whining transmission

So the other day I am cruising on the interstate and I hear a whining sound coming from the car when I throttle up. I stop at walmart and get back in after dicking off for about an hour and its fine. Go to work and she is whining. I was worried when I first heard it and bought a jug of atf and lucas trans additive.

The thing is when I start the car and drive it is typically fine for about 15 minutes then boom its whining. Today I chexked the fluid while its cold and its about mid way up the plastic tip. I have read when its cold it should be above the plastic tip and close to the notch on the metal. I drained the trans fluid and only about 1.25 quarts came out. I got concerned and pulled the pan and it was completely drained but the filter was in good shape. There is some small shavings but not abnormal.

I also noticed the fluid was brownish but also red. It actually looks like someone added fluid and I think they did not check the level properly and just filled to the line while it was cold. I also found some fluid around the filler tube.

Is my trans toast? Its on a 1990 740 turbo with 202xxx miles but no mods. The car was running and shifting fine but now it whines though it still shifts fine.

thanks

Sure its the trans and not the driveshaft carrier?

Definitely trans. It was slipping.

I am going to check the carrier tomorrow as well. Yay.....

I paid a whopping $400 for the car and have anothe $100 in lights and what not. I am not wanting to drop more in it.

You can't really expect to pay $400 for a car and it not have issues.

You can probably pick up another AW71 for cheap anyway. Try doing a drain and refil on the trans.

I had a friend that had his radiator trans cooler break and mix the fluids. Its rare but check just in case.

turbotankshane said:

You can't really expect to pay $400 for a car and it not have issues.

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Its really not the money so much as having time to put the damn trans in. I bought this car so I could drive it while putting my built block in my 99 A4 since I don't have time to drop it in and drive it. Its starting to look like its not going to work out.

If you let the car sit over night where is the atf on the dipstick?

yeah depending on where you're at, another trans from the jy is probably $100 or a little less. for a first timer, you're looking at a full day to swap it out (not because it's that difficult, that's just how long it seems to take first timers)

check the atf while running, at idle. when it's not running it can kinda be wherever on the dipstick. not uncommon not get a whole lot out of just the pan, it holds a ton of fluid up in the trans behind the vb, as well as the cooler circuit and converter.

I changed the filter and put back in 4 quarts plus 24 fluid oz of lucas tran additive and after driving it for about 10 minutes its only about 1/3rd way up the plastic tip on the dipstck. It is shifting better but it is still whining. However the whine only happens when shifting from 3rd into second and its acting like 2nd is not engaging. There is a decently long straight stretch and at the end is turn that you can only take at 20mph. It started doing it after I sped up after the turn.

If I start off and put in 2nd its fine and will not whine at all.

Is it possible the trans is not engaging and may need adjusted? If I smash the gas when its whining it just free spins but when I let up itll grab a gear and take off just fine.

This sounds like a torque converter. No pun.

built A4 block eh? ........



Also check your kickdown cable. If it's way too loose it allows slippage. When I had mine too loose it would make a whining kind of sound when shifting at WOT. Or it could just be dying. It's an old car and you spent a whopping $500.
Also if you're ok with doing it, the accumulator mod would help prevent some slippage (although you may be too far gone). Check kickdown (located by the throttle cable on the throttle body) and get rid of slack (lengthen it) to increase pressure.

When you get that A4 built up, sell the car to one of the TBers here that will make it work again Who knows, you may meet it at a light one day and get dusted by a TB'er who dropped another $3000 into it.... haha

sounds like the pump is sucking air, I'd try adding some more fluid and seeing what happens. if it's been slipping tho it's probably getting on towards done.