D40 torque converter

[Scorch99]

Hi has anyone had any success with changing torque converters In 2007 D40 2.5 diesels ??
My trans vibrates about 90kph at 1800-2000rpm I believe it’s the lockup failing In the torque converter.
fluid has be checked and changed /flushed
Shifting up and down the box seems ok
It’s just seems to be at lockup. ???

 

[ericcs]

can't give you a remedy, but your not alone. i have put up with it for 200k, exactly the same symptoms, and no one really able to give me a fix from here, or other forums. it's manageable with just the car, but with a van behind, it's bloody annoying. hopefully someone else here has got a fix. good luck, and post if you get it fixed!

 

[joe2006]

I thought that I read on here years ago that it was a known issue for some vehicles and at the time the TC was being replaced under warranty?
Obviously warranty won't apply now.

 

[Old.Tony]

If you drive your car gently (very mild acceleration) when does the vibration occur?

I have replaced my entire gearbox with one from a wreck and it tries to lock up at 68-69km/h just like the original gearbox. It makes me think that the programming for these gearboxes will always start the lockup sequence this early.

Lockup of the TCC should be complete by about 95km/h although full throttle will still disengage the TCC up until about 125km/h where I couldn't make the TCC unlock at all.

The vibration is usually the clutch engaging and disengaging. If you back the throttle off completely (like on a mild downhill run) it should engage after a couple of seconds and not present any vibration at all. If this is the case, your TCC is likely worn. There are a couple of options.

1) Get a whole new torque converter installed. This would probably be the best solution. You still have your gearbox, you don't have to worry about the programming of your gearbox changing.

2) Get your TC reconditioned. They'll take it apart, replace the clutch surfaces and reassemble it. The vanes will remain the same unless you want them to make adjustments (your transmission guy will be able to explain this to you - vane adjustment is expensive, though).

3) Get a gearbox from a wreck. You lose your history, you're taking a chance, but the wreck probably didn't become damaged through a gearbox fault. This is the path that I chose after trying 2) and failing because the transmission was connected wrongly to the radiator.

4) Buy a whole new gearbox. We were told this option is "stupidly expensive" and were steered away from it. In hindsight, we ended up paying around $10K for the initial work, the attempted repair, then the purchase, inspection and fitting of a second hand box, so a brand new box was within our reach.

Whatever you choose, get a reputable guy to do the work (and not the mob near Maitland railway station). Make sure they get the coolant hosing correct, because hooking up the gearbox the wrong way will cause you LOTS of grief with transmission oil in the water jacket of the engine and coolant/water in the transmission which will destroy it rapidly.

 

[ericcs]

If you drive your car gently (very mild acceleration) when does the vibration occur?
doesn't happen!

I have replaced my entire gearbox with one from a wreck and it tries to lock up at 68-69km/h just like the original gearbox. It makes me think that the programming for these gearboxes will always start the lockup sequence this early.

Lockup of the TCC should be complete by about 95km/h although full throttle will still disengage the TCC up until about 125km/h where I couldn't make the TCC unlock at all.
this happens as per normal

The vibration is usually the clutch engaging and disengaging. If you back the throttle off completely (like on a mild downhill run) it should engage after a couple of seconds and not present any vibration at all. If this is the case, your TCC is likely worn. (already started at 60k )There are a couple of options.
this happens

1) Get a whole new torque converter installed. This would probably be the best solution. You still have your gearbox, you don't have to worry about the programming of your gearbox changing.

2) Get your TC reconditioned. They'll take it apart, replace the clutch surfaces and reassemble it. The vanes will remain the same unless you want them to make adjustments (your transmission guy will be able to explain this to you - vane adjustment is expensive, though).

3) Get a gearbox from a wreck. You lose your history, you're taking a chance, but the wreck probably didn't become damaged through a gearbox fault. This is the path that I chose after trying 2) and failing because the transmission was connected wrongly to the radiator.

4) Buy a whole new gearbox. We were told this option is "stupidly expensive" and were steered away from it. In hindsight, we ended up paying around $10K for the initial work, the attempted repair, then the purchase, inspection and fitting of a second hand box, so a brand new box was within our reach.

Whatever you choose, get a reputable guy to do the work (and not the mob near Maitland railway station). Make sure they get the coolant hosing correct, because hooking up the gearbox the wrong way will cause you LOTS of grief with transmission oil in the water jacket of the engine and coolant/water in the transmission which will destroy it rapidly.

sorry for hijacking scorch's post, but this may help us both
this started at 60k, and yes, i should have seen to it then, however at the time, no one had really heard of the issue to be able to offer a fix. i just learn't to live with, and drive around the vibration, as the car is mostly unladen, and having over size tyres doesn't help!

 

[gjr]

Check your uni joints. I had a similar problem. Was front drive shaft's universal joints. I excluded the torque converter by getting at speed where vibration occurred and disengaged the lock on the side of the stick. If the vibration is still there it is unlikely to be torque convertor and may be something cheaper to repair. Hope that helps.

 

[ericcs]

Check your uni joints. I had a similar problem. Was front drive shaft's universal joints. I excluded the torque converter by getting at speed where vibration occurred and disengaged the lock on the side of the stick. If the vibration is still there it is unlikely to be torque convertor and may be something cheaper to repair. Hope that helps.

on mine it disappears the moment you either back off, it kicks down or pushing the switch!

 

[Old.Tony]

That's an excellent test though - drive at 90km/h with the overdrive off - it certainly excludes the gearbox!

The uni joints are a possibility, but thankfully they're reasonably inexpensive. Don't delay checking these, if they let go while you're driving it could become quite a costly exercise.

The speed that the vibration occurs is typically the torque converter, but the unis and wheel bearings are also possible culprits - both would usually vibrate at lower speeds as well, and wheel bearings more often reveal themselves whilst cornering as they change sound while the load changes. I guess you could examine that too!