Auto Tranny Question
 

Well, My '92 EscortGT has a pretty badly slipping automatic transmission. It seemed to drive fine after sitting for a few months, and after the engine had been warmed up idling for about 20 minutes. The next day, I took it for a 15 -mile drive, and it worked ok, until on the way back. I had to shift it into 2nd gear because it was changing back and forth from 2nd and 3rd.. it would slip in 3rd, then shift to 2nd, then 3rd, then slip, then back to 2nd.... When I got back, I put it in reverse, and it plain would not go. I gently revved the engine up and down for a while until the car started moving backwards a little bit. I had to then keep it in Low the last couple of blocks home just to make it keep going.

I'm not 100% sure what some common problems are with the automatic trannys on the proteges and escorts, but I'm buying a filter for it this afternoon, and I hope that will help.

What are the odds that something bigger is wrong with this ATX other than just an oil/filter change?

What are some common failings of this tranny that I should know about? Would the bands/clutches be shot? Should I get the whole thing rebuilt?

I've got a manual transmission that I want to swap in, but I'm still in the process of getting the parts necessary to make it work right, so I just need the auto tranny to work for a while until I get the conversion done....

--sarge

Check your fluid level? Mine hasn't been shifting into 1st at the stoplight, and sometimes it feels like it's not 'engaged' when starting off (torque converter?), but I looked and the fluid is way low. Looking underneath it's also leaking like a mofo, there are a few bolts missing from the tranny oil pan too. I'll hopefully flush it and change the filter today. :)

I drained and refilled the fluid, and replaced the filter last weekend, and it still does the same thing. The fluid smelled really burned, though.. So, do y'all suppose that it's the bands, and I should just trash the auto, and put in a decent manual?

--sarge

Looks to be me my new choice... as the tranny is leaking everywhere with the new fluid in it.

If it smell burn forget it the clutch in the tranny are all worn out so you have two choice either manual swap $$ or a rebuild auto tranny $$ in either case good luck. If you never did an oil change on the tranny and it was pass 100 000km don't change it you may cause more domage then good. There are detergent in auto tranny oil which clean the deposit that was made by time and the pressure start leaking from those cleaned part.

According to the mazda technician, changes are serviced at 30,000 mile intervals. I have records at the mazda dealer dealer up to 71k. So that's two known changes. The last idiot who owned it had it at 90k. So that's 60,000miles without a change. About 100,000km. It's okay now, I torqued everything, got new bolts for the missing ones... doesn't leak anymore...it was overfilled, too, even though I put in 6 1/2 quarts... so once it all settled in I just drained it to the right level. And now it's working better than ever!!!!

Doesn't mean I don't wanna go to a manual. :D oh yeah and a DOHC. Maybe it's not *worth* it but it'd be a fun task. :)