I have been having problems with my transmission for about a year now. It was just over a year ago that we were coming back from the mountains having cut firewood when someone noticed my 1994 LC was dripping fluid from the front. It was radiator fluid. Long story short, a large brimmed hat was left tied to my bumper during the 1.5 hour drive home. The wife did not notice any changes in temperature during the drive (that doesn't mean it didn't happen though). She was driving the LC while I was driving the truck full of wood.
The fluid was not just coolant but coolant mixed with ATF. So I replaced the radiator and flushed the entire system using the tranny cooler hoses and hoped for the best. It seemed like the flush worked and nothing was wrong for about a month until I made a 6 hour journey to the Kaibab for a hunt. The LC ran great the whole trip up even with pulling my little offroad trailer. No problems going up the plateau either, and that is a pretty steep climb. However, on the return trip up after just reaching the top of the plateau (a very steep incline) my LC stopped moving just as we topped the hill. No matter how much gas or what gear I put it in it acted like it was in neutral. The engine just rev'd. It wasn't until after sitting there for about 45 minutes that it started to move again. We limped into the nearest gas station and checked the ATF. It was dirty so I drained it and replaced it with new fluid. We took it slow for the rest of the way home because if I ran it at higher speeds the transmission would go out and I mean go out.. No movement until I waited a while. If I kept it at about 30 mph it did just fine. My CDL was also locked and remains locked to this day. After I got back, I drained the ATF again but this time dropped the pan and cleaned the filter and put new fluid in.
The only driving I have done this past year was to see if I could get the CDL to unlock. No luck there. The transmission has seemed fine EXCEPT I for some shuddering going from a complete stop to just a couple mph. If I took it slow from a stop it was fine. Wasn't sure what that was so I thought for the most part it might be back to normal and I just had some residual coolant in the system. Now comes hunting season. I had decided after reading here that it might not be the end of the world to drive the LC with a locked CDL. I know this is controversial but I knew I would only be driving a minimal distance on the highway and then all dirt roads. So to get ready, I checked the ATF level (warmed up) and noticed it was a little low. I added a quart more and took it on drive. I decided to push it on the highway and it seemed normal. Came back checked the level and notice now it was low according to the hot marks. Since I had driven it on the highway for sometime I thought using those marks was correct. I added even more fluid. Now I was about 6 quarts. Started down the driveway and up our little hill and stopped at the stop sign. Proceeded to go and....nothing I started rolling backwards. No gears worked. I put in neutral and rolled down the hill turned it off and waited about 3 minutes. Started it and it went about 10 yards and lost all gears again. Mind you I am only feet away from my house. Waited a few more minutes and got into my driveway and left it.
I have not had any gears since. When I start it up the transmission squeals a little and then goes silent. Just today I started the LC after I got home and the squealing was quite loud. So in hopes of stopping the squealing I quickly put it in reverse and the truck went into its reverse gear!! I quickly put it back into park for a bit, the squeals went away. Put it back into reverse and nothing!! Went through all the gears and still nothing. Tried it again an hour or so later...still nothing.
I hope this all makes sense.
Any ideas? I am ready to get a new transmission, I just need this truck running. I have had it for a long time and it is hard being without it.
The fluid was not just coolant but coolant mixed with ATF. So I replaced the radiator and flushed the entire system using the tranny cooler hoses and hoped for the best. It seemed like the flush worked and nothing was wrong for about a month until I made a 6 hour journey to the Kaibab for a hunt. The LC ran great the whole trip up even with pulling my little offroad trailer. No problems going up the plateau either, and that is a pretty steep climb. However, on the return trip up after just reaching the top of the plateau (a very steep incline) my LC stopped moving just as we topped the hill. No matter how much gas or what gear I put it in it acted like it was in neutral. The engine just rev'd. It wasn't until after sitting there for about 45 minutes that it started to move again. We limped into the nearest gas station and checked the ATF. It was dirty so I drained it and replaced it with new fluid. We took it slow for the rest of the way home because if I ran it at higher speeds the transmission would go out and I mean go out.. No movement until I waited a while. If I kept it at about 30 mph it did just fine. My CDL was also locked and remains locked to this day. After I got back, I drained the ATF again but this time dropped the pan and cleaned the filter and put new fluid in.
The only driving I have done this past year was to see if I could get the CDL to unlock. No luck there. The transmission has seemed fine EXCEPT I for some shuddering going from a complete stop to just a couple mph. If I took it slow from a stop it was fine. Wasn't sure what that was so I thought for the most part it might be back to normal and I just had some residual coolant in the system. Now comes hunting season. I had decided after reading here that it might not be the end of the world to drive the LC with a locked CDL. I know this is controversial but I knew I would only be driving a minimal distance on the highway and then all dirt roads. So to get ready, I checked the ATF level (warmed up) and noticed it was a little low. I added a quart more and took it on drive. I decided to push it on the highway and it seemed normal. Came back checked the level and notice now it was low according to the hot marks. Since I had driven it on the highway for sometime I thought using those marks was correct. I added even more fluid. Now I was about 6 quarts. Started down the driveway and up our little hill and stopped at the stop sign. Proceeded to go and....nothing I started rolling backwards. No gears worked. I put in neutral and rolled down the hill turned it off and waited about 3 minutes. Started it and it went about 10 yards and lost all gears again. Mind you I am only feet away from my house. Waited a few more minutes and got into my driveway and left it.
I have not had any gears since. When I start it up the transmission squeals a little and then goes silent. Just today I started the LC after I got home and the squealing was quite loud. So in hopes of stopping the squealing I quickly put it in reverse and the truck went into its reverse gear!! I quickly put it back into park for a bit, the squeals went away. Put it back into reverse and nothing!! Went through all the gears and still nothing. Tried it again an hour or so later...still nothing.
I hope this all makes sense.
Any ideas? I am ready to get a new transmission, I just need this truck running. I have had it for a long time and it is hard being without it.
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