Vz commodore sv6 2004 transmission wont go anywhere all of a sudden!?!?!

[Kane vz commy]

Hey everyone, the vz commodore sv6 2004 started fine and everything when I went to work. Finished work got in the car, drove out of town, had to stop at these road works that had traffic lights so I put it in park. When the light turn green, I put it in drive and just like that, it's just reving it's head off with out moving! Quite embarrassing where it happen as every **** was beeping at me but I can't move anywhere. after bit of stuffing around I work out something weird but it got the car moving. If I turn the car off, wait like 5 mins, lock the car, unlock the car, it would let me drive her for like 200 metres before power train would come on then it would just rev out again and roll to a stop. I did untill I could get it to a house not far from where it happen...

I'm putting diagnostic machine on it tomorrow. I don't rekon it's a blown trans or low transmission fluid cause it's been fine, no slips, no clunks, no delay. I'm suspecting it might be the TCM?

Has anyone been thru this before???

It's a 5 speed trans with no oil dipstick

 

[Fu Manchu]

The old box full of neutrals.

No dipstick but it does have a rubber fill plug that can be felt on the top of the trans pan on the transmission itself. It should be filled so oil dribbles out.

The 5L40e is a tough gearbox to find and expensive to have rebuilt. Ask me how I know.

 

[lout]

torque converter clutch has burnt off and material has blocked filter
when you turn off the material settles and allows just enough fluid through filter to move a little
daughters 5 speed did EXACTLY same thing
short term new fluid and filter
long term new torque converter

 

[Kane vz commy]

torque converter clutch has burnt off and material has blocked filter
when you turn off the material settles and allows just enough fluid through filter to move a little
daughters 5 speed did EXACTLY same thing
short term new fluid and filter
long term new torque converter

It's done about 320000 k's, so if ya change the fluid and filter it will be alright for a bit? How long will it be untill it would do it again?
Thank you for the reply!!

 

[lout]

fluid and filter until you can spare coin and time for converter
weeks not years

 

[Fu Manchu]

It's done about 320000 k's, so if ya change the fluid and filter it will be alright for a bit? How long will it be untill it would do it again?
Thank you for the reply!!

About 30mins.

 

[losh1971]

Reality is unless you're really attached to the car and are willing to drop $5k+ on a new trans then the car is likely history. Could service the trans but if you want to keep driving it best to have RAA cover because you will soon need a flatbed.

Plenty of Commodores with the five speed end up at the graveyard because of this problematic transmission.

 

[losh1971]

If you advertise it as parting out you will get 300+ enquiries asking what the trans is like. This is one of two common major issues the VZ had.

 

[Kane vz commy]

fluid and filter until you can spare coin and time for converter
weeks not years

Did you put a new torque converter into your daughters car and was it all good after that?

 

[vc commodore]

Had a similar issue with my 4 speed in my VY......

Drive for 5 or 10 minutes and get a box full of neutrals....Leave it sit, drive another 5 or 10 minutes and another box of neutrals..

Problem fixed when the gearbox was serviced...Was told it had a blocked filter from lack of servicing...Bought the car with an unknown history with gearbox servicing

This was about 15 months ago.....Still have the same gearbox in the car and it is now due for another service to stop it doing the same thing again.

So before going through the full on rebuild, empty the wallet to the tune of $15 million dollars, or taking the car to the wreckers, get the gearbox serviced and see if that fixes the problem, as it is probably something as simple as the problem I had and can be fixed for a couple of hundred bucks