1985 300SD approx 235,000k
722.303 approx 200,000k
- fluid level normal
Blood red, no burnt smell (checked while idling on level ground)
Symptom-
acts like it's in neutral while in R, D, 3, or 2. will not move forward or reverse, engine just revs.
Currently-
-Linkage is intact. Locks into park, reverse lights work, and shifter operation feels completely normal.
-No engagement of gears ie. car does not squat like normal when you put it in gear.
-Fluid and entire transmission is cold when engine is fully warmed.
-
Will engage once rolling, has no off the line.
Nitty Gritty / History-
Tranmission swapped in 2007 - no trouble until...
A few weeks ago my B2 piston failed. Put in a new B2 piston, cover seal, tranny filter, K1 kit, and pan gasket. I drained the torque converter. I refilled everything with fresh fluid - it was a whole new car!
I had driven it a dozen or so times since this recent maintenence - and began to notice it sometimes being slow to engage into gear, slipping when I first started off from a stop.
Trouble-
Yesterday afternoon I checked the fluid level when at operating temp, idling, on level ground and it was low (still registered on the dipstick) I figured I had found the slipping problem and topped it off. Shut the car down without a test drive.
Last night I start it up, put it in gear - all systems go. A half mile from home as I'm coasting down a hill (foot off accelerator) I go to speed up and it acted like it was in neutral. Engine revs, no forward gear. I slowed to a stop.
Checked the fluid level and it's high. Must have added too much, so I correct it (drained some into a container) and still no go. I had left the engine idling (and the heat on, as it was snowing) so by the time I was draining the fluid the engine was almost at full temperature, and the transmission was stone cold. Even the fluid was cold.
Once it gets rolling it engages. That's how I got it home without a tow. On level ground, with the car in drive, I gave it a big shove. It moved easier than I thought it ought to. With it rolling I hopped in and with a lot of slipping it finally engaged (2nd gear?) shifted (into 3rd?) and ran fine until I stopped. I believe it was the grace of God that I got all green lights back to my driveway.
Checked again this morning, still nothing. After searching here and elsewhere - it just seems like the front pump died? or perhaps the torque converter? Do I need to do a pressure test?
I'm sick of all this maintenence.
Can anyone offer some hope? An idea of something to check?
Please help!