1985-1998 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
 | [Main 9000 Bulletin Board | BBFAQ |
Next by Date | Post Followup ]
Member Login / Signup - Members see fewer ads. - Latest Member Gallery Photos
Re: What are the signs of a failing Auto Box? Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Fri, 6 Nov 2009 06:19:35
In Reply to: What are the signs of a failing Auto Box?, Sterling98, Thu, 5 Nov 2009 12:38:50 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Burnt or discolored fluid is one sign. Other signs:
Harsh shifts
Staying in gear when it should have shifted up by now
Shifting into a higher gear way too early (bad govenor seals)
Although there are a number of things that can go wrong with an autobox (or anything with moving parts), there is a test I like to run on a car-
Find a nice, long hill, preferably a steep on. Head up the hill at around 45-50 mph, and ease off the gas just engough that the tranny shifts into 4th. Then lay into the gas and force a downshift. The shift should be smooth - a little thump is OK - the tranny is heavily loaded, and a turbo engine has some ooomph. What you don't want to see/feel is the tranny shift into netural for a second, the revs leap, and then the tranny shifts into 3rd with a bang. The other bad sign with this test is that it shifts, but the shift takes a while - like the clutch(es) are slipping. The revs slowly change from one gear to the next.
It's always important to know the state of your engine mounts, also. Bad engine mounts can make shifts hard, but it isn't the transmission - it's the engine thrashing around. I visually check the mounts, but I also see how much the engine moves. When parked, I open the hood (never a good idea at speed), and while watching the engine, parking brake on, foot firmly on the brake, I shift into reverse, then neutral, then drive, and back. No need to give the engine revs - idle is fine.
The top of the engine will show movement as you load up the mounts. A half-inch to an inch of controlled movement is normal. If the engine bangs forward or back, or there is a 'lot' of movement, the mounts are suspect. It helps to do this on a car or two with good mounts to get an idea of what is normal.
In the early years of the 9000, the autobox was not a long-lived creature. 80 to 120K seemed about right for the general population. Yes, there are '90s out there with original gearboxes with 200K, but those are rare (as most '90s are today, anyway.) There was no major redesign of the box at the end of the 9000 run, but it does seem the autoboxes last longer. I've got 145K on my '97, and it feels just fine. But the autobox always has been a weak spot for the 9000, so it doesn't hurt to take good care of it. Actually, it never hurts to take good care of all the bits.
posted by 192.249.47...
, Fri, 6 Nov 2009 06:19:35 <-- Viewing This Message
, Thu, 5 Nov 2009 15:12:37
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
