To all those who have AT transmissions!!!

[SPL140.2 5,000+ posts]

My car broke down coming home from work going 60 in cruise control all of a sudden my rpms shot up to 6k and my check engine light came on so I stopped the car on the side of the road. Turned off the car and back on, threw it in drive and started to take off but it wouldnt let me go past 2nd gear. I was about 2 min from the local gas station so I decided to drive there at 20 mph to park the car to have it towed. So I get there and turned off the car and when I did I heard tons of gurgling sounds which shook the car. I ran to the trunk to grab a flashlight and looked under the car and tons of fluid was coming out thinking it was the ****** fluid.

So I called the tow truck, they brought it to a local garage. The local garage called me like 2hrs from when it arrived and said that it needed a new radiator and new transmission about a $1500-2000 job. I was Pi$$ed. Later that night I had my friend tow the car home. The next day I called another so called mechanic to my house to look at it, he said the same thing, needed a new radiator and transmission. I was like FUk. Then he offered me money to buy it the way it is. I was tempted to sell it but Id be out $800 from what I owe the bank on it. So I told him id think about it.

My friend whos a great mechanic just came home for the weekend from SC and came over to visit and pick up some vinyl signs for his shop. I had him look at it. He told me that the ****** line inside the radiator broke which mixed the fluids and overfilled my coolant tank and went out the overdraft spout, which explains all the fluid on the ground from when I looked at it. He also told me that on the Dodge neons when the cpu senses ****** problems it automatically goes into 2nd gear for protection, hence the high rpms at 60mph and only to be able to drive it 20mph to the gas station. He said my ****** should be ok.

So I went down to pick up the radiator and coolant and atf+4 ****** fluid. Got home and he had it all out with milky pink stuff all over the driveway, which was ****** fluid mixed with the coolant. He flushed everything with a hose and installed the new radiator, filled all the fluids and started the car. It shifted in all gears, so we topped the fluids and drove it down the road. It shifted in all 4 gears flawlessley //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif I was so exstatic. I couldnt thank him more $hit he saved me about $1k+ some. So I didnt charge him for the shop signs I made for him to show thanks.

So the moral of the story if you have an AT transmission and it never slipped or showed signs of going and all of sudden it breaks down and you get a milky substance coming from the radiator, start with the radiator first it may be the problem!!!

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[alvitae 10+ year member]

There is such a difference in mechanics it isn't funny, They range from Einsteins to Gomer Pyles. A lot of times it is dumb luck finding a good one. Glad it worked out for you good.

The **** part is a good mechanic is all those states away lol.

 

[ThatChevyGuy 5,000+ posts]

Awesome!

I just wish thats whats wrong with my ride, i know the ****** is shot.

 

[whitedragon551 5,000+ posts]

Same thing happened in my saturn. It was a head gasket as well as 3 gear slipping and reverse. Wouldnt get to 4th because it obviously has to go through 3rd. Sounds like yours is a Gomer Pyle.

 

[Pop da Hatch 10+ year member]

thanks for the information

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

Mine slips....I keep driving it anyway.

 

[quins90lac 10+ year member]

been there done that wasn't fun ive also blew a ***** it took the engien with it. 1000 latter and i have a used engien and ***** with less miles on them then the actual car

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

SPL, after re-reading your story, you should have had the friend install an external transmission cooler.

 

[quins90lac 10+ year member]

Mine slips....I keep driving it anyway.

is the ***** vacuum controlled or electronic controlled. if its vac try replacing the vac shift modulator

 

[ThatChevyGuy 5,000+ posts]

I have a fresh motor, but my ****** is going, and i have a bad vacuum leak, im thinkin headgaskets or intake. Im hoping a ****** flush and it will hold out for a while longer.

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

is the ***** vacuum controlled or electronic controlled. if its vac try replacing the vac shift modulator

It has 160k miles on it. I got a free car and the person preformed little to no maintenance. The ****** fluid was thick and I changed it, knowing that it could cause an issue. Well, it did.

SInce it is an 89, I'd assume vacuum controlled.

 

[fbi90909 5,000+ posts]

mmmm milky substance

 

[quins90lac 10+ year member]

It has 160k miles on it. I got a free car and the person preformed little to no maintenance. The ****** fluid was thick and I changed it, knowing that it could cause an issue. Well, it did.
SInce it is an 89, I'd assume vacuum controlled.

try replacing the vac cont mod its like $10 - $30 it wouldn't hurt i had the slipping and hard shifts and replaced mine it was like a new ***** after that

 

[SPL140.2 5,000+ posts]

SPL, after re-reading your story, you should have had the friend install an external transmission cooler.

I probably would but my car has 90,000 on it so im just hopeN to get at least 6 more months on it till its paid off than after that I wouldnt care if it dies, but if it doesnt die after that, thats great too. I wouldnt mind a few months of no payments //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif Heck $330 for extra stuff actually wouldnt be bad //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif I could use that to fix my rex //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[SPL140.2 5,000+ posts]

Mine slips....I keep driving it anyway.

did you check the fluids?