hi all my name in mathew and i am new to this forum and have just recently purchased a 1998 el falcon it has done 188000kms just got it to get me around for the mean time, i have a few questions about it, i dont no the sevice history of it or if it has ever been serviced. my questions are when it get up to operating temp the transmission slams into gears mainly from 1st to 2nd and above 3000rpm, would this mean that the trasmission is on the way out or should it be all right with a good service? and when turning left i can hear a weird noise coming from the front right wheel sounds like i got something stuck in the tyre or something but there is nothing that i can see, could this just be wheel bearings? i have a lil mechanical knowledge and would be able to do most work on the car any info/ help would be much appreciated.

matatk

I bought myself an ef wagon recently, and read up a fair bit about what can go wrong - that is, the common faults with the car.

The auto transmission was one, and a regular service (change fluid/keep topped up) was high on the list. The obvious first step would be to check the fluid level, and it's condition (colour). There is plenty of info on this (and other) sites about it, or you can just take it to a mechanic as it's a quick and easy job.

The turning left thing...I've had a recent spate of wheel bearing issues with my other car, and the noise is all the time, not just when turning. If it sounds like a clank-clank-clank thing, this is fairly common (I forget just exactly what is it - ball joints?) and is easilly rectified by a mechanic.

Hope that helps.

definatly service the transmission as usually if they havent been serviced they do clunk hard into gear and get worse higher in the rpm, if you service it and it doesnt get any better id be worryed aswell

With the BTR Autos, they are really sensitive to fluid level. So, if a service doesn't help, the problem may be electrical.

My car would drop out of gear in between 1st and 2nd. The problem ended up being a faulty inhibitor switch and speedo sensor.

i have had heaps of auto problems with autos in my el ghia. The original box i got with the car had not been serviced in about 10 years and had the same problem you describe (drives perfectly when cold but gets clunky and slams into gear when warm). I serviced it as soon as i could but it made no difference. It turned out the S5 solenoid in it was gone and needed to be replaced.

The S5 solenoid controls and regulates gear changes, so if its faulty you will get bad changes when at operating temp. I drove the car like that for about 12 months and by that time it deteriorated to the point it was pretty much un-driveable. The shifts were so harsh that the wheels would lock up so it was very dangerous in the wet, it also would slip badly and not go into gear and stall when slowing to standstill.

I ended up replacing the box but unfortunately picked one with the same problem, just no where near as bad.

I may be wrong in my diagnosis of your car, but it sounds very similar to the problems i have had with both boxes, so i hate to be the barer of bad news.

Getting a mechanic to replace the S5 solenoids in the BTR will cost about $500. I replaced the box in mine for about $600 inc the box and a reco torque converter (my box was too far gone to bother fixing).

My advice would be give it a service and it may come good. If not you take will have to take the gamble of repairing it or putting a new box in.

would replacing the solenoid be a diy type of job? and where can i gt these solenoids from. if not does anyone on here know a good auto trans specialist in perth?

You would need to ask around on the forum for specific instructions on how to do it. As far as i know you drop the pan and the valve body and you can get at the solenoids. I mentioned to my mechanic that i would attempt the job myself and he said its not that simple. My mechanic is a bit of a legend so he offered to do it for no labour cost if i help him out. You can find the solenoids on ebay fairly easily, just make sure you get new ones not second hand to avoid having the same problem.

It might pay to take it to a trans specialist and get them to test drive it (or call and describe how it drives) to confirm it is a solenoid problem or not.

You can get a Mechanic or a Trans specialist to use a scan tool to see exactly what the problem is.

S5 solenoid stuffed $400+ to replace by tranny expert. Not really a DIY job unless you really know what you are doing, a common problem with unserviced trannies





More than likely wheel bearings