Thread: Welp...trans is dead

I'm nearly positive the trans in my car is dead. Today, without warning, it wouldn't leave a stoplight in 'D.' I put in in 1st, and limped it over off the road. Checking the fluid revealed the level and color seemed fine, but some black wiped off on a napkin and it appeared to smell burnt...could be mental though.

I drove it back to my house, which wasn't far away. It would go from a stop in either 2 or 1, then accelerate. At the top of second, i shifted it to third. It shifted (took a long shift), and went fine. The car will not leave from a stop in Drive, or 3rd. I later started the car and it wouldn't move in 2nd anymore either.

Also, from a dig it seemed to shake or slip some. I didn't accelerate hard at all after it happened.

What I'm worried about is this:

I think what killed it is when I turned onto a road earlier (2 minutes before it wouldn't move). I was turning onto a street and a car merged into the lane I was merging into. There was traffic coming from the opposite direction and I accelerated to get in front of the car. My car downshifted and accelerated a little harder than I planned.

Could this turning/weight transfer/acceleration make something slip? I was turning left.

Car is a 2000 GTP. Stock trans with a shift kit, standard 3.4 setup, 120k miles.

TIA

Taylor

Sounds like your forward band is worn out, leaving in 1 or 2 uses the manual band so it would allow you to move then once you are moving slip into third and hold since there is less of a load on the trans when the car is all ready moving.

Thanks for the quick response. That makes sense now. Is it normal for them to just go out? The trans has been great up until today.

The good news is I know a great trans guy who can rebuild it cheap. What upgrades should I look in to? Should I reuse the shift kit? I was looking at a hardened 4th shaft, maybe upgraded discs and a possible small stall.

If you're just pulling the trans is it easiest to drop the cradle and trans from the bottom?

Yep. It's definitely internal, it will need torn apart.

If you don't know someone who can rebuild it cheap, you might look into a used one. It will probably break later down the road too.

Looking forward to tearing this apart...

Took it to the tranny man yesterday and he tore it apart in about 30 minutes.

Said the planetary had broke and grenaded everything else...forward band is out and the fourth gear clutch shaft was almost out of it. All that stuff needs replaced, and I'll throw the old converter back in it and get it back on the road.

Apparently there's a seal in there that costs about $70....****