Transmission problems?

[milkmaid]

It's not a truck, but I was hoping the mechanics on here could give me some insight into the transmission problems I think I've got, so that when I walk into the shop on Thursday afternoon I'll at least know what the mechanics there are talking about and can sound semi-knowledgable when I talk to them. I've got a '04 Hyundai Santa Fe 3.5L V6 with an auto transmission, has 100K miles, shifts smooth through all gears except what seems to be the second one, around 20-25 mph. It "bucks" from one gear to the next (feels like a vehicle being driven by a 14 y/o kid in their first stick-shift pickup), can't seem to get it to shift smooth no matter how I drive. Only happens when accelerating, doesn't seem to have any problems downshifting. Any thoughts on it? does it need a new transmission or might there be some other possibilities or options available?

Thanks for any input-

--edited b/c it's an '04, not a '94 model--

 

[iowafarmer]

Well, hate top say it but if it is your tranny your gonna need a new one unless they flush it and it fixes the problem. Im no expert by any means but there is a chain in there (atleast if its anything like a 94 buick tranny) and it gets worn and stretched with time and when the gears shift it jumps and that is what causes the car to vibrate and sound like its grinding gears. I might be completely off though since im no expert and maybe someone else with a little more knowledge will post and correct me if I was wrong.

 

[RobinFarmandRanch]

It's not a truck, but I was hoping the mechanics on here could give me some insight into the transmission problems I think I've got, so that when I walk into the shop on Thursday afternoon I'll at least know what the mechanics there are talking about and can sound semi-knowledgable when I talk to them. I've got a '04 Hyundai Santa Fe 3.5L V6 with an auto transmission, has 100K miles, shifts smooth through all gears except what seems to be the second one, around 20-25 mph. It "bucks" from one gear to the next (feels like a vehicle being driven by a 14 y/o kid in their first stick-shift pickup), can't seem to get it to shift smooth no matter how I drive. Only happens when accelerating, doesn't seem to have any problems downshifting. Any thoughts on it? does it need a new transmission or might there be some other possibilities or options available?

Thanks for any input-

--edited b/c it's an '04, not a '94 model--

that tanny shouldnt have chains inside of it. sounds like youve got the ol chipped tooth disease. If a tooth on the gear is gone you should hear a knocking at the same time it is trying to buck on ya. If this is the case you prolly wont need an entire new tranny, just replacing the broken gears. get someone to drain a little fluid out of the tranny and if there are shavings in the fluid youve found your problem.

 

[alacattleman]

sometimes what seems to be transmission trouble can be eng.. like a missfire during the shift patterns when the RPMS reach a certain level or a exhaust cat. convertor about stopped up

 

[milkmaid]

The Hyundai dealership said it needed a new tranny, gave me a worksheet from the last time the vehicle was in with the previous owner... I took the vehicle back into the dealership where I bought it, gave them the papers from the other place, and they're going to keep the vehicle for a week and work on it. They're thinking they can use an overhaul kit and just replace the clutches and seals, flush the transmission fluid, and it should be fine. We'll see if they're right. I don't have to pay for the work they're doing to fix it, but it is a pain in the neck not to have a vehicle.

 

[dun]

Shanks mare sure does make you appreciate a set of wheels!

 

[kerley]

If they fix your transmission youre one lucky or cute little girl. If I took my transmission in, they would tell me to go strait to be nice.
~Tom.

 

[novaman]

If they fix your transmission youre one lucky or cute little girl. If I took my transmission in, they would tell me to go strait to be nice.
~Tom.

Hah, I was thinking the same thing. She probably flashed a smile and all was good to go!

 

[milkmaid]

:lol2: For sure the first.....

 

[Tag Man]

Don't know much about Hyundai tranny's per se, but often times when a transmission bucks at that kind of speed it is caused by either the torque converter trying to lock up or a bad shift servo. To test and see if it's the TC, lightly hold the brake pedal so that you aren't slowing the vehicle down, but your brake lights come on (This will keep your TC from locking up). If the problem goes away with the brake pedal slightly depressed you have isolated the problem as your TC. Another method is to floor the gas pedal and accelerate through 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear since your TC won't lock up under WOT (wide open throttle). JM $.02

 

[MO_cows]

Don't know much about Hyundai tranny's per se, but often times when a transmission bucks at that kind of speed it is caused by either the torque converter trying to lock up or a bad shift servo. To test and see if it's the TC, lightly hold the brake pedal so that you aren't slowing the vehicle down, but your brake lights come on (This will keep your TC from locking up). If the problem goes away with the brake pedal slightly depressed you have isolated the problem as your TC. Another method is to floor the gas pedal and accelerate through 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear since your TC won't lock up under WOT (wide open throttle). JM $.02

"Honest officer, I was just diagnosing my torque converter (with wide-eyed innocent look)."

Seems like if you kept most vehicles floored that long you'd be going pretty fast.

 

[kerley]

If she smiled at the mechanic she surely would smile bigger for the cop. :banana:

 

[dun]

If she smiled at the mechanic she surely would smile bigger for the cop. :banana:

Reminds me of something I saw on TV the other night. A woman was being written a ticket and said "I didn;t think you gave tickets to pretty women" as the cop handed her the ticket he said "We don;t"

 

[milkmaid]

Tag Man - so that would be what the owner of the dealership was doing when he took the vehicle for a test drive the other day. Makes sense now. Vehicle still had problems shifting to 3rd under WOT so it wasn't the TC.

The dealership called today, said they'd sent it to a shop that specifically worked on transmissions and it was the clutch adapter and it's fixed now. As long as it drives right, sounds good to me. On the bright side, not only is the problem fixed but I have new transmission fluid and whatever else is in the transmission so I don't have to worry about changing it again anytime soon.

 

[lavacarancher]

Comin' in kinda late on this one but the problem sounds like "tie up" which involves the timing of the shifts. In automatic transmissions there are always at least two control units on for each "gear". When going from one gear to the next one control unit must disengage BEFORE the next control unit engages. OK? If the previous control unit stays engaged and the next "gear" engages you will have a lock. Feels kinda like a violent stabbing of the brakes momentarily.

The fix is to take the valve body apart and clean the shift valves and make sure the shift timing springs are still functioning properly. This is not a real difficult procedure and does not require removing the transmission from the car. But finding an honest transmission shop is next to impossible. They need to make about $1500 per car to stay in business - or so they will have you believe.

Good luck and let us know what happens.