transmission problem (clatter sound...)

[RafRaf]

I'm moving my MAC thread here to get more inputs...

Background:
GSL Diesel 2004 (prior the latest Adventure upgrade) - so Seth is a little over a year only (or 25000Km old). Regular PMS.

Problem:
Clatter/rattle sound on cold start from the transmission. The sound goes away temporarily when I step on the clutch. The sound goes away after some time or when I step on the clutch a couple of times or if I move the stick a bit in nuetral. The sound is not present when gear is engaged and moving.

Update:
1. I saw sign of re-occurence of leak at my transimissions rear part (casa supposedly had replaced gasket during 25K PMS). Pictures attached.
2. I noticed it is louder when on an incline.

[BlueBimmer]

maybe changing gear oil would help..

[RafRaf]

Update:

For a few nights now, I placed a piece of paper under the transmission. In the morning, I check for any drops of oil. Wala naman so far. Pati yung nakita ko na droplet of oil wala na rin dun. Not so sure right now kung saan meron leak.

With regard to the clatter sound of my transmission, its always there on cold start and when I start without depressing the clutch. I depress my clutch now when I start. I shift to gear and get going. On the move, there is no clatter sound. How do I know? I tried listening with my driver door open on one of the clear streets (uninhabited yet) in our subdivision. After a trip, if I shift to nuetral and run on idle, the sound isnt there also. If I turn it off and start again agad, wala naman. Talagang on cold start lang siya.

Tuloy pa rin ang aking pag-observe until I get the time to bring it to the casa.

[RafRaf]

by the way, how do I check if i have enough gear oil? meron ba indicator or guage somewhere?

[nicolodeon]

- RafRaf -

Walang indicator yan. You have to do it the hard way. Here's what you can do to check (if you want it DIY):

1. Park the car on level ground and shut off your engine.
2. Jack up both ends and keep he vehicle raised using jack stands. Make sure that the front and back are level, as well as both sides.
3. Locate the bolt on your differential that is facing the back of your vehicle. Remove the bolt.
4. Now to check. Rule of thumb is the correct level of gear oil must be level to the bolt hole. So, when you remove the bolt, some amount of oil should drip out. If nothing dribbles out, check it with your finger. Just make sure your finger is free of dirt or soil.

If you don't have jack stands, better bring it to a service station that has pneumatic/hydraulic lifters.

As for the rattling sound, you might have a powertrain problem. Some Mitsu transmission models have this problem. Have it checked out.

[RafRaf]

Sharing alf's comments from Yahoo MAC:

For diesels, the small reservoir behind your battery and fuel filter
is your clutch master. To this you only put in brake fluid, when
needed and nothing else. This should be beside and to the right of
your brake servo and brake master.

If you're no longer seeing leaks underneath it's a good sign. For
transmission oil levels, and do not mix this up with transmission
fluid or ATF for automatic engines's transmission and the the pwoer
steering, it's right at the transmission underneath.

The way to check this is only when you remove the plug there. I would
suggest that next time when you have your oil changed at a service
station, pa-check mo sa mechanic ung transmission and rear axle oils
mo, sabay na ng "greasing". Idadamay na nila sa trabaho yan, kasi
naka-lifter na ung car mo. The only extra cost is the gear oils kung
meron man siyang dinagdag. The oils used here are generic na halos,
no specific brands, etc.

If you read most car books, they will teach you to depress the clutch
pedal when cranking the engine with the parking brake on for manual's
and for automatic's - depressing the brake pedal when cranking the
engine, with the transmmission in park and the parking brake on. This
they say is the proper way to start your engine, which most of us
tend to overlook.

Your clutch may have a faulty, but not yet totally defective, release
bearing at this stage, (it's just noisy) which can be common with a
lot of diesels, like older model isuzu's and even nissan's. A check
at the casa would surely help. This type of problem has been left
unattended, for years even, by a lot people i know, simply because of
the cost involved if you take down the clutch just to eliminate the
noise. Since once the clutch is taken down, the idea is "might as
well change the clutch disc as well". Isang trabaho lang, but it runs
the cost up for parts.

I-pasyal mo ang ride mo sa casa is a good idea. But if you do have an
oil change scheduled earlier, pwede mo pa-silip sa mechanic na rin
habang naka-lift ka na.

If the low pitch sound is a separate issue, then it is most likely a
crack in the welded joint of your resonator, that's your pre-muffler,
the one between you engine's exhaust manifold and the large muffler
at the rear. If not, then tightening the flanges at the exhaust
manifold could take away the noise. In either case, a muffler shop
like CPM, Mufflerland, etc., can fix that. You might want to
seriously consider adding a stainless steel flexible link or flexi-
pipe as suggested by Noriel and the other guys, I already have mine.

Because you're a diesel, the engine vibration alone is severe enough
to actually cause loosening of the spring loaded flanges or cracks in
the welds of your resonator. Much quicker that gasoline engines.
These things happen between your engine's exhaust manifold and your
resonator.

One comment by some is that the resonator put into the Adventure is
actually the culprit because of the added weight, ergo stress it adds
to the whole exhaust system. A friend of mine suggested to take the
resonator out all together and replaced this with a section of pipe
instead. You might get a little more exhaust noise, but you would've
eliminated a carbon soot trap which the resonator acts as. The
premise here is that the exhaust system of an L300 on which the 4D56
is standard does not have a resonator. That's why they smoke less
than Adventure diesels on the highway after spewing out the soot on
the initial buildup to speed.

Hope these help.

Alf.

[RafRaf]

Brought my Adventure to...

Las Pinas Citimotors: sabi ng advisor "normal lang yan, diesel kasi sasakyan mo."

Jabez Mitsubishi (Cavite): sabi ng advisor, baka yung spring sa transmission. normal wear and tear. if it gets louder bring it back and ibababa daw yung transmission and do the repair. titingnan pa kung pasok sa warranty kasi normal wear and tear daw.

Petron Service Bay: checked the transmission oil and gear oil... oil level is good (or full).

[Bogeyman]

If you read most car books, they will teach you to depress the clutch pedal when cranking the engine with the parking brake on for manual's and for automatic's - depressing the brake pedal when cranking the engine, with the transmission in park and the parking brake on. This they say is the proper way to start your engine, which most of us tend to overlook.

I always do this, even if I'm aware that my transmission is in neutral. For safety purposes lang.

At least tama pala yung itinuro sa akin sa driving school.

[likot]

I always do this, even if I'm aware that my transmission is in neutral. For safety purposes lang.

At least tama pala yung itinuro sa akin sa driving school.

You mean kapag magstart ka ng engine naka tapak ka sa clucth and break chaka ka mag start?? yung sakin rin kapag cold start parang pumapalag rin ang engine when naka idle ka then kpag nag clutch ka nagiging smooth na ang andar ng engine pero kapag umandar kana at mainit na makina wala na rin ang palag i think this is normal for diesel engine natin...

[arvic]

hay! buti nlng may kapareho ako ng problema.. ganyan din skin pag cold start ang ingay... pero pag uminit na ok n sya.

Sir Raf, pag madevelopment na sa trans nyo post nyo po dito. TNX!!