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Banging into gear from a stop, and a whine

02NavyBlue

02NavyBlue

New member
Our Impala's trans recently started to act up with 110,000 miles on it. The fluid is a normal red color and is nearly to the top circle (almost to the top of safe zone). A few months ago I happened to check the trans fluid just because, and it was a full quart low. No problems at the time, I just added a quart of dex and that was it. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with the issue now. I don't know why the fluid was that low, as far as I know there are no leaks, nothing major anyway or else I'd see it on the driveway. I checked the coolant and there is no oil in it (from the trans cooler).

So this is what I have been told it does. This happened twice so far out of a decent amount of driving: From a dead stop, when accelerating the rpm's just go up but you don't go anywhere until a certain RPM then it bangs into gear and goes fine after that. It also downshifted pretty hard when stopping at a light once.

Today I took a look at it and test drove it and this is all I found. Fluid color/level is fine, but when I started it, there is a whine unrelated directly to the engine RPM's in park or any gear. I couldn't tell where from under the hood, but you can hear it inside the car. It sounds like it changes pitch a little when you give it a little gas, but after 1,500 RPM it doesn't change much. When I started driving, the engine and trans was warm. At first I defintely noticed that it shifted pretty slow between 1st - 2nd comparing to my trans (Same trans, 4T65E) other gears probably did too. After another minute or two of driving the trans shifted fine but you could still hear that same whine. That's all I have for now, does this sound like any particular common problem?
 


Have you ever dropped the pan and changed the fluid and filter? The whine kinda sounds like it's starving for fluid.
 
I have not, It has been in the family for the past 30k miles or so and I'm pretty sure there was no trans maintenance in that time. I think that's the first stop before any real service. I should also note that the trans pan is dented from a rock or something, but it has been like that the past two years and hasn't caused a leak. It may be causing a starvation of fluid, not sure why it would only become evident now though. I may do just that, a pan drop and filter plus a quart of Lucas and see what that does. Any other input is appreciated, I won't be doing that until Thursday or Friday at the soonest possible. Also, does anybody know where to get straight Dexron 6 non-synthetic for a decent price? I can only find one product from advance by castrol that is sold by the quart and is somewhat expensive Buy Castrol Automatic Transmission Fluid Dexron-VI (1 qt.) 06822 at Advance Auto Parts
 
Yeah thats one thing it's doing, but they mention two possible problems. One is "a worn out inner surface of the Input clutch piston" and "a boost valve in the valve body".
 


Boost valve is in the valve body. The apply piston is in the input/third gear clutch housing. Unfortunately neither are easy fixes.
 
I guess I'll just change the fluid and filter and un-dent the pan in case it's a fluid restriction problem, if it still happens I suppose it will need a new valve body or replacement transmission?
 
I wish you the best of luck. It's been my experience that the 02 blue cars fight the hardest. Currently I know of one knocking (again) and the other fried it's DRL diode and wiring yesterday (likely pulling the dash).
 
Right, thanks for the encouraging words but it's our impala lol. I'll update this after a bit of driving on the changed fluid.
 


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