Auto Transmission advice

[AirForceJeff]

Once I got my Festiva running ('93 GL Auto) back in January the tranny was slipping in reverse and began shifting hard between 1st and 2nd(especially when cold). Checked the fluid and it was overfull, drained some out and the slipping in reverse went away and shifting was better. After getting a couple hundred miles on the car the hard shifting returned and it began to slip some between 1st and 2nd. Changed out fluid and filter and tranny worked good again with an occaisional hard shift when cold.

Took the car on a 450 mile round trip over the weekend (first trip over 70 miles it's been on in 5 years) and within a few miles of home it seemed like the car didn't downshift at stops because it slipped real bad when taking off from those stops. And now slips real bad in reverse. Checked fluid level and it was just a little low, added some fluid and on upshifts it slips some and shifts hard, still slips real bad in reverse.

Car has 209,000 miles, I've put 2K on it since January and bought the car from father-in-law who only put 2K on it the past 4 years and had no maintenance other than oil/filter changes done to the car while he owned it.

Looking for your expert opinions or at least opinions from personal experience with this tranny.

If it's time for a rebuild does anyone in the West Central MO have a person/shop you would recommend or have experience with rebuilding one of these?

Thanks in advance,
Jeff

[elcamino1]

Yep time a rebuild!!

[miami man]

yours is doing better than my 91. it drops out of gear and makes a grinding sound.

[miami man]

i am in st.louis and there is no automatic in any junkyard around here.

[miami man]

i may try to rebuid it myself later on this summer

[AirForceJeff]

MM, guess I'll start checking tranny shops around here and see what kind of prices for them to rebuild.

Jeff

[Burnrate]

Time for a 5 speed?

I am just getting ready to buy an auto for my son.

How long do the automatics normaly hold up?
I have parts to make it a manual just in case.

Eric

[scitzz]

x2, I would say swap for a 5 spd.....
God, I hate autos....

[Safety Guy]

My '93GL is an auto with what appears to be the original transaxle. It works fine at 220K miles. I know several of us have high mileage autos that work fine. These things will hold up if taken care of, plus a little luck.

I'd second the 5 speed swap. That's what I plan to do, since my fuel mileage is only around 26-28 mpg and it IS a weak link in my system. I once was on a trip in a Prism when the auto transaxle ate itself up. That was in Maine and we came from Ohio. It was an "adventure," to say the least.

I've actually enjoyed the auto for the time I've owned it, but it's time to move on to a manual, and I have one to put in, along with the other parts (my '89L with bad carb and rotting right side engine mount).

Moving from 3 speed auto to a 5 speed should increase your mileage by at least 10 mpg, as well as give you better acceleration. It will also quiet down your ride at the higher rpms. If you can find a used ATX that you know for sure was working well, and you don't do many freeway trips, then that would be one reason to keep your auto. The other main reason would be for someone who HAS to have one due to disability.

If they "don't know how to drive a manual," then teach them! Festivas are easy to learn on.

Consider the cost of rebuilding that auto with the cost of getting a 5 speed and parts and then figure in the 10mpg advantage for the next year or two!

I actually grew to like the ATX in my little car, but the prospect of $4 a gallon gas says it's time to move on.

Karl

[AirForceJeff]

My car currently gets 33-37 MPG, so I'm very happy with that, especially since I bought this car to be my daily driver instead of continuing to drive my '94 silverado which gets 17 MPG.

With the savings I'm getting already, I really have no desire to spend the time and money to swap it over to a manual. Has nothing to do with know how to or enjoying driving a standard transmission.

I've got $700 invested in this car so far, maybe I'll keep my eye out for a second Festiva w/MTX for me and give this one to my wife so she can leave her car parked and have a less expensive daily driver too.

Actually my transmission has been doing good the past couple of days, so I'm not sure what the deal is with this thing, does it use vacuum for shifting???

Jeff

[Safety Guy]

You have one vac line coming off the transaxle to the air plenum. Make sure it is connected and has no leaks or blockages.

Good luck!

Karl

[AirForceJeff]

Thanks Karl,

I'll check that soon. Thing has been doing pretty good the past week or so, only problem I've been having now is first thing in the morning it's slow to shift into 3rd and occaissionally doesn't downshift to second at stops.

Jeff

[funky technician]

don't worry man, mine shifts like that too, some times I have kick down, sometimes not, sometimes it shifts like new, sometimes it slips as it goes into 3rd, usually after a long highway drive it slips going into 3rd, but it's still going, and its done that for a long time

[fafa]

My 89 Auto had slip problem with the transmission before, after nearly over heat condition. Also between 1&2. I was going to have it replaced. A friend asked me to give Lucas Transmission Fix a try. I drain out transmission oil enough for a bottle of that. The problem went away. But then I was in traffic and the tempreture went passed half way of the meter. Similar problem came back. I did the same again, drain enough for another bottle. There after the problem does not appear. On the safe side, I pulled the thermo out and let it runs cool at all time. It seems fine ever since then! To see, if this helps.

[AirForceJeff]

fafa, tranny will slip or not shift at all whether it's cold or hot. Found several JYs here in Mo that have ATXs I'm probably going to pick one of those up and do a swap.