Possible trans problem

Ok so my 95 riv has 149000 miles on it and is starting to show her age. Recently, it's been making a noise that starts when I hit about 25 mph and is completely dependent on speed (it gets louder and more high pitched the faster I go). I took it in thinking it was a bad wheel bearing. The mechanic said my bearings were fine and that it was probably my supercharger. Two days later while driving, I hit the gas and the RPM's shot up as if I were in neutral. I coasted to the side of the road and eventully got it to shift into gear and I got it home (only 1/2 mile). Over the next few days I'd try to get it to shift into gear and it would either not shift or shift but slip pretty badly. I let it sit for two weeks and tried it again and now it seems to shift fine, but I've only been driving around my neighborhood. Could this have been somehow related to the supercharger problem or is this something separate. I checked the trans fluid and the level was fine. Do I just need to change the trans fluid perhaps? Thanks for your help.

You can try a fluid/filter change, but it might be too late. Sounds like you have a bigger problem. Go for a fluid/filter change first though.

Your trans is at the right age where it is probably due for a rebuild, unfortunately. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Good luck with the F/F change, hopefully it will hold your rebuild off for a few more months... but start saving now!

If you are not mechanically inclined, your next Riv trip is to a transmission repair shop.

If you are mechanically inclined (but unfamiliar with transmissions), you need to look at the condition of the fluid. If there is any burned smell or if it has started to change color it needs to be changed. You can have a shop replace the fluid with a pump that flushes the torque converter if you want, or just get a gasket and filter for the transmission and drop the pan yourself. You can also upgrade the fluid to Dexron VI. It is not unusual to find a small amount of metal fragments in the pan, but more than a spoonful or so and you are probably looking at a swap or an overhaul.

I noticed that your profile does not say where you live or anything, and I also notices that web marketing people post questions like yours to blogs and editboards for advertising. I am not saying that you are, just that there is no information to suspect you're not.

One hint that you might be a web marketer is the comment about the mechanic. It's not tough to tell if such a noise is coming from your blower. Or maybe you're for real in which case you might consider finding a mechanic more familiar with the GM 3800 engine w/supercharger.

Albertj

No I'm definatly for real. I literally just made this account to ask that question, haven't really had a chance to flesh out my profile. He said that the nose cone of the SC was making the noise. Not sure if he knows what he's talking about though. Any idea why all of a sudden the trans appears to be working fine again? Is this a good sign?

I thought his question was legit. Lots of our members don't make their location visible in their profile.

How many miles on the car?
The noise from the nose cone is probably a worn Coupler. Very common on higher mileage cars.
Relatively inexpensive part
You can buy a kit here:
http://intense-racing.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=IR&Product_Code=INT-CCK&Category_Code=3800_Induction

I don't think it's the coupler. That would make noise at idle and then go away as he increased speed. Probably a misdiagnosis by mechanic, or you might have BOTH a bad coupler and something else making the growling sound.

Does the pitch of the noise change with shifts?

Nope, just changes with speed. It almost sound like a giant fan in the engine compartment that the faster I go the blade of the "fan" spins faster and faster. I hope that helps. Really, I just want to be sure that the SC is bad before I order a new one. I am taking it in to have it looked at but I want to be an informed consumer so I don't get screwed by the mechanic.

You most likely don't need a new SC. They rarely fail. Any noises from the SC will be a worn coupler and possibly a bad bearing in the nose cone only if the fluid level was allowed to drop due to a leak. Can you see fluid around the end of the nose cone indicating a seal leaking? Check the level of the fluid in SC also, very simple to do.
Those kind of issues can be fixed by just pulling the nose cone and repairing / replacing only the bad items. Not rebuilding the whole Sc

Justin95riv wrote:

Nope, just changes with speed. It almost sound like a giant fan in the engine compartment that the faster I go the blade of the "fan" spins faster and faster. I hope that helps. Really, I just want to be sure that the SC is bad before I order a new one. I am taking it in to have it looked at but I want to be an informed consumer so I don't get screwed by the mechanic.

If it's strictly vehicle speed related, you likely have a bad wheel bearing.

The SC does not appear to be leaking at all. As far as the wheel bearings are concerned, that was exactly my first thought and everything I've read online seems to concur, but I took it to the shop and the guy said my bearings are fine.

OK I apologize.

Albertj

Justin95riv wrote:

Ok so my 95 riv has 149000 miles on it and is starting to show her age. Recently, it's been making a noise that starts when I hit about 25 mph and is completely dependent on speed (it gets louder and more high pitched the faster I go). I took it in thinking it was a bad wheel bearing. The mechanic said my bearings were fine and that it was probably my supercharger. Two days later while driving, I hit the gas and the RPM's shot up as if I were in neutral. I coasted to the side of the road and eventully got it to shift into gear and I got it home (only 1/2 mile). Over the next few days I'd try to get it to shift into gear and it would either not shift or shift but slip pretty badly. I let it sit for two weeks and tried it again and now it seems to shift fine, but I've only been driving around my neighborhood. Could this have been somehow related to the supercharger problem or is this something separate. I checked the trans fluid and the level was fine. Do I just need to change the trans fluid perhaps? Thanks for your help.

If you r noise is dependent on speed alone, it's in the drive train. Suggest you consider crawling under the car and looking for damaged CV joints; also when both front wheels are off the ground put car in Neutral and turn the front wheels, listen for any scraping or clicking. You may have to take the wheels off so you can see if it's brakes (maybe a hung caliper that's dragging - telltale sign is in one caliper, one brake pad is much more worn than the other) or something else. When the wheels are off, again car in neutral, snug up 2 or 3 of the lug nuts back on the rotor (with the wheel off) then grab the brake disc and turn it and push/pull it to check for play in the hub. As far as the transmission goes, look at and smell the fluid. A brownish color and/or burned smell are trouble signs - figure this out by buying a bottle of Dexron IV (the factory fill) or Dexron VI (the new stuff) and compare the color/smell of what is in the bottle to what comes out on your dipstick. If there's an issue it'll be pretty obvious.

If your noise is dependent on *engine* speed, not ground speed, then it's time to look at the SC, the alternator, the idler pullies, and water pump. Telltale for waterpump is coolant coming out the weep hole (under its hub). Use a wrench to loosen tensioner, then turn all the pullies by hand and see which ones make noise.


Hope this helps

Albertj

Thanks for all the info guys, I appreciate it.

Justin95riv wrote:

Thanks for all the info guys, I appreciate it.

...what are you going to do?

keep us posted.

Albertj

I'll let you know. It's at the shop right now. He said around lunchtime tomorrow he should have some answers for me. If the trans is shot i don't think I can afford to fix it. I'll keep you posted.

If the trans is shot you maybe should ask KillaKeninaRiv where to get one cheap in the Detroit area.

Albertj

Well the verdict is in, and the trans is shot, as well as the supercharger. I really can't afford both of these fixes so it seems my riv is destined for the scrap yard. =(

You can probably pick up a used trans for not too much, also i'd be curious how the supercharger is "shot". Usually it's just a noisy coupler, most mechanics just want to replace the whole thing for want of a $12 part.

I'll look into it some more but all the transmissions I've seen (used or rebuilt) have been at least $1100. As far as the SC, maybe a more qualified tech might be able to find out exactly what wrong with it and fix it for cheaper.

is there some correlation between the tranny and the SC..as soon as my trans went...my coupler started makin noise.

The coupler part is really not a big problem, apart from the noise. If its leaking fluid though, thats another story.

Balls about the transmission though....

Macomb, MI, thats near'ish Sarnia right?
about 4 hours from barrie, ontario, canada?

I believe so...I want to say macomb is about 45 mins from sarnia.

if you can work something out to fix the tranny, and the SC problem is indeed just the coupler, if you were interested, I could meet you half way and help to do the coupler. (you would have to get the tranny issue out of the way first, but if you're interested, the offer is out there.)

The offer is very much appreciated, but I'm not sure if I can come up with the money to fix the trans. These things always seem to happen at the worst possible time, and right now I just don't have the money. Thanks again for the offer, though.