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Sarah Gara

20-Jan-2010
8:51:49 AM

Is anyone by chance heading to buffalo this Friday (22 Jan) returning 25/26 Jan and going via Robinvale? or at a push I could get to Mildura, Swan Hill or Balranald.

My car has kinda died - didn't like the four wheel drive tracks obviously.

fingers crossed. x

simey

20-Jan-2010
8:56:21 AM

Going to Buffalo via Robvinvale/Mildura? That is a long shot.

Sorry to hear your car has died. What happened to it?


Sarah Gara

20-Jan-2010
10:47:10 PM

hmmm... not as I'd hoped I was expecting to have to turn down lifts as I'd had so many!!

I'm not too sure that the car has died It's just making funny noises struggling to accelerate and the revs which normally when at 100k sit at 2.5 are approaching 4. Not sue i want to risk the 7 and a half hours to buffalo when it's behaving like that.

I would take it to the garage but I'm on my stayover tonight in Wentworth and I only noticed it late last night. The speechies boyfriend is a mechanic so may see if he can have a quick look tomorrow evening -hopefully it's something easy and quick to fix.

Otherwise I guess I'll have to do some begging to be taken waterskiing for the weekend.

Any one fancy a detour via Robinvale - i'll pay for fuel? and throw in a chicken curry... x


masterofrup

21-Jan-2010
8:11:05 AM

almost certainly an auto transmission problem. no promises but probably worth checking the (transmission) oil level, this is easy on most cars, just look for a another thing that looks a bit like the normal dipstick for checking oil except often a bit bigger.


Sarah Gara

22-Jan-2010
5:12:37 PM

hmmmm... now supposing I found it what would I be checking it for exactly?

I'll take it to the garage. Thanks for your help -it's due a service - hopefully they'lll wash it too. x

simey

22-Jan-2010
5:17:13 PM

On 22/01/2010 Sarah Gara wrote:
>hmmmm... now supposing I found it what would I be checking it for exactly?

Checking that you can see transmission fluid on the dipstick, dipstick.


masterofrup

22-Jan-2010
11:21:52 PM

On 22/01/2010 simey wrote:
>On 22/01/2010 Sarah Gara wrote:
>>hmmmm... now supposing I found it what would I be checking it for exactly?
>
>Checking that you can see transmission fluid on the dipstick, dipstick.

and if not
- buying some from a servo
- add until it appears on dipstick
- take for short drive
- check again and repeat if necessary
- maybe if you are lucky problem disappears until fluid leaks out again


Sarah Gara

23-Jan-2010
9:37:40 AM

Hmmm... it might be worthwhile doing that I suppose - likely will save me a small fortune. Thanks for your help. Have a good weekend x


Sarah Gara

1-Feb-2010
1:56:36 PM

Coolant and possibly a new thermostat. -being done tomorrow. Ready for the weekend x


wallwombat

1-Feb-2010
2:28:47 PM

On 1/02/2010 Sarah Gara wrote:
>Coolant and possibly a new thermostat. -being done tomorrow.

Was it overheating?

I'm crap with cars but it sounds weird that needing some coolant and a new thermostat would make your car act the way it was acting.

My van had the same symptoms a couple of years ago and I thought it was either the carbareteur or the transmission. I took it to the mechanic and it turned out that it needed new spark plugs, leads and points.

As I said, I'm crap with cars.

Wendy

1-Feb-2010
5:41:04 PM

I'm no expert on cars either (you'd think with all the training I get on the van, I'd climb like Malcolm) but I would have thought symptoms of no coolant and stuffed thermostat would be overheating eventually to the point of engine blowing up, gasket going, head bending, oil in water or vice versa, been there done that just out of Darwin, wasn't pretty.

But we did miss you at Buffalo and for next time, we do go through Bendigo on the way from here to Buff which I think you might be able to catch PT to from Robinvale. You might need to chuck a sickie or two though to fit in with my 5 day weekend schedule.


masterofrup

2-Feb-2010
8:08:16 AM

if you are sure about original symptoms ie, higher than normal revs at hwy speeds, then I can not see how this could possibly solve your problem.


wallwombat

2-Feb-2010
9:20:51 AM

I'm glad Wendy and masterofup have their suspicions as well. I don't feel quite the same grade of idiot now.

racingtadpole

2-Feb-2010
11:39:52 AM

Depending on the age of the car, the auto trans may have a cooler line running through the bottom tank of the radiator to get rid of the heat from the trans, poor mans heat exchanger. If the thermostat is U/S and the coolant level is low the trans may have trouble cooling and overheat causing slippage. Engine needs to run faster to over come the slippage, causing it to get hotter, trans gets hotter because it has no cooling and so on and so forth until it turns into a Saudi sprinkler.

So what is the van and how old is it?


ajfclark

2-Feb-2010
11:43:12 AM

On 29/08/2009 Sarah Gara wrote:
>1999 model [Toyota Camry wagon] lots of space and the fan blows hot and cold. I think it's quite cute.


wallwombat

2-Feb-2010
12:05:44 PM

On 2/02/2010 racingtadpole wrote:
>Depending on the age of the car, the auto trans may have a cooler line
>running through the bottom tank of the radiator to get rid of the heat
>from the trans, poor mans heat exchanger. If the thermostat is U/S and
>the coolant level is low the trans may have trouble cooling and overheat
>causing slippage. Engine needs to run faster to over come the slippage,
>causing it to get hotter, trans gets hotter because it has no cooling and
>so on and so forth until it turns into a Saudi sprinkler.
>
>So what is the van and how old is it?

I'm the one with the van (Wendy has a van too).

My van is an 1989 Mitsubishi Express. I'm pretty sure I don't have a line running from the radiator to the transmission.

racingtadpole

2-Feb-2010
1:30:19 PM

Sorry, I shouldnt try to speed read and reply in a hurry.
I had a similar problem many moons (and a hell of a lot of beer) ago with a Holden I had with an auto trans. I knew it was time to top up the radiator when the engine started revving a bit harder to maintain road speed. Fill the radiator (which had a tiny leak) and everything was good for a few more weeks.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/MITSUBISHI-EXPRESS-L300-88%2F1996-NEW-RADIATOR-AUTOMATIC_W0QQitemZ350308242425QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20100123?IMSfp=TL100123237001r5185

The two brass fittings at the bottom of the radiator are where the trans cooling lines attach. These get plugged if you have a manual transmission. Between the two there will be a coil of tube to dissipate the heat into the coolant flowing throught the bottom tank.

Havent googled a camry.

Anywho my point was that yes a lack of coolant and dodgy thermostat could cause the symptoms described. Thats one theory. Also possible that the temperature sensor in the coolant wasnt completely immsersed causing the engine management system to make incorrect output decisions based on false readings.


wallwombat

2-Feb-2010
1:41:32 PM

racingtadpole, there is nothing wrong with my van. It goes like a rocket and is very healthy but by the sound of it it does have a line going out of the radiator and going to the transmission.

Strangely, I haven't had to top the radiator up with coolant once, in the four years that I have had it.


Sarah Gara

2-Feb-2010
1:51:27 PM

WWW wrote:
>I'm glad Wendy and masterofup have their suspicions as well. I don't feel quite the same >grade of idiot now.

Ahhh you guys are very astute. It is me that is the idiot!

I was hoping that you wouldn't notice the funny symptoms and mis diagnosis - apparently auto cars have this thing called overdrive..eek? who knew? that accounted for the revs - I'd hit the button by accident. I was also paranoid as I ground out in the car many times in tassie.

As for the car it was overdue for a service and just needed the coolent and what not sorted - the transmission fuel was ok - In the end the main reason I didn't go to buffalo was laziness and non urgency in finding all this out as my friend had some issues that weekend and moved into our house so had to stay and cheer her up anyway -didn't take it in to the garage until the saturday - so I could have bloody gone as far as the car goes.

Fortunately one of my friends figured out the overdrive thing - before I took it in complaining about that - otherwise I would have looked a dipstick!

Thanks Wendy - soon i won't have to meet you in Bendigo - i'll just pop round.

As far as Australia day weekend went had a fantastic time -drinking Cricket, BBQs and normal non climbing stuff. I did do some kayaking along the murray too which was pretty cool . I'm actually amazed at how much I like Robinvale -gonna be sad to leave. x

racingtadpole

2-Feb-2010
2:14:03 PM

On 2/02/2010 wallwombat wrote:
>racingtadpole, there is nothing wrong with my van. It goes like a rocket
>and is very healthy but by the sound of it it does have a line going out
>of the radiator and going to the transmission.
>
>Strangely, I haven't had to top the radiator up with coolant once, in
>the four years that I have had it.

Yup realise that, just a nice picture to demonstrate the point in question. At least you know where to find one should you require one in the near future.

The overdrive button, I have to say thats funny, I havent laughed that hard for a while.......

There are 44 messages in this topic.