I've read a bunch of threads but none of them seem to mention my collection of transmission "issues" - trying to determine what is normal vs what I should take it to a shop to get worked on.
I have a '91 full time 4WD which I understand is the A440F auto transmission with ~247,000 miles on it. I know that my transfer case does have a leak in it which I want to get fixed ASAP.
Symptoms:
Questions:
I have a '91 full time 4WD which I understand is the A440F auto transmission with ~247,000 miles on it. I know that my transfer case does have a leak in it which I want to get fixed ASAP.
Symptoms:
- I've got delayed engagement coming out of Park to Reverse and Drive in the morning, which has been going on for a while, I just wait to engage the gas and let the car naturally find the gear after a few seconds (3-5).
- Also a "lazy" shift where the engine will rev high for a second, then upshift when accelerating.
- Noticing these things I went and had a local shop flush the fluid and replace the filter. They said the fluid was dirty but they did NOT find any metal shavings in the pan. However the above symptoms persist.
- Recently I've been unable to shift from P to R without pressing the manual release button, the thumb button just won't go in. This is a new development following the fluid+filter replacement.
- The strangest thing to me with my limited knowledge is that when cold and in Drive, at a stoplight for example right after pulling out of the garage, the car seemingly can't decide what gear to be in. With my foot on the brake and in Drive the car will rev higher for a second, then seems to shift, which causes the whole vehicle to sway slightly. This ONLY happens when cold.
- On top of all that I have the clunk from Park to Reverse, and some light clunking when driving like on the freeway as well, which I've read is accepted as normal on here and may be due to worn drive flanges or "slop" in the 4wd.
Questions:
- Which of these are "normal"?
- Do my shifting issues sound like a worn solenoid or faulty TCU?
- Do people adjust the bands in this transmission unit to any success with smoother shifting?
- Are these indicative of a necessary rebuild of the transmission?
- If these are things I should see a shop about, is there someone in the Seattle area that people trust for cruisers?