Do I get a club card or something?

a little background:

2005 TL 130,000 miles

3x transmission fluid drain/fill, DW-1, 3 months ago

changed out 3rd/4th pressure gear switches 3 months ago

Made a noticeable difference and ran really great, really strong. never had any transmission issues, until today

This is the first trip, over some large mountains (sierras, 5,500ft) since the pressure switches were replaced.

so going up a mountain, i noticed im running at 7000 rpm, pull over, put it in PARK, then cant get it into any other gear. Eventually 1st and 2nd work, but thats it. I can smell hot t-fluid, nothing dripping, and no smoke.

Tried resetting ECU, not even really sure what this is, but, now I can get into all gears, however, there is loss of power, and its does not down-shift.

Fluid level is good. I will prob start with examining the switches, maybe replacing them with the old ones.

any ideas would be helpful. and i will continue to shift through the many transmission-issue threads here.

thanks!

 

also, no "engine lights" or warnings came on

 

It must have been a steep climb but how come you didnt notice the 7k rpm?

Anyway, not really important, but check to see if there are any metal shavings in your tranny fluid.

 

i guess it was a faulty sensor

went back to the old sensors. all seems good. will change fluid, and check for any metal.

thanks

 

Good to hear that OP

Hopefully that was the issue and nothing more

 

 

Or the new ones were reversed.

If it puked out of the breather you got it extremely hot, you boiled the fluid. Do another 3x3 and if you plan on more trips over the mountains use a synthetic like Redline D4 as it will handle the heat much better.

Best case scenario the torque converter wouldn't lock up and it overheated because the switch wouldn't allow it to lock. Worst case you had slipping clutches and damage is done even if it works for now.

Once the fluid boils, the pump can't maintain hydraulic pressure to apply the clutches. I've seen it plenty times where there was a ton of slippage but the clutches were grabbing so lightly that they survived.

One thing every TL owner should know is when climbing hills steep enough for the converter to unlock but it stays in 5th gear, manually downshift to 4th. The converter will lock back up in 4th and you'll go from producing tremendous heat from slippage to a very cool transmission. RPMs with it locked in 4th vs unlocked in 5th will give about the same rpm plus you get the additional torque multiplication from the lower gear. It's a win-win.

Rpm does not contribute to transmission heat, well barely. More throttle also does not produce more heat as long as the converter stays locked. It's much easier to go down a gear when climbing a hill even if it means more rpm than to try and climb in 5th with the converter unlocked. In fact, that's literally one of the worst things you can do to the transmission.

 

Thanks.
ive made that trip a dozen times in that car, it was just weird.

I'll make the switch RedLine, and order new sensors, and see how it goes.

right now its running well, but im still skeptical

 

What gear were you in?

 

i was probably in fourth, and then I lost everything, so essentially went to "neutral'

 

i had the same problem a few days ago. waiting for my pressure switch to come in. hopefully everything goes well

 

Started doing it again. Redline should be here Monday