Preliminary Inspection

Preliminary Inspection









Know and Understand the Concern

In order to correctly diagnose a concern, first understand the customer concern or condition. Customer contact may be required in order to begin to verify the concern. Understand the conditions, including when the concern occurs. For example:

- Hot or cold vehicle temperature

- Hot or cold ambient temperature

- Vehicle driving conditions

- Vehicle loaded/unloaded

After understanding when and how the concern occurs, proceed to Verification of Condition.

Verification of Condition

This system provides information that must be used in both determining the actual cause of customer concerns and carrying out the appropriate procedures.

The following procedures must be used when verifying customer concerns for the transmission.

Determine Customer Concern

Determine customer concerns relative to vehicle use and dependent driving conditions, paying attention to the following items:

- Hot or cold vehicle operating temperature

- Hot or cold ambient temperature

- Type of terrain

- Vehicle loaded/unloaded

- City/highway driving

- Upshifting

- Downshifting

- Coasting

- Engagement

- Noise/vibration- check for engine rpm, vehicle speed, shift, gear, range or temperature dependencies.

Check Transmission Fluid Level and Condition

Transmission Fluid Level Check

NOTICE: Do not drive the vehicle if transmission fluid level is low. Internal transmission failure could result.

NOTE: Check the transmission fluid level while in the normal operating range of 91°-102°C (196°-216°F).










High Transmission Fluid Level

NOTICE: Transmission fluid level that is too high can cause the transmission fluid to become aerated due to the churning action of the rotating internal parts. This causes erratic control pressure, foaming, loss of transmission fluid from the vent tube and possible transmission failure.

If an overfill reading is indicated, remove any excessive transmission fluid. Refer to Transmission Fluid Drain and Refill Transmission Fluid Drain and Refill.

Low Transmission Fluid Level

Low transmission fluid level can result in poor engagement, slipping or failure. This may also indicate a leak in one of the transmission seals or gaskets.

Transmission Fluid Condition Check

1. Remove the transmission fluid level indicator and allow the transmission fluid to drip onto a facial tissue and examine the stain.

2. Observe the color and the odor.

3. If evidence of solid material is found, remove the transmission fluid pan for further inspection.

4. If the stain is foamy and pink in color, this may indicate coolant in the transmission. The engine cooling system should also be inspected at this time.

5. If transmission fluid contamination or transmission failure is confirmed by the sediment in the bottom of the transmission fluid pan, disassemble and thoroughly clean the transmission, including the torque converter and transmission fluid cooler tubes. Install a new auxiliary transmission fluid cooler.

Water in Transmission Fluid

To correctly repair an automatic transmission that has had water or coolant introduced into the system, completely disassemble, clean and replace the following parts:

- All internal and external seals

- All clutch friction material

- Torque converter

- All parts with bonded seals

- All solenoids

- All transmission fluid filters

Prior to installing the transmission, the transmission fluid cooler(s), transmission fluid cooler tubes and transmission fluid cooler hoses need to be flushed and cleaned. Refer to Transmission Fluid Cooler Backflushing and Cleaning .