Transmission slipage

[98ACR]

So...a couple of days ago the transmission started slipping. Usually in 4th gear at light load between 40 and 50 mph. Though, it seems to be spreading out across the speed and gear range. The thing is, I took it to a local transmission shop to get checked out, but they didn't have time to check it out today. I have to go out of town this weekend (about 250 miles round trip) and I'm kinda worried that it might not make it. This is the first and only automatic transmission'd vehicle I've ever owned so I have very little experience with dying automatics. I guess my question is how long do these transmissions last between the first signs of slipage and total catostrophic failure?

If it's fairly likely it won't make it I'm gonna bite the bullet and rent a car to make sure I make it. But if it's got like thousands of miles before it goes out I'll just baby it this weekend and worry about it next week. Please respond ASAP. Since I'm leaving in about 7 hours. Thanks!

[seth98esT]

The Galant Autos are horrible. Wasnt your old 7g an Auto? I would just bite the bullet and start collecting 5spd parts for a swap

[98ACR]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(seth98esT)</div><div class='quotemain'>The Galant Autos are horrible. Â*Wasnt your old 7g an Auto? Â*I would just bite the bullet and start collecting 5spd parts for a swap </div>

This IS my "old" Galant

And I want to KEEP it automatic. I have my reasons....really I do. But how long do I have on the current trans???

[seth98esT]

Ahhhh

hard telling, dont drive it hard at all of course. Could last a few weeks, could last a few months, just drive it untill it slips too much to move.

[peanotation]

about 3 months before my automatic officially blew up in the middle of los angeles on the 101/405 interchange (worlds biggest parking lot), my tranny was having issues too. for about 3-4 days my tranny would slip trying to get into gear, and the only way to get the gears to fully engage was to floor the car. after that the gear would hold all the way to the next one, and you'd have to re-floor it again.

god i hate it when i ramble. anyways i bought this transmission fluid at autozone thats for dying transmissions. it was supposed to fix all the problems me (and you) were having. for the next 3-4 months it worked really well. i drove the car like a grandma and refused to do anything remotely stressfull since i knew it was on its last leg.

110 degree weather, middle of los angeles, stop and go traffic, the tranny just couldn't take it anymore and my 4th gear was completely lost/dead, and my other gears were slipping during acceleration ONLY. after i escaped the traffic, i had to drive all the way home in 3rd :x

then i took it to aamco and boy was that a disaster

[Darkkend]

my tranny first started to slip months ago, usally i just let off the throttle and let it fall back into the previous gear. But months ago it only slipped a few times, now its really slipping alot between first and second, second and 3rd and yeap 3rd into 4th.

other then that i dont know what to say.

[SuperGALANT]

when my trainy passed away.. it went completly with in a day.. i went to school just fine and after school it wouldnt go over 45... it sucked.. but my civic has been slipping for a couple of months... try checking and adding fluid.. and yea the 'special' fluid helps b.c its thicker..


SuperGALANT

[spyder97gs]

Guy's nobody has mentioned the obvious. What he is describing as 4th gear is overdrive. That's the end clutch which can be bought from IPT for $90 and replaced as a DIY.

[98ACR]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(spyder97gs)</div><div class='quotemain'>Guy's nobody has mentioned the obvious. What he is describing as 4th gear is overdrive. That's the end clutch which can be bought from IPT for $90 and replaced as a DIY.</div>

Yes at first, but by the time I got back from out of town it was slipping in all gears, both on acceleration and deceleration. I limped it to a tranny shop and when we checked the fluid it was BLACK and smelled acrid. They're gonna rebuild it this week. Total charge is gonna be $1500 for parts & labor on the trans rebuild, R&R of trans, replacing the rear main seal, replacing all 4 mounts, and flushing all the old fluid out of the lines and cleaning the coolers. Which isn't bad considering Mitsu wants over $2200 for a reman transmission! And that dosen't include labor! And this shop offers a one year 12k mile waranty on parts and labor which is pretty cool. Makes me feel a little better anyway.

I should have it back on Friday. It only has to last me about a year, than I'm gonna look into a new car. I just can't rely on a 12 year old vehicle for as much driving as I do.

Thanks for the help guys!

[98ACR]

Well, I picked it up yesterday. All I did was drive home, but it seems like it's back to normal. No slipping, no jerking, just that glassy smooth automatic I've come to know from Mitsubishi. They replaced all seals, all clutches, Valve body, TC, fluid, and one engine mount (only one was bad)

Total cost was $1535. Which is a pretty good deal all things considered. This weekend I'm gonna give it a bit of a workout to make sure everything is as it should be. It's just nice to have a car again. All this week I was staying with my uncle and bumming rides to and from work.

[MBowen574]

pray it doesnt die the day the warranty expires! ive heard horrible things about tranny's rebuilt by shops... especially considering these transmissions are fickle beasts anyway. i would have suggested the mitsu rebuilt. $2200 once is better than $1500 once a year for 3 years...