1.)well...I was in my drive way....and I had the brakes on..any my dumb brother decided to play a little joke and push the gad peddle while my brakes were applied....he didnt push it too far..just down a little...and my neon made a kind of unhealthy sound....kind of a grinding sound....I have a 2000 neon....that is automatic.....and I was wondering how much do you think this sis to my transmission????.....cause I dont want to spend alot of money on engine mods,bodykit, and tires/rims..if my neons transmission is going to fall out any time soon....my neon has 36k miles on it......

2.) also.....im new to the neon...and ive been flooring it to test its power....and when I floor it......it gets to high rpms and dopesnt change gears.....I couldnt tell you the rpms because I dont have a tacometer....so I just let off the gas because I dont want to blow the engine up....is it supposed to do this....wont my automatic transmission change gears before it blows up??????

 

if its not shifting gears when you hit the gas then yeh you have a problem. if its under warrenty take it to the dealer and get a new one or have them look at it. but we a neon and other import they don't have low rpm power so when u punch the gas u won't notice the boost till you get to a higher rpm( which kinda sucks...)

 

You would have to be more specific on the sounds and what it is doing as to whether there is something wrong with your transmission. Your car will not rev higher than redline unless your car is messed up. Any automatic transmission car I've ever driven always shifts way before redline so I wouldn't worry too much about that. And if you want ways to beef up your tranny just wait for crazy, he knows his automatic transmissions.

 

it shifts just fine when im driving normal.....ok...let me find a better way to explain this....

pretend that this symbol (------) means it accelerating and the rpms just keep getting higher and higher.......and 1,2,3 are the gears......

ok when I drive at a normal speed this is what it looks like...

1----2-------3

when im punching the gas and flooring it it goes

1-------------2--------------------------------------------3

basically what im saying is......when I really punch the gas and floor it....it stays in one gear for a longer period of time and gets to high rpms
than when I am driving normal....when I dirv nomal it shifts threw the gears pretty quickly....but when im punching it..it takes a longer period of time before it will shift......

and now about the trasmission......the sound was a grinding sound....it doesnt really make any weird noises when im driving..I only heard the noise when my bro pulled that little stunt....im just worried that there might be a un lieing problem...and it will break down soon..cause I dont want to spend a pile of money beefing up my car then the transmission goes bad....

and my car isnt in warrenty any more.....

also....im new to this whole car hot rodding thing......and I have a really dumb question.....im trying to decide if I should save my money and buy a used eclipse...or just use my money to beef up my neon....is it possible for a beefed up neon....to out drag a stock eclipse.....or a tsock mustang....

 

Nick, you're wanted here......in a NICE way!!!!!![sm=smiley36.gif]

 

That sounds about normal. It stays in gear longer when you punch it because the higher RPMs provide more power and acceleration. If you're just cruisin not heavy on the gas it will go through the gears quickly so it can get the best mileage possible. When i'm racing mine i wind it out to 6500 rpm, but if I'm just driving around town I shift at 2500rpm, thats basically what your automatic is doing. I would say it depends on which eclipse. It would be cheaper to make an Eclipse GSX faster than a neon, but other than the GSX I'd probably say stick with the neon. You could beat stock eclipses and mustangs (sort of depends on which ones) with the neon.

 

There is nothing wrong with your transmission. What he did will not damage the transmission at all, uless he were to floor it that way. Your transmission should take longer between shifts when you are running it at WOT and it shouls shift quicker and at far lower RPM's during normal driving. Your tranny is fine, now go out and have fun modifying it.

 

You have never driven a vehicle with a decent Automatic then, every vehicle that I have owned with an auto would hold till redline when you floored it. Although I have noticed that project neon never would hit redline.

 

Its been so long since I drove anything automatic, but basically what I was trying to say was the automatic usually shifts before I normally would driving manual.

 

Wow. if I were any later to this thread I'd be dead. Sorry, I've been playing D00M 3. Scary, scary game.

Ok. Odds are your brother's little joke didn't do anything to the transmission. But if he did redline it he may have done somehting to the engine itself. Very doubtful but I've seen stranger.

As for the transmission staying in gear for a really long time it almost sounds as though it needs to be serviced.

When was the last time the transmission had a fluid and filter change? When was the last time the transmission has been adjusted?

Staying in any gear for an extended amount of time is never a good thing. I'm guessing that the car begins to lag at a certain RPM? If so it really sounds like your bands are out of adjustment and need to be readjusted.

Also, do you get an high pitched whine when you put it in reverse? If so, that is yet another good indication that the tranny needs servicing.

Another question I have is are you manually shifting your automatic? If so, stop. What you are doing is EXTREMELY bad for the transmission.

An ATX (Automatic Transmssion) can and will shift faster and more efficiently than any human being would.

Now, if the transmission has not had a service in a long time or you don't know when the last time it had been serviced or adjusted; if ever. I really suggest doing it. You two options. One) do it yourself (which is the prefered way) or B) pay to ahve someone do it for you (which I don't recommend).

If you are even r3motely mechanically inclined you can do this in about an hour but if it's your first time tack on an extra hour or so.

Tools you will need (if you are going to do it yourself) :

Jack, jackstands, 10mm socket & socket wrench, T-25 Torx screwdriver, oil drain pan, RTV silicone sealant (I dont' recommend standard RTV go to the dealer and ask for ATF RTV), 4-5 quarts of Mopar ATF+3 (Type 7176) fluid, or Mopar ATF +4 ATF Fluid (it's synthetic) DO NOT GET FLUID FROM TH ELOCAL AUTO PARTS STORE IT IS THE INCORRECT TYPE!!!, new trans filter, filter gasket and pan gaskets (these last two you may either purchase at the dealer or from any local auto parts store just ask for a trans kit for your year neon.

I also rcommend a Torque Wrench, but, if you do not have one then 3/4 - 1/2 turn past hand tight should be sufficient. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN!!! This is for the trans pan bolts.

1) Raise vehicle with jack and place securely on jackstands. Set parking brake on.
2) Place oil drain pan underneath transmission pan and begin to loosen (not remove) all 10mm bolts on perimeter of pan. Only loosen the bolts a few turns, then completely remove ONLY the bolts on the rear half of the pan (the half facing the rear of the vehicle). Tap the pan on the corners to loosen and properly position drain pan underneath. Since half of the bolts are still holding the pan on, the pan should "tilt" open allowing the old fluid to drain into the drain pan. Wait until fluid has drained out and has lessened to just a dripping down. If this is your first time removing the transmission pan then it may be a bit tough to remove. Use a soft-faced hammer or rubber mallet to tap on the pan and jar it loose. Avoid using a flathead screwdriver or other blunt objects to pry it open as that could scratch, nick or gouge the pan or transmission case.
3) Remove the remaining bolts holding the pan on and remove the pan completely.
4) You will notice a small round magnet in one corner of the pan once removed, it will most likely be covered in gray goop. Remove magnet and clean completely, then re-install.
5) Remove the two T-25 Torx screws from the filter and remove filter.
6) You will notice a small "L"-shaped gasket on top of the filter once removed. The automatic transmission gasket kits available at most auto parts stores will usually have a new one of these L-shaped gaskets. Remember the orientation of the old gasket, remove old gasket and install the new one. Then install the new filter & gasket, tightening the screws securely (to 40 in-lbs).
7) Carefully remove any traces of old gaskets or RTV sealant from the mating surfaces of the pan and bottom of the transmission. Warning: Do NOT nick or gouge these surfaces.
8) Place a small bead (approx. 1/8-inch) of RTV silicone sealant around perimeter of pan's mating surface. Install new pan gasket.
9) Line up pan with bottom of transmission and re-install pan. Screw in the bolts slowly by hand at first, following a criss-cross pattern.
10) Tighten pan bolts to 165 in-lbs.
11) Lower vehicle from jackstands and add four quarts of Mopar ATF+3 (Type 7176) fluid.
Note: Do NOT use Dexron fluids with a "Chrysler Additive". Use only the proper ATF+3 fluid.
12) Start engine and allow to idle for a couple minutes. Then, with your foot on the brake, move the shift lever through each of the gear positions, end in Park when finished. Check for fluid leakage around the pan underneath the car. Also, check fluid level on automatic transmission dipstick. If necessary, add only a little fluid at a time until level is proper. Do NOT overfill. Ensure that the dipstick is correctly seated to prevent dirt & dust from getting in.
13) That's it!!! Take it for a test drive.


This is a very basic how-to if you'd like a more in depth How-To let me know.

Now you will also want to adjust the kickdown band and the low-reverse band. (The low-reverse band isn't as necessary as the kickdown but since you'll have the transmission apart anyway you might as well take care of that as well.)

Tools you will need: Same as above minus the T-25 Torx screwdriver and the filter kit. You will need everything else.

There are two bands on the first-generation Neon's automatic transmission, the kickdown band and the low/reverse band.

Kickdown Band Adjustment:
1) Remove battery and battery tray from engine bay. Position the fuse box so that is sits out of the way.
2) The kickdown band adjusting screw is located on left side (top front) of the transaxle case located on the driver's side of the engine compartment.
3) Loosen the kickdown band's adjustment nut approximately five turns (counter-clockwise). The adjustment screw should now turn and spin freely, check it to ensure it does.
4) Tighten adjustment screw (not the nut) to 8 N·m (72 in. lbs. not ft. lbs.).
5) Back off the adjustment screw 2 1/4 turns. By "turns" we mean two and a quarter full 360-degree rotations of the wrench... 810 degrees in total.
6) Hold the adjustment screw in place, do not let it move past it's current torqued position and tighten the nut to 47 N·m (35 ft. lbs.). A trick I have used in the past is to use two open-end hand wrenches, one to hold the adjustment screw in place and the other to tighten down the nut. Then check it with your torque wrench.
Low/Reverse Band Adjustment:
1) Raise vehicle with jack and place securely on jackstands. Set parking brake on.
2) Remove the transmission oil pan, for further instructions on how to do this, see here.
3) Carefully using a flathead screwdriver, remove the E-Clip from the parking rod. Be careful not to lose it tho. Once the E-Clip is off, push the parking rod up and remove it.
4) Loosen the low/reverse band's adjustment nut approximately five turns.
5) Tighten adjustment screw (not the nut) to 5 N·m (41 in. lbs. not ft. lbs.).
6) Hold the adjustment screw in place, do not let it move past it's current torqued position and tighten the nut to 14 N·m (10 ft. lbs.). A trick I have used in the past is to use two open-end hand wrenches, one to hold the adjustment screw in place and the other to tighten down the nut. Then check it with your torque wrench.
7) Re-install the parking rod with E-Clip.
8) Clean transmission pan mating surface, inspect pan gasket and replace if necessary, re-install transmission pan and fill the transmission with ATF +3 (Type 7176) Automatic Transmission Fluid. For further instructions on how to do this, see here.


Hopefully this will help you. And yes, if you have any questions regarding ATX transmission feel free to PM, or email me or look on the forum. I'm usually lurking somewhere. And again, I'm sorry I'm late to the thread.