to play up a little bit (not feeling like it 'hooked up'), after I gave it a quik squirt to get past a car in a 50 zone. Been doing a couple of short trips around the city this morning and it seems ok. Having said that, i've been very very gentle. Thanks again.

as a side thought....

if it only happens when its been running for a while there is also the slight chance that when the oil cooler kicks into play that enough oil is removed from the sump to fill the cooler to cause problems....

if the oil level was that low that that could happen the level should show up as low anyway.

yeah I had a similar thought myself. I started the car from cold, put it each gear, then back into neutral in checked the fluid. All fine. I might check it in drive when it cools down a bit, that will show if fluid level drops markedly when its 'in gear'?

I have never had personal experience but I understand that this can happen when the splines of the shaft into the VC give up.
Regards Philip A

I had this problem with my auto about 2 yrs ago.I could drive it and then it would free rev.Then after awhile i had no drive at all.It would sometimes hook up and then sometimes not.I rang a few transmission places and they told me it was the governor in the auto.I ended up getting a second hand transmission and have had no problems since.

Originally Posted by Pat The Rat

yeah I had a similar thought myself. I started the car from cold, put it each gear, then back into neutral in checked the fluid. All fine. I might check it in drive when it cools down a bit, that will show if fluid level drops markedly when its 'in gear'?

the oil level wont drop much by just putting it in gear once the TC has already filled, thats what cycling it through the gears is for when you hear the transmission clunking as you pass out of nuetral into gear that means the TC has filled and the box is ready to work.

theres 2 govenors in the box, if the rear one fails you should be locked in first gear and if the front one fails you should loose the lockup control.

when you check your oil check it for small black/brass particals, if you get it thats fried clutches and bands. swipe the dipstick with a magnet a few times to magnetise it then try for a drive, if you get metal particals on the stick then its major component failure.

Are you getting any wierd rattling ringing noises?