bad torque converter symptoms

[wyatt_earb]

I'm not sure, but I believe my torque converter is going out. What signs should I be looking for if this is going on?

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by wyatt_earb

I'm not sure, but I believe my torque converter is going out. What signs should I be looking for if this is going on?

Noise and excessive stall rpm.
What is your doing or not doing?
Does lock up work?
Any codes?
What year and engine and transmission and mileage?

[Blue Bowtie]

Top Ten signs of a bad torque converter:

#10 - It's found between an engine and transmisison which have the words "Daimler" or "Chrysler" cast in them somewhere;

#9 - Doesn't claim "Additional Oil" on Form 1299 with its tax return;

#8 - Your torque converter has been "balooned" more than Dick Cheney's arteries;

#7 - When you're not looking, it crawls off the flexplate and takes twenty minute paid "breaks" on the input shaft;

#6 - You wake up in the morning and find your torque converter sleeping with your neighbor's wife;

#5 - The lockup clutch has more "slop" than Madonna;

#4 - Your torque converter has been off on an Extacy binge for six days straight;

#3 - The hookers in Times Square tell you "We would, but we don't want to get caught with someone with a torque converter like yours.";

#2 - Sneaks out at night and holds up convenience stores for all the ATF they have on hand;

The Number 1 reason your torque converter is bad - Your torque converter has appeared twice on "America's Most Wanted".

[Blue Bowtie]

A little more seriously, though, what year is the truck? Most '95 and newer trucks should store an error code if TC performance is below a programmed threshold. Older trucks can be scanned with a capable scanner to monitor both engine RPM and VSS (driveshaft RPM) and you ocan compare them to determine slip/stall speed under driving conditions.

[blazee]

Originally Posted by Blue Bowtie

Top Ten signs of a bad torque converter:

#10 - It's found between an engine and transmisison which have the words "Daimler" or "Chrysler" cast in them somewhere;

#9 - Doesn't claim "Additional Oil" on Form 1299 with its tax return;

#8 - Your torque converter has been "balooned" more than Dick Cheney's arteries;

#7 - When you're not looking, it crawls off the flexplate and takes twenty minute paid "breaks" on the input shaft;

#6 - You wake up in the morning and find your torque converter sleeping with your neighbor's wife;

#5 - The lockup clutch has more "slop" than Madonna;

#4 - Your torque converter has been off on an Extacy binge for six days straight;

#3 - The hookers in Times Square tell you "We would, but we don't want to get caught with someone with a torque converter like yours.";

#2 - Sneaks out at night and holds up convenience stores for all the ATF they have on hand;

The Number 1 reason your torque converter is bad - Your torque converter has appeared twice on "America's Most Wanted".

^^ Bwahahaha

[wyatt_earb]

1988 4x4 2.8 s10 blazer w/ 85,000 miles on it.

1) its been eating gas, which it believe might have to do with this.
2) I'll be driving to class and its will jack up in rpms and I have to slow down. The tranny itself shifts fine, sometimes takes its time going to OD, but doesnt go hard.
3) I've noticed it seem to shake, but that might be a rough ride b.c my ball joints are almost gone.
4) it has burned up tranny fluid something awful, which wasnt burned up say 6 months ago.
5) About a year ago when it would go shake/shutter like crazy when going into OD, almost like the rear end was going out. So I checked the AFF level and it was a tad low, but not much.
So I did a quick fix and put in some lucas slip fix, real thick tranny fluid. The problem went away and I had no problems, until now. So I believe the TQ is going out, why I dont know.........

Does it sound like a bad TQ to you? If so, how much fun will this be to replace?

[wyatt_earb]

Also, I did change the tranny filter and did some flushing. A friend of mine works at a dealership and we used their flush machine. We didnt flush it until clean b/c the ATF was pretty burned up, smelled god awful, and I was advised not to completely flush it. Their "tranny" guy told me to flush it around half way then drive it for awhile and make sure it doesnt slip like the tranny is going to go. So far it has worked fine, but would a complete flush actually cause the tranny to go out??? I've neve heard this, but its what I was told.

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by wyatt_earb

1988 4x4 2.8 s10 blazer w/ 85,000 miles on it.

1) its been eating gas, which it believe might have to do with this.
2) I'll be driving to class and its will jack up in rpms and I have to slow down. The tranny itself shifts fine, sometimes takes its time going to OD, but doesnt go hard.
3) I've noticed it seem to shake, but that might be a rough ride b.c my ball joints are almost gone.
4) it has burned up tranny fluid something awful, which wasnt burned up say 6 months ago.
5) About a year ago when it would go shake/shutter like crazy when going into OD, almost like the rear end was going out. So I checked the AFF level and it was a tad low, but not much.
So I did a quick fix and put in some lucas slip fix, real thick tranny fluid. The problem went away and I had no problems, until now. So I believe the TQ is going out, why I dont know.........

Does it sound like a bad TQ to you? If so, how much fun will this be to replace?

If you got a year on it after Lucas fix you are doing good.
If the transmission is not slipping or making a noise just keep on driving it.
The converter is not your problem.
And if a converter goes the rest of the transmission usually goes with it.
Carb or fuel injection on it? If carb how is that choke?
And remember cold weather will make the use more gas.
But Check tune up and engine running.

[Blue Bowtie]

Forget what I mentioned about the error codes, since the '88 will not have that capability. Drain the transmisison and change the filter. Refill with clean fluid, drive it for several hundred miles, and change it again if necessary. At only 85,000 miles there shouldn't be enough wear of friction surfaces to risk no-drive on a fluid change. It might be a good time to install a drain plug while the pan is off.

The slippage and even shudder under load may be a clutch, TCC, or the band servo. Those could all be symptoms of dirty fluid and the things that go with it, like a sitcky TCC solenoid or poorly sealing clutches and shaft seals. The longer it is driven that way, the greater the potential for real damage.

FWIW, transmission additives are usually a big mistake. The burned odor you now smell could be a result.

[wyatt_earb]

But why would it be burnt up at 85,000 miles, this is an old city vehcle and they're good about general maintance on their vehicles. I was thinking about flushing the rest of the fluid out and seeing what happens. Although I've read on the internet that you should never flush a transmission with burnt fluid b/c it'll cause the transmission to go out. Tomorrow I'll check the fluid for "particles" in it, possibly being chunks of seals etc...

Also when I had it looked at a year ago, for the whole shuttering thing, the guy said something was going out with the torque converter. Said to unplug the wire going to the transmission if the lucas didnt make it go away. If I remember correctly he said it had something to do with it going into overdrive, and electric torque converter maybe, I cant really recall. I'm going to stop by the local transmission shop and talk to them, I believe they look at it for free....

About the tune up, I've already done that, along with a long long list of other things. The gas problem wont go away, which is why I'm thinking this tranny problem has something to do with it. Like I said, while going 65ish sometimes it just shoots the rpms up and it struggles to go 55-60.

[Blue Bowtie]

The reason you were advised against fully changing the oil is that on a transmission with some apparent slippage, and with potentially worn friction surfaces, the contamination in the oil may be the only thing prodiving enough friction to provide clutch engagement. Once the oil is drained and clean, particle free oil is added, there is nothing left to make clutches grab. That's pretty rare at only 85,000 miles, even if it is all city driving.

Since your transmission apparently didn't exhibit any more slippage after the oil change, change it all and get a complete fill of clean fluid. Clean oil can lubricate better, help flush out contaminated valves, clean up sealing surfaces, and allows for overall better hydraulic operation of the trans.

[wyatt_earb]

Any reccomendation on a flush to use, if any?? And any reccomended type of ATF I should use. I greatly appreciate the responses.

[Blue Bowtie]

Refill with plain Dexron III in whatever brand you like so long as it meets the GM H36174 spec.

If you still experience shudder while in OD, and unplugging the TCC solenoid solves it, the lockup clutch may be slipping or the lockup solenoid valve may have a problem (among other possibilities). The solenoid problem is not really uncommon on a TH700-R4, and the solenoid can be changed with only the oil pan removed. If you're having a trans tech check it out, they should be able to diagnose that.

[wyatt_earb]

Forgot to mention, the rpm thing doesnt just happen in OD. I put it in drive once while it did this, doesnt always do it, and it kept doing it. It doesnt shudder anymore, rpms just go up and it wont stay at 65ish. Really dont know how to explain it....

Could the fact I have bigger than reccomended tires be the proplem, causing the speed sensor to mess up? When it says I'm going 60 I'm really going around 68.

Also could a bad solenoid on the transmission be the cause of the burnt up fluid? Doesnt the TCC open and close a valve, possible closing and not opening, and causing the ATF to sit in the trans and get burnt up?

[silicon212]

If the TCC isn't locking the converter in 4th, that would cause burned fluid (due to overheating as a result of excessive TC slippage in OD) as well as a burned 3-4 clutch. Assuming this is a TH700R4/4L60 trans, that is ...

Your symptoms nearly mirror slippage in the 3-4 clutch, this would be a cause of burned fluid. Rebuild time! While you're in there, check and replace the TCC solenoid - the majority of TCC failure is caused by a failure in this part.

A bad torque converter, in MY OWN experience, will cause the car to have next-to-no-power at lower speeds, along with a 'clicking' noise coming from under the vehicle (stator slippage within the TCC). Once at speed, the converter won't give many symptoms of impending failure or failure in progress. If lockup is engaging in 4th, the converter is completely out of the equation in OD.