2003 Transmission Issue Only When Cold or Hot

[Goldarlene]

So for all the time, effort and money I've put into this car to get it running smoothly - it has decided to reward me with some transmission funny business. Symptoms are - when cold, will feel like a slipping transmission. engine will rev and car will move forward slowly. After a few minutes of warm up at idle, all is fine. When hot and shifting into drive, there will be about a 3 second pause and then 1st will engage rather roughly. The rest of the time, the car feels and shifts (what seems to be) normally.

I have done the gibbons flush and symptoms are same. Would a counter reset cure this? I don't have VIDA/DiCE yet, though my scanner will read, clear and log transmission data - but not reset the counter. There are no transmission codes present. Thanks.

Starting to dislike this ungrateful thing

[JRL]

Check the tranny fluid at the hot level when it's really HOT like after 45 minutes of driving.
Always check on level ground, engine running. If you're 1/4 cup too low or too high it can act like this. If the fluid is correct, you probably have a bad transmission!
It's quite easy to miss the mark and since you said you did a flush that's where I would look first

[Goldarlene]

wonderful - thanks.

The hot pause and surge thing first happened about 100 miles after I bought it - but the cold drive was fine. When I did the flush - the initial drain pulled more than 5 really brown quarts out of the pan.

Since the flush - and you are correct that I have likely not filled completely accurately when hot - the cold condition began and the hot symptom intermittently remains.

[vtl]

1/2 quart overfilled or underfilled - transmission won't slip. It may switch gears worse than it is able with the proper level, but no slipping. Slipping gears is no oil pressure. That can be caused by a clogged filter, worn valve body or leaks through cracks in transmission case. Based on your symptoms, it's probably a valve body. But bad things do progress quickly when transmission starts to slip and slam into drive.

Do you hear any whine when it warms up?

[Goldarlene]

Also - like a doofus, I broke the yellow guide that keeps the shifter in D and out of the manual mode. I searched and see this is reasonably common issue. But is there a more sinister cause of the shifter being difficult to put into Park and the yellow piece breaking - or do I just need to moderate my bodybuilding supplements?

[Goldarlene]

Do you hear any whine when it warms up?

No whine while warming - and no immediately noticeable symptoms other than the cold and hot ones. Everything in between seems normal.

[Goldarlene]

so while I am setting up my VIDA/DiCE laptop - I can drive around with my Launch scanner plugged in and reading transmission conditions. What would be the telltale data to look for as to indications of valve body versus solenoids versus clogged filter etc? Or should I wait to drive until I can do counter reset and adaptation and log data after that?

[Xfingers]

I've been dealing with some similar transmission issues, maybe you've been reading the thread I started:
http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showthread.php?30157-Help-with-transmission-diagnosis

With VIDA/DiCE, you can get a readout of the ATF temp while you're driving. I was able to determine that when temps hit 55C, the trans would start slipping.

[Astro14]

Have you checked the fluid level yet? Slightly off won't affect much, but given your previous posts, this thing might be a quart or two off and that WILL cause problems.

Seriously.

Start with the cheap, easy check before moving into the complex. You would be surprised how often it's something simple. Dead level ground, engine idling, hot. At least 20 minutes of driving. It should be in range on the 80C line.

[Goldarlene]

Yes been following all the transmission threads -

And will start with accurate fluid level. Admittedly I only checked level during flush and again when cold - so reasonable chance I am way off. My only minor concern is that it did the hot pause and drop hard into drive before the flush (but not the cold hesitation thing). But fluid level was way too high before the flush.

But thanks for the advice, I will start there when life allows.

[Goldarlene]

...this thing might be a quart or two off and that WILL cause problems.

update - you (all) were correct. Drove the car hooked to my Launch and tracked the temp - at 80c filled the transmission to the appropriate level. I was a good quart-plus off by doing the fill incorrectly the first time. Only a few cold starts since, but trans engages as it should and I only had the pause/surge the first time I shifted from reverse to drive. Subsequent times it has been smooth. Still only driven the car a few times, but the gibbons flush with the correct fluid and fill method seems to have had positive results. Have a decently long drive next sunday with highway and backroad stretches. Will track temp and check level again after that.

Genuine thanks for the help. I can testify that the flush and fill method is not difficult but it does require following the rules.

[JRL]

How long have we said to check the fluid and how long did you take your own sweet time to get around to doing it?
I'm surprised it even moved at all....
Unreal

[Goldarlene]

How long did you take your own sweet time to get around to doing it?. Unreal

You should be more careful of the tone you take with strangers.

[Zef_66]

You should be more careful of the tone you take with strangers.

Don't mind JRL. He knows a lot, but can come off harsh. Don't let him bother you too much.