Glasgow Gold

The C32 has been pretty expensive of late. 118k miles. A repair file 5 times thicker than the Honda Pilot at 160k miles!

Tonight's problem:

The transmission would not go into manual mode. Felt like it was stuck in third.

Then, later, it completely lost power while going up a hill at 25 mph. I could rev the engine but it wouldn't engage the wheels. Then same thing while doing 65 on the highway. Thankfully nobody behind me in either case as I rolled backwards / slowed way down on the highway.

Finally, heading toward home on surface streets, it lunged and stuttered to get moving, like it was having trouble finding first gear.

Needless to say, no more driving until it gets a check up.

The car just had a full transmission service. Is it possible they screwed something up during this service, e.g., forgot to actually refill with tranny fluid?!

macbryanie

Try under the carpet of the passenger foot well as there is the TCU: pull it up and check if tranny fuild has run up the wires to the TCU also check the Oring where the conductor plate is - as it leaks. Even if its new (oring) it could be faulty. Or the conductor plate could be going south?

Glasgow Gold

Thanks for this feedback. Any other ideas guys?

fleishman

Have you checked fluid level? Any codes? Reset ecu?

macbryanie

I had fluid on the TCU wires and replaced the conductor plate and oring however still had slip shift and stuck in gear issues, bought a new shifter from the US (of course it was the wrong one as designed for US version),bought one here (secondhand)for double the US price and tranny is perfect. If it turns out to be the shifter I have a new one that is simply a glorified ornament in my inndys workshop, pm me if you end up needing it etc.

macbryanie

Shifter goes if you spill liquid on it.
Coffee and clumsy fingers were the cause of my woes ultimately.

fleishman

Yes that happened when i left the sunroof open on my e class, quick action with a hair dryer saved the board

ghiaguy

jesus, that is scary! Now, to get my girlfriend to use to a sippy cup - we have already had a couple close calls

Glasgow Gold

Thanks fellas for all the suggestions. This car has been babied. No liquid spills on the tranny, no drag racing, no track time. It hasn't been enough to avoid a long litany of problems, many similar to what others have experienced with their C32s.

She's back in the shop (where she practically lives these days). I will report back with the diagnosis and fix for your information and entertainment.

But, alas, perhaps this is the permanent fix I need to consider. I always liked this body style and the Type S performance characteristics are supposedly not a big step down from C32. Need to test drive through and see how weird the powerful engine/front wheel drive combo feels...

Glasgow Gold

So, here is the scoop:

Diagnosis: "Software problem."

Fix: "We reset the transmission, including adaptive mapping, and the problem was fixed."

Charge: $0

My reaction: ???? Doesn't make any sense to me. More proof that these cars, the mechanics who work on them and those of us who put up with all the problems are all cuckoo for cocoa puffs!

splinter

Hey GG,
Pleased to hear of a $0 repair. Finally, huh? crazy...

*off topic*

I was thinking about you the other day while watching women’s tennis.
Not sure the connection but my mind remains mysterious despite receiving professional help.
And splinter Jr. earned a spot on his college’s tennis team!

Glasgow Gold

Splinter! How you doin' man?! Ha, yes, I'm still pursuing my "art." Here's one of the shots I got of Yanina's "backhand form" at Stanford last month.

Wait, your boy is a tennis player? That's really fantastic. For some reason I thought you had a lacrosse star on your hands there. Not easy to make a college team these days, so kudos Dad! I would come down there for a hit and beer if my transportation was more reliable!

splinter

^ You, too, have refined your technique…excellent work my good man!
Of course you’ve an open invitation for refreshing beverages and a relaxing BBQ on the patio whenever you’re next in Newport Beach.

PM your Facebook info so I can stalk you there as well. :D ¡Hasta luego!

pointman

I'd be scared of the trans being under filled.. and them covering their tracks. Cause an under filled trans has those exact symptoms.

Glasgow Gold

Thanks, this makes the most sense. They even acknowledged that the transmission was a "less than a quart" low (even though they just did the transmission service). Repair shop said that amount shouldn't make a difference. But I see no sign of leaks, so it sort of smells like their mistake to me.

Whether any "permanent" damage was done is an open question. Not sure how relevant that question is since there are so many other quirks in these cars that can kill them at any point in time!