Stocker

If you are not 100% certain that the Hyundai-specific automatic transaxle fluid is in the car, the next drive you take MUST be to the dealership. 4th gear acting up is a classic sign of the clutches going to [deleted] because the wrong fluid was used at the last transmission service.

Unless you buy new from HMA, you are running the chance of a bad/used or bad/rebuilt transaxle.

The transmission control computers changed a couple of times while RDs were still in production. Be sure you get the appropriate-year automatic transaxle and you're golden for a direct remove/replace.

romeo78

What if it's the original fluid with a little bit of Castrol import mixed in??? When I replaced the front axles, I had to put back what fluid I lost. Didn't realize it was a big deal.

Stocker

It's not a big deal, if you build transmissions for fun in your spare time. If I understand correctly, having an incompatible fluid in there turns the clutches in the clutch packs to mush, requiring repair. Symptoms would be similar, in the affected gear, to a manual trans. car with a slipping clutch. Revs without additional power to the wheels, 'sometimes' working better than others, and a general trend of getting worse until complete failure.

They specified the specified fluid for a very good reason.

If you can't manage a repair or replacement immediately, I'd say at least get the fluid changed to the proper stuff ASAP, including the 1/2 of it that stays in the torque converter when you drain the transmission from the drain plug. Also now is the time to change the ATF filter (requires removing the pan but not too hard) because when the filter gets nasty it starts causing problems as well.

Keep us posted!

romeo78

Cool, I will. Thanks again for the information.

krazytib

What symptoms do you have when the transmission is in overdrive? The tranny fluid being bad could be causing your symptoms. What color is the fluid on the dipstick? Take the dipstick with fluid on it and place a few drops on a clean paper towel. Watch how the fluid spreads out. Now put a few drops of new tranny fluid on the same paper towel and what how the new fluid spreads out.

First thing to look at would be the color difference between the two. If your fluid color is on the brown side compared to the new fluid which should be red/pink in color then I would try a fluid / filter change asap. Next thing to look at would be how far the current fluid had spread out on the paper towel compared to the new fluid which should spread about 1/2 inch on both sides. Fluid that is old doesn't spread out on the paper towel much which would be another reason to change it asap.

Now I have never owned or worked on a Hyundai auto transmission before but I have dealt with a 2001 Accord that is on its second tranny which luckily got replaced with a remanufactured one through an extended warranty. The 2nd tranny started showing the same failing symptoms right after the reman. warrenty expired which was only 10,000 miles. Before we got that tranny replaced, I did tranny services every 30,000 miles due to erratic behaviour in O.D. I purchased the Honda ATF Z1 fluid from the local dealership everytime I serviced the tranny but that didn't seem to help cause it failed just after 100,000 miles. I did notice a quick change in fluid color just before it completely failed but it was too late then. 15,000 miles later on the replaced tranny and I started noticing the fluid changing to that brown color and the tranny would sometimes stay in O.D. instead of shifting to 3rd causing the driver to push the brakes harder to get the car to stop.

Since I figued it was going to fail again anyway I started testing different fluids and stuff in an attempt to make it last longer. Since I refuse to pay $4,500 or whatever the latest cost is for a dealership to put another tranny in, here some of the things I tried that have made a huge difference which might help you.

1) Manually downshift when slowing. By doing this, the car stops way sooner than it would have if it was left in O.D. Only shift to O.D. when your hitting speeds over 40mph or whatever speed works best with your car.

2) Put better fluid in the car. Research what everyone else is happy with using in their tranny's and stick with it. I can't say whether the hyundai fluid is good or not but the new fluid that i use which was like a day/night difference in the honda was Valvolines MaxLife ATF fluid which stopped the erratic shifting in O.D. with one fluid change that only got 1/3 of the fluid. Im doing tranny fluid changes at every oil change now till I can get the fluid color back to its normal pink color.

3) If your tranny is screwing up and your getting it replaced anyway, then toss some of Lucas Oil Automatic Transmission Fluid Conditioner in there. That stuff works good in my other cars and I run that in the honda as well. Who knows, that alone may help with your symptoms.


Hopefully that helps ya out.

.

OTECTom

I have a bunch of those little plastic parts if you need em, just over the bridge in jersey. If you can get down here i'll let you rummage through my spare parts and pick out whatever you want/need.

PM me if your interested

and yeah a tib in that condition should have sold for $3-5k tops, sorry

GreenShark386

when i bought my first tib a 2000 automatic...the lime green one in the pic, it had the same problem. with o/d on it drove horrible, didnt pick up barely any speed, revved really loud, high rps... but if o/d was left off, the car drove fine. you wouldnt even know there was a tranny problem. the only thing was if i went over 60 the rps would be high. it still drove fine though. that was in june 09.

then as time went by, the tranny got worse and worse. it wouldnt shift right away, you could feel it too. not sure if that makes any sense, but you could tell there was a problem. it got worse and worse untill the trans totally died jan 15. and i did put alot of miles on the car in that time period. probably around 10,000. so you could probably keep driving your tib like that with the o/d off for awhile. good luck with it

OTECTom

Yeah, I'm also on my second Tib, my first one (a 200 automatic) had to be de-comissioned due to trans problems

radu_rd2

Dude no offense, but how in the hell (and most importantly WHY) would you spend $15k+ for the end goal of a stock auto tib?!

I just paid 18k on a new-looking 2006 GTOw w/30k miles, 400hp 6liter engine and 6-speed manual. Do the math.

Hell, I'm selling my turbocharged 2000 tib with Car-PC, brand new ACT clutch, and replaced low-mileage tranny for $4.5k, you could have gotten three of those lol

krazytib

I paid $18,000 when i bought mine brand new back in 2001 which included the 100,000 mile warranty. I tried as hard as I could to blow that car up before the 100,000 miles were up but that never happened.

I know my tib is only worth like $3k now but its worth like $20k in my eyes. lol