Hello and happy new year to everybody.

I just noticed yesterday when arriving home from work; a slight slipping when leaving a stopsign. This was after a 30 min. drive (75% hwy). Was 10°c out. Was just about to park, but decided to go around my block to see what's going on. All forward gears subtly slip (at very low speed) and has to rev a bit more to move. Then I tried reverse.......NO reverse. *ughh*. Brought it back and parked it. Checked fluid, looked fine
[ [ BACK STORY: I had changed out 3.75 L, through the filler, about 4 months ago. And fluid wasn't very bad to begin with; meaning no darker, just brownish pink on a white cloth. Also did the same thing, a year or two before that. Filter has not been changed in 7 years, when it was in for a tranny tune up, including a flush. Everything was fine then, too. At the same time, I had a large trans. cooler put in; the good type that bypasses in cold temps. Ever since then, no mishaps, haven't gotten stuck or anything. ] ]
Next day (today), it all shifts fine when cold. But after an 8 min. drive.....same thing again. Then drove another 8 mins back home and tried reverse; and found that if I blip the gas a bit, it shifts and moves in reverse (sometimes?), but have to rev more. Also; there is a constant noise when revving/moving in reverse...........sounds like "shhhhhh". Like someone dragging a sheet of plastic accross the pavement. Not very low volume, but not high either. Again, all forward gears seem the same as each other.

I have very little money. Can someone help with any ideas, please?

 

To me it sounds like your clutch plates may be shot.

 

The fluid pump is working.

There are only 3 codes; P0300 Random Misfire, P0446 Evap. Emis. Syst.Vent Cont. Circ. and P0138 O2 Circ. High Volt. (B1, S2).

When truck level, cold, and not running, fluid is almost 1/4" above the hot range.
And when running, cold (and after quickly shifting through all of the gears) the fluid only shows on the very bottom loop of the stick. I haven't noticed any leaks. :-r

 

Still need help, please.

I added about 250ml new fluid tonight (yesterday, the level was below the cold range, when cold). Then drove it to a gas station island; about 3 min away, 7°c out. I have street parking at home and it is not completely level. It all shifted fine, to and at station. Then drove for 15 mins and returned there to check fluid. It was very warm to the touch, but not hot. It measured 1/4 of the way up the "hot" range (between 2 holes). So, it was low to begin with, but not mega. Then left station and drove around for another 10 min, trying all the gears. Seemed a bit better with the added fluid, but still slipped a bit in all forward gears from stand-still (could not tell any difference between them). And would go into reverse (barely feeling the shift), but had to rev it more to move.

 

Try changing the fluid and filter and see what happens. It still sounds like clutch plates to me. Maybe some one else will chime in with a different idea.

 

Thanks, eshaw.

If it is the plates, which ones?
Does the trans. have to be removed to do this?
I bought a bottle of Seafoam Trans Tune.......should I put any of that in?

 

You mean the 'low-reverse" ones?

And I said fu(&-it, and poured half a bottle of the Seafoam Trans Tune in. I've read many people saying that stuff helped. And zero people saying it made things worse (in their OWN experience).

My speedo still works.

The Transmission Symptom chart that I found posted by swartlkk, in 2011, no longer works. I've searched. Can't find it. Can someone please tell me where I can find a working link to that?

And I still need help. Please.

Drove it to work tonight. 30 min mostly hwy. I can still move forward from start in all 4 gears. The tach would mess around and go a bit too high, many times, in both 3rd and 4th, on hwy. I stopped after 20 mins and tried reverse; very soft shift after maybe 3-4 seconds delay; could move, on the flat, but only with revving it more. Tried the same with wheels cranked half way and would not move in reverse. Tried my gears, cold, about 6 hrs after getting to work; shifts normally into 3rd, 4th and reverse (at standstill).

 

Drove home from work, 30 mins. Cruising at 60kmh, in 4th, was 2600 rpm; then switched to 3rd and it went to 2100 rpm.
Cruising at 100kmh in both 3rd and 4th was 2800 rpm.
Spazzed past 3100 several times.
And in the only uphill I drove on (moderate uphill not very steep), from a light, I couldn't make 40 mph and revved past 4000 at one point when I tried 2nd gear.
Arrived home, checked reverse; got it, but delayed and very soft shift; it moved in reverse (level ground) but more throttle needed.

Parked it, level, and checked fluid again. Was 3/4 up the "hot" range. Inspected fluid again. Was hot to touch, but could still keep finger on wet end of dipstick. Wiped it on a white towel. Again, it was no darker than new fluid; just half pink and half brown (like your standard time to change fluid) However, putting my nose to it, it had a bit of a burnt(?) smell; which didn't make sense to me. So maybe it was that half can of Seafoam Trans Tune I put in immediately before driving to work.

Can I keep driving it like this? What can happen?
And should I be manually shifting?

 

Just shooting from the hip and my memory isn't what it used to be, but I seem to recall that a 200-300RPM rise/fall could be the torque converter unlocking. Anything beyond that and you're in band/clutch slippage territory.

The fact that RPM is 500RPM higher in 4th than 3rd at 60 kph or even the same RPM at 100kph is a dead give away that you have internal problems within the trans as mentioned by eshaw. If that is the case, it will need to be removed to be rebuilt. A quick fix in a bottle will not solve matters from what you are describing, but it should be properly diagnosed by a competent shop before jumping to that conclusion.

Here is my thought process... The 4L60E has a 0.67:1 4th gear ratio and a 1:1 3rd gear ratio. So assuming 235/75R15 tires (~434 rev/km) and 3.73:1 gears in the axle(s) with a locked up torque converter, you ideally should be turning just over 1600RPM at 60kph in 3rd gear and just under 1000RPM in 4th. At 100kph, you should be at roughly 2700RPM in 3rd and 1800RPM in 4th. These are basic hand calculations using ideal numbers. Minor differences in actual tire dimensions will impact these numbers. I just list them to illustrate that there should be a roughly 600RPM difference at 60kph and a 900RPM difference at 100kph. Now since I think the torque converter will lock in both 3rd and 4th, you could have observed one RPM with the TC locked and the other with it unlocked, but still, they are too close (or far apart depending on how you look at it) for even that to matter.

Please link to the thread you mentioned above and I will see if I can fix the image link. Also, please use the edit function to provide updates if another member has yet to respond rather than posting back to back. Rules are rules.

 

I think what's going on is your clutch plates are failing and you're going to need a trans rebuild or replacement. The burnt smell is from the clutch plates. When your vehicle sits like at work or overnight the fibrous plates will slightly swell up depending on how much material is left on their surface. When you drive the vehicle, depending on the condition of the plates they will start to slip, hence the rpms being like what you've mentioned. As time goes by your problems will only get worse until they reach the tipping point and the friction is no longer there for them to work, then you'll be stranded. It's not something that can be arrested, it's degenerative. The longer it goes the worse it will get. You better start looking for another trans.