A140E - Weird Behavior

[Dodgertown]

Hi guys,
I did a cooler line transmission flush a few weeks ago following dz63's DIY thread. Everything went perfect, used about 10 qts. of Valvoline MaxLife ATF. Thanks alot again TN for great info.

Now I'd like to share with some observations that I've made before and after transmission flush.

1. For some reason if the fluid level is on Cold/low mark (or even lower) this A140E tranny performs much better (shifts better, smoother, no jerks or anything).
2. If keep the fluid @ hot/correct level the situation is vise-versa. For a few weeks now I have a feeling that this tranny is about to give up. It jerks almost at all gears, most noticeable between 1st-2nd and 3rd-4th. The harder I step on the gas pedal the more I can feel the jerks. Also, it seems like now there is a slight delay between 1st and 2nd gears, I feel like it shifts late.
3. When the car is cold, transmission seems to behave a little better. 1st to 2nd gear shifts on time and jerks less noticeable. But after 10-15 min driving everything starts again.
This fact makes me believe that after transmission fluid reaches the operating temperature it looses some viscosity and becomes thinner. And since the Valvoline Maxlife ATF itself is thinner (Dexron-VI compatible) than regular Dexron-III it makes the transmission to act as I described above. Please correct me if I am wrong. I saw alot of JohnGD's posts regarding this Valvoline MaxLife and he was probably right. Try to stay away from this fluid if possible.

P.S. I also have the Valvoline Maxlife in power steering and differential systems. NO improvement after replacement. In fact, the differential fluid in my car was 13 years old factory original.

What you guys think about this? Thanks in advance.

[pmesfun]

Have you tried adjusting the transmission cable?

I've been using Maxlife in PS system for almost a year and steering is extremely smooth, but regular Valvoline Dex/Merc in the transmission with no problems either.

[deadrx7conv]

1, Disconnect battery overnight and see if situation stays the same as the ECU/TCU relearns your driving style.
2, Use a thicker ATF. If you don't want to waste the Maxlife, toss in a bottle of Lucas transmission snot. If the issue almost instantly goes away, you just proved 'viscosity problem'. Use a thicker ATF at your next flush.
3, Unless it was tampered with, I'm not a fan of DIY cable adjustments unless you understand what you're doing and have the FSM.

Lucas snot:
www.lucasoil.com/products/display_products.sd?iid=29&catid=9
http://www.lucasoil.com/images/media...D1F42F1FEF.pdf

[fenixus]

I think the film thickness of Valvoline Maxlife could be a problem if dino ATF works better. I would try Lucas ATF additive as mentioned above.

or drive it like that for a few hundred miles and then drain the trans pan and refill with synthetic blend (e.g. Castrol IMV ATF or other blend of your preference).

it can't hurt to drain and refill it once more soon. maybe try Castrol IMV ATF, I had very good luck with it always.

make sure, the fluid level on dipstick sits between HOT marks after you drive the car for 1 hour in city or 30 minutes on highways. also don't forget to check it on running engine AND after shifting through ALL gears one by one from P to L and then back up one by one.

it almost sounds like in yours there is too much fluid and when it gets hot the fluid level raises too high and gets aerated and whipped - you could see air bubbles on dipstick when that happens.
I had that problem on old GM 3.8L after a local shop drain and refill. they put slightly too much fluid and when car was cold it was running great, but when it got real hot the O/D was almost slipping and car was acting up, jerking forward when pulling to a full stop. i was able to see aerated ATF on the dipstick when it was hot (only around 1/4'' to 1/2'' above the last HOT mark).

[Hajoca]

In my 98 CE 4 cyl:

One:
Several years ago (I think in 2005 when DEX-VI was available from Petro Canada) I used DEX - VI in transmission and suspects that it not only thins out more, but expands more than a DEXRON III type fluid. replaced with Mobile1 Synthetic ATF, which did not carry the DEX 6 approval at the time.

BTW. My cousin uses Toyota T IV in his 97 4cyl. and does not notice any difference.

Second:
I used DEXRON 6 for flush and fill in my powersteering for a while to see if I could reduce parasitic power loss.... rack started leaking.
Added a bottle fo Lucas stop leak, and it slowed down to a drip. Returned to P/S and Lucas P/S stop leak last oil change and I think it has stopped. I am not sure since the weather has also cooled off significantly.

[Stillrunning]

Originally Posted by Dodgertown

2. If keep the fluid @ hot/correct level the situation is vise-versa.

Are you sure you didn't get air into the trans when you were flushing/exchanging? Make sure the pan level does not get low enough that it will suck air when doing this trans fluid flush.

Otherwise could be the fluid. I have another vehicle where Mobil 1 ATF was incompatible with the clutch plates.

[fenixus]

I wouldn't use Toyota T-IV fluid in Dex-III transmission ever. numerous Toyota TSBs say NOT to use it over there (incompatible).

However I heard/read that some Toyota dealers in South fill old Dex-III transmissions with T-IV, sounds like going against the corporate guidelines to me honestly ... T-IV was formulated for U series transmissions, not A series.

anyways, Castrol IMV ATF is compatible backwards with both Dex-III and T-IV so I'd say it's the best choice here. also it's not the latest formula of modern super thin ATF (like Dex-VI) that are no good in old transmissions.

I actually have slight doubts if Mobil1 ATF is any good for it either ... for some reason I had to slightly overfill the transmission in my V6 to loosen the movement of shifter. at correct hot level it was feeling stiff for some reason (filled with Mobil1 ATF). other than that it's all good here however... anyhow, I will be flushing it out after Winter and refilling with Castrol IMV ATF (synthetic blend) this time to see if it makes any difference.

Dex-VI ATF were reported by many people to cause trouble in old Dex-III transmissions. check BITOG discussions, search TN, google it.

[Dodgertown]

Originally Posted by pmesfun

Have you tried adjusting the transmission cable?

I didn't touch the throttle cable. Does it need to be adjusted on a regular maintenance basis or every xxxx miles?
Thanks for an idea. I'll check it.

[Dodgertown]

I think the best fluid for this transmission would be regular dino Dexron-III. Can't go wrong here - it's Toyotas recommendation

[96paseo]

Originally Posted by Dodgertown

I think the best fluid for this transmission would be regular dino Dexron-III. Can't go wrong here - it's Toyotas recommendation

If this is the first fluid exchange service your vehicle has seen, give it some time to settle in. I've been using Coastal DEX III for 70k+ miles now and have had no problems with 30k flushes being my interval. Whats your mileage and was the trans fluid original? My 93 had not seen a service when I bought it at 183k. Diff fluid was original like yours and was fugly dirty. The kickdown(throttle) cable and shifter cable do not need adjustment unless your having trouble upshifting (kickdown cable) or trouble shifting into gear relevant to position(shifter cable).

[JohnGD]

Mobil-1 supposedly is a store-shelf gold standard for Dexron III type ATF fluid. The newest formulation is no longer suitable for T-IV and Honda Z-1. Being a synthetic I do wonder if it cleaned your transmission too well, but let's see what IMV does.

Dino ATFs made to Dexron IIIh standard are already much better. But Castrol IMV or any new formulation of Mercon-V (one that's suitable for Dexron III apps) are better in terms of anti-wear, anti-shudder and anti-oxidation performance over plain dino.

Originally Posted by fenixus

I actually have slight doubts if Mobil1 ATF is any good for it either ... for some reason I had to slightly overfill the transmission in my V6 to loosen the movement of shifter. at correct hot level it was feeling stiff for some reason (filled with Mobil1 ATF). other than that it's all good here however... anyhow, I will be flushing it out after Winter and refilling with Castrol IMV ATF (synthetic blend) this time to see if it makes any difference.

[JohnGD]

Coastal D-III is supposedly made by Warren Unilube, which also makes Walmart's SuperTech in some regions. In others the Supertech gets Pennzoil people say. But if you have an Advance Auto try their 40% coupon code. Maybe you can get a D-III at much lower prices.

Originally Posted by 96paseo

If this is the first fluid exchange service your vehicle has seen, give it some time to settle in. I've been using Coastal DEX III for 70k+ miles now and have had no problems with 30k flushes being my interval. Whats your mileage and was the trans fluid original? My 93 had not seen a service when I bought it at 183k. Diff fluid was original like yours and was fugly dirty. The kickdown(throttle) cable and shifter cable do not need adjustment unless your having trouble upshifting (kickdown cable) or trouble shifting into gear relevant to position(shifter cable).

[JohnGD]

Yeah, I always have reservations about using Dexron VI (6) type in older Dexron III transmissions. That's why even when others are using it I've been against it. Don't get me wrong, Dexron-VI is an excellent fluid that holds up much longer than the D-III it replaced, but I'd use it only in those new transmissions designed for it.

For older D-III types I'd think in the order of preference not counting boutique fluids. The viscosity at 100 deg C is generally above 7.2, vs the Dexron-VI's ~5.8:

1. Mobil-1 ATF
2. any new formulation Mercon-V (suitable for D-III) or Castrol IMV ATF
3. dino D-III atf

Given that a gallon of Walmart Supertech dino ATF is about $13, I'd say just drain it and use Supertech. If that changes things then you know.

Also, I do think Mobil-1 should be nice in the colder climates. The dino ATFs will work but don't hold up as well as Mercon-V, IMV or Mobil-1.

Originally Posted by Dodgertown

I didn't touch the throttle cable. Does it need to be adjusted on a regular maintenance basis or every xxxx miles?
Thanks for an idea. I'll check it.

[fenixus]

I think the REAL difference between dino and fully synthetic ATF lies in thermal expansion ability. probably that's why I had to use a slightly different amount of ATF if I had used a pure dino ATF.

doesn't bother me much, all works fine here so far
will be flushing it anyways after Winter, since it will be a few (around 6-7K) miles since fill up and I want to make sure there is no surprises in there.

Originally Posted by JohnGD

Mobil-1 supposedly is a store-shelf gold standard for Dexron III type ATF fluid. The newest formulation is no longer suitable for T-IV and Honda Z-1. Being a synthetic I do wonder if it cleaned your transmission too well, but let's see what IMV does.

Dino ATFs made to Dexron IIIh standard are already much better. But Castrol IMV or any new formulation of Mercon-V (one that's suitable for Dexron III apps) are better in terms of anti-wear, anti-shudder and anti-oxidation performance over plain dino.

[Dodgertown]

Thanks JohnGD, I think I am just gonna go with Walmart dino atf here. And I totally support your position regarding Dex-VI fluids.