iv'e owned my townie for two years now,and iv'e tried to look after it,at 100,000k(when I got It) I had the auto gearbox mega flushed and new oil etc.This made the box run as smooth as silk and it has been fine until now! having done150,000k.
For the first 5 mins, from a cold start,the autobox refuses to change from 2nd to 3rd gear, but when it dose, it is nice and smooth, and after that it changes up and down the gears fine all day until It goes cold again.
It started doing this about 10 days ago and has done this every cold start since,I've checked the oil acording to the handbook and checked the kickdown cable, following other peoples advice from this site, which is fine.
help!! has anybody got any other ideas please.

- (#7980) kevin bateman, 7 Apr 03 14:57

change the fluid and clean the filter

- (#7981) david miller, 8 Apr 03 1:49

Sadly, it sounds like the box is on its way out I’m afraid. Usually, automatic gear boxes engage gears with a slight clunk. “Nice and smooth” sounds like the internal clutches are slipping, and may be on the way out.

When the box is cold, the oil in it is more viscous and wont flow as well as when its hot. Hence once you have covered a couple of miles or so the oil is warming up and begins to flow correctly. Then the gear will engage.

I would suggest that you get it checked by an automatic gearbox specialist. Checkout yellow pages, or return to the people who performed the “mega flush” and ask them to check it.

Good luck
dave

- (#7982) dave Bright, 8 Apr 03 1:53

had the oil changed and the filter cleaned ,the macanic seid that the filter was quite clean but the magnets were mucky.been driving it for 2 days now and it is still the same, so! it looks like a recon job!!.

- (#8053) kevin, 12 Apr 03 9:43

hi I had the same problem with an old Granada of mine. It lasted me three years like that,it only seemed to have the change problem when the weather was cold,in the summer it would be fine. So don't go reconing it in to much of a hurry

- (#8054) phil perry, 12 Apr 03 10:25

autobox started to slip bad ,It would not go from reverse to drive unless I let it sit in nuetral for a few seconds first and it was obversely slipping up hills ,It went from OK to no good in about 3 weeks.I got a gearbox from BBC spares of London then got my local garage to fit it for me.
Ive taken it for a test drive for the first time today and "fingers crossed "all seems well at long last.

- (#8352) kevin, 2 May 03 13:16

Can anyone assist, i have just replaced the engine in my 2.0ltr townace. The motor runs up lovely, but i cannot get any drive. Its an auto box, the cable selector works the selector arm, but all i have got is a box full of neutrals. I have checked the oil levels these seem to be within the marks. Any suggestions

- (#8127) adam hopson, 20 Apr 03 11:53

you realise that the fluid level is checked with the engine running, after having selected all positions? If you do, then the box is dud... The only check you can do really is to remove and clean the filter (inside the tranny sump). If no better, then it's tranny out time...

- (#8128) david miller, 20 Apr 03 13:52