[DML] Speaking of Automatics...

["artbywarren" <artbywarren@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hey, Folks!

I just happened to check in to the list here for the first time in a 
long while and I want to pose a question or two of my own about the 
Auto Tranny. First of all, my Auto hasn't been doing so good lately, 
and hopefully by relaying some of the symptoms to you all, maybe you 
can give me a diagnosis. 

PLEASE read this entire message before you reply.

First and foremost, I began to feel (what I believed was) the shift 
CPU going bad a while back.. probably October-ish. As of right now 
(and no, I'm not driving the car like this nor did I for any extended 
period of time ..only enough to see if my suspicions were correct)
..as of right now the car is in 2nd, and stays in 2nd. It's in 2nd 
when you crank it, when you pull out, when you park. Period.  

At first, when you would pull out from a stoplight or whatever, it 
would shift.. 2nd.. 3rd.. no problem (other than the shifting 
being "stiff" but we don't even need to go into the 500+ stories I've 
heard on "Hard shifts are good"  then five minutes later "Oh, Nooo! 
Hard shifts are baaad!") 

AHEM! Anyhow... It would upshift OK when you first cranked it.. but 
then it would STAY where it was after getting to 3rd. You'd be in 
3rd.. cruisin' along having a blast.. pull into your favorite 
restaurant or where ever to do some "showing off" ..you go to pull 
out again (not turning the car off).. the car is still in 3rd after 
you came to a complete stop!  What the..?

Also! I too have noticed the "whine" like the other fellow stated.. 
in fact, he's the only other person I've ever heard talk about "the 
whine"... everyone else has been like  "huh?" when I asked. 

I have had the whining since I had the car (July, 2003) and I've had 
the "whine" inspected, both by the Transmission shop (a very clean, 
reputable shop with experience in exotic cars.. I mentioned De Lorean 
to the guy and he didn't even flinch) and a Bosch Sports Car Clinic.. 
the same place that has been doing all my restoration work thus far, 
and was recommended to me by another member of this Group, who bought 
a restored DMC from Texas.

Both places said the noise was "odd" but after substantial checking 
(especially on the part of the Tranny shop, who had to pull the pan 
for the original reason I took the car to them) neither shop could 
find a reason for, or a danger in, the whine. The fluid was OK.. they 
both test-drove the hell out of my car.. they all basically just 
said "Dude It's OK.. Please! Just enjoy yer car!"

OK.. story having been told.. here's what I'm asking with my message:
I already know the shift computer has had it.. it's toast. I just 
haven't replaced it because I don't drive it much in the winter, and 
frankly I don't have the money right at this moment. Since the fluid 
is OK (not burnt or foul smelling) Do you think there's a possiblilty 
that a new shift CPU alone will bring her back to life, or has some 
serious internal damage occured by me unknowingly driving it with a 
flaw of some sort? 

...Are we looking at a tranny rebuild when it was running fine about 
a month ago?.. or could we service her (clean the filter, ect.) and 
replace the CPU and notice some improvement?

Please Help!
Warren & Heather
#0809








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