I know its a bizzare problem. It runs sweet as a nut in 1st and 2nd. Then it massive jerks and fails. I cannot drive it far with it like that, as I hold up traffic haha.

 

Well, if it's anything like driving here, they probably deserve it. I can't tell you how many times I've had to drive 20 miles behind someone traveling at 35 mph in a 60 mph speed zone.

Anyway, I've been looking at the service manual, and I think I'm probably close to the problem (governor valve). It states the condition as "SHIFTS DELAYED OR ERRATIC (ALSO SHIFTS HARD AT TIMES)", and the possible causes:

1. Fluid level low/high
2. Fluid Filter Clogged.
3. Throttle LInkage Misadjusted.
4. Throttle Linkage Binding.
5. Gearshift Linkage/Cable Misadjusted.
6. Governor Valve Sticking
7. Governor Seal Rings Worn/Damaged
8. Clutch or Servo Failure.
9. Front Band Misadjusted (this is also a real possibility, especially given the hard shifts into 3rd)
10. Pump Suction Passage leak (not really possible, given it shifts fine into 1 and 2).

The band is easy to adjust, and I'd go ahead and do that anyway, and as soon as possible. The adjustment screw is on the top front of the case, and should be torqued to 72 inch-pounds. This might fix the problem all by itself, and I'd have suggested it sooner if I'd seen that first video a couple of days ago.

If that doesn't work, keep putting a few miles on it so that stuff circulates and can do it's job.

[EDIT]
Be easy on it when you feel it's wanting to go into 3rd, Dave. Don't let it slam into gear, that could break the band and/or damage clutches/gears. ADJUST THAT BAND RIGHT AWAY, I have a sneaking suspicion that it could be the real cause of the problem. My 3/4 ton Dodge did the same thing (only it was the 1st/reverse band), but before I had a chance to adjust it, a friend borrowed it and broke the band and linkage, which is why I swapped it over to a manual transmission.

 

When you say screw do you mean + - screw, or are we talking a nut?

I dont have a torque wrench or screwdriver but if its easier to get to I can tighten it a bit. I dont usually ram it into 3rd as I dont get a chance to really it revs up on its own then slams in. Soon as it does tho it jumps straight back out. Im glad the video makes things much easier to understand.

Do you also think its worth doing a battery reset?

 

No, I don't think disconnecting the battery for 30 seconds (or 30 days) will matter...this is a problem inside the transmission, be it a band, servo, valve, whatever.

Also, Dave, just to be clear....a "hard code" I think is what they refer to as a problem that isn't intermittent. The TCC solenoid in mine was a "hard code", but it only cost $13 for the solenoid and a couple of hours to fix.

I'm looking at the band adjustment right now....I'll copy'n'past the exact procedure here: Ok, won't let me copy'n'past, so I'll just type it out (it's fairly short).

"The kickdown band adjusting screw is located on the left side (top front) of the transaxle case.
(1) Loosen locknut and back-off nut approximately 5 turns. Test adjusting screw for free turning in the transaxle case.
(2) Using wrench, tighten adjusting screw to 72 inch pounds.
(3) Back-of adjusting screw the number of turns listed in Specifications (2 1/4 turns). Hold adjusting screw in this position and tighten locknut to 35 foot pounds."

So, what it boils down to...torque it to 72 inch pounds, back it off 2 and 1/4 turns, then hold it while you tighten the locknut. I wouldn't worry too much about torquing the locknut to exact specs, so long as it won't let the adjustment screw move, but the adjustment screw needs to be torqued properly then backed off.

I'll have to look around a little to see if I can find photos, etc. to help you out. I have to leave soon, but I'll try and get it done before I go.

 

Ok, found a vague drawing, but it should be enough to show you what needs to be done. Here's the link:

http://www.2carpros.com/questions/pl...th-voyager--14

Once you pull the airbox off, you should have no trouble finding it.

 

After using TransFix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mtAETCskXA

 

The more you tried to get it to shift into 3rd, the more it acts like that band is way out of adjustment. It seems to grab a little sometimes, but most often it just fails to get any friction at all. They're pretty tough to break, but it does happen.

Without a torque wrench it's impossible to adjust it accurately, but like you suggested, you could pull the air box and maybe give it a half turn or so (no more than that) and see if it makes any difference. If it goes into 3rd a little better after the adjustment, then you'd need to go buy a torque wrench (they aren't very expensive at all here) and adjust it as described above. The kickdown band is what grabs the outside of the front drum and engages the clutches and drives the car in high gear. With that band not grabbing the drum, the clutches don't engage and you don't get into gear.

I think, from what you've shown in the videos, it's one of a few things here that I'll list in order of my opinion of their probability:

Band out of adjustment (easy fix)

Sticky kickdown valve (not as easy, but can be done without pulling transmission)

Broken kickdown band (would require pulling transmission, but still not as difficult as you'd think).

 

What would case the band to suddenly go out of adjustment. I will happily give that a try tommorow afternoon. Once I find the adjustment. There is a rattling also when I go over bumps dont know if thats related.

 

I tell you what I am going to do, I will buy a decent socket set and torque wrench. I will take out the speed sensor to check if there is any nasty metal deposits on it take a sample of the fluid. I wont drop the pan, because that be £70 in oil that will need to go back into the car and thats not an expense I really want to risk

ATF+4 here is £13 a Litre and it will need at least 4 litres.

 

Dave, that price you quoted for tranny fluid actually made my eyes tear up a little...that's horrible, and I don't blame you for wanting to leave the pan on for as long as possible.

I don't know whether the band went out of adjustment "suddenly", but it can seem that way, certainly. When a band is even quite a ways out, it'll still grab and work, but you might notice the shifts are a little sloppy, but maybe not even that, if you don't drive hard. But once it gets to a point where it can no longer grab the outside of the drum (remember, this contains the forward clutch pack), it'll suddenly stop pulling at all until the band is adjusted properly.

On the other hand (and here's the sneaky bit on my part), if it's the servo that's stuck, I'm thinking that since the car only has 30k on it it isn't stuck hard and it could be, just possibly, if the stars are aligned properly and you're holding your mouth "just right" that when you tighten the band, it could move the servo (which is connected to the other end of the band by way of a linkage) just a bit, just a teensy, tiny bit, and it might free it up and make the transmission drive and shift normally again. I didn't mention this before because I was hoping that the Lucas oil stuff would raise the pressures enough to free it, if that's indeed the problem.

I still don't believe the band is broken because you're still getting some "thumps" when it tries to shift into 3rd (at least it appeared that way on the video), and if it were broken, it would do nothing but rev up and you'd never feel it try and engage into 3rd at all.

So, that's my take on it. And as I've said before, I could be wrong about all this entirely. I know automatic transmissions fairly well, and have rebuilt a good number of them without problems, but in my experience these are my best ideas. It could turn out to be the speed sensor that you're planning on changing, and I might have run you all over hell and creation for nothing. I surely hope not, I'd feel terrible and you'd no doubt be pissed off at me for a very long time, but if it does turn out to be the sensor, I'll be glad it didn't come to you pulling the pan on your tranny. By the way, in the event it comes to that, if you thoroughly clean your work area and the tranny pan, and get a large tray to catch the fluid, you can re-use it, so long as it doesn't become contaminated.

I'm going to talk to my mechanic buddy again, either later tonight or first thing AM, and get his further opinion. He has that nifty "AllData" that gives you a pretty good diagnostics routine and could give a better idea of what the problem might be than I can based on my experience with other transmissions.

Until then, keep this updated, please, every further bit of info will only help us figure out and fix the problem. It's a shame you're several thousand miles away, otherwise I'd drive my own crappy Neon to your house and we'd have this fixed inside of a couple of days, even if it required a complete rebuild.

P.S.
It's my understanding that when a speed sensor goes bad, the tranny goes into "limp home mode" and stays there, never trying to shift into certain gears at all. I don't know if this is the case or not, it's only what I've read in a few places. I'll think a little more and add to this if I come up with anything else, but for now I've got to run and pick my youngest boy up from the school.