Transmission Destroyed By Python 871xp

There's a 'cultural' difference here that may not be apparent to both parties. The Brits tend to maintain their vehicles very well, or at least the owner's manual for my wife's TR6 suggested as much -- check the radiator and battery water weekly, the engine oil (seemingly) every time you drive, wash and wax whenever soilded, etc. Many Yanks tend to drive their vehicles until they drop. Some maintain them, especially engine oil changes, but many just drive until something breaks.

Relevant to the current thread (re. the transmission condition), the van was obviously maintained very well. I don't have the maintenance records, but I posted an exterior photo to show the general condition and found the next scheduled oil change with the oil specified as Castrol Synthetic. All other indications suggest all scheduled maintenance was performed, including transmission and differential lubricate changes. The transmission AFT had at least 2,300 miles on it from my trip from Phoenix to Buffalo. (And it's very unlikely that the dealer changed it just before the sale; they deal with high-end vehicles much more costly than this van.) Also, there was no sign of bearings or other components 'burning.' Finally, the PCM failed!!!! Now, you can speculate that the gear broke and caused the PCM failure, but the more likely senario is that the PCM failed and caused the eratic shifting among gears.

FYI: I personally don't do ALL of the preventative maintenance on my vehicles; the people that perviously owned this van probably had TOO much money. I have too many charities that could use the money instead.

Flame away . . .

Cheers,

I leave it up to a doctor to check a tranny's fluids.

I check my transmission fluid every day...the bike uses the same oil that lubes the engine for the transmission. Fortunately for me if I don't take my bike out of second gear, I won't damage much.

Gotta go now, the mailman is finally bringing my 2 week correspondence certificate in car wiring! Now all I have left is my night school classes for learning how to tie my own shoes, and I am set.