VS Automatic Gearbox
Hi a have an automatic VS Berlina and in its fourth gear it feels as though im driving on a washboard. Not extremely bad but noticable. I am just wondering what this could be and if it needs to be fixed urgently. I plan to change the gearbox soon so if it isnt too major then I will leave it but if it is a major problem then I will just change the gearbox.
Cheers
Chris
Donating Member
Can you explain it a bit better please....do you mean it's slipping in 4th?....no lockup?
"If anyone disagrees with anything I say, I am quite prepared not only to retract it, but also to deny under oath that I ever said it." --T. Lehrer
"The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made." -- Jean Giraudoux
no no its changing into fourth alright and staying but its umm its hard to describe but in fourth gear it begins to feel as though i am driving on a bumpy road when i am not but this only happens when i have my foot on the accelerator in fourth gear. at first i thought i was driving on the cats eyes (reflectors) but i wasnt. if i take my foot off the accelerator it stops. it vibrates the whole car but its not any other factors other than the gearbox as its fine in all other gears.
hope this helps describe it. thanks
Holden4eva!
does it shake and make a funny vibrating sound in 4th when you try and accelerate?, if so my old VR used to do that
Stopped after a service.
yeah it does do you think just changing the transmission fluid will do anything?Originally Posted by hsv91ss
Holden4eva!
maybe, I am unsure on why it happens.
When it happened to me I took it to a Transmission Specialist, to find out what may have caused it they were unsure and did a service to try and eliminate that possibility,
When they did the service they said the Filter was dirty and clogged and may have caused it, so took it on the freeway the next morning and it was fine. So I would start with the oil and filter first and hopefully it fixes the problem like it did for me, I used to drive it with the power button on to try and keep it out of fourth as long as possible.
yeah i started driving it in power at the end haha ok illl do that thanks for your help
Donating Member
That sounds more like an ignition problem to me - sometimes it's mistaken for the Torque Converter Clutch(TCC) locking/unlocking or other transmission related problem - usually it can be either the DFI module or one of the coil packs failing which then causes the engine to miss. Other possibilities are plugs or leadfs but usually it is a coil pack.
When the car is cruising in 4th gear, the fuel mixture is designed to run very lean - this requires a good spark to ignite the lean mixture and any weakness in the ignition system will cause the engine to miss when the throttle is opened slightly. The engine will miss and cause a vibration/shake or whatever you like to call it.
The easiest/cheapest no cost way to check if this is the problem is to gap the plugs down to 1mm - this allows the plugs to fire at lower voltages and can remove/reduce the miss (temporarily). If this improves the situation then you know it's ignition. However, this is not a 100% sure check so if you can access a 2nd hand coil pack then I'd swap it and see.
Using the power button will not prevent the box from going into 4th gear. Transmission problems cost big $$$ to fix usually....ignition is pretty cheap. Good Luck.
"If anyone disagrees with anything I say, I am quite prepared not only to retract it, but also to deny under oath that I ever said it." --T. Lehrer
"The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made." -- Jean Giraudoux
ok thanks so even if i did change trans you dont think it would make any difference? is it urgent?
Donating Member
Why change the transmission if it's an ignition fault? - I'd first check that as it's the usual fault for the problem you describe.
"If anyone disagrees with anything I say, I am quite prepared not only to retract it, but also to deny under oath that I ever said it." --T. Lehrer
"The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made." -- Jean Giraudoux
Banned :P
Another way to check your ignition system for faults is by getting amultimeter ($25 - $100 depending on what you want) and a gregorys or haynes manual (about $50) and testing all of the components resistivity, it is actually pretty darn easy and once you have those manuals you will find that you can fix almost anything on your car yourself.
I remember receiving my Haynes manual for christmas many years ago and sicne then it has saved me hundreds, probably thousands.
i am converting my auto to manual at the end of the year so i thought if the auto was gone id just convert it to manual now. i think the old girl could do with new spark plugs and coils so i may as well change the whole lot and see if that works which it should and if it doesnt ill just have to make another post haha thanks fellas
Donating Member
That would be logical - you'll need them in top shape for the conversion so you are not wasting money on things like an auto that you will be removing.
"If anyone disagrees with anything I say, I am quite prepared not only to retract it, but also to deny under oath that I ever said it." --T. Lehrer
"The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made." -- Jean Giraudoux
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