Mike, thanks for the advice.

I had thought I read in the Haynes Manual to check it 5 min. after the
engine was warm.  I guess I read that wrong. That would surely explain the
burping of the excess fluid.

Thanks again, 
Rob

on 7/20/06 10:54 PM, Mike Collum at collum@VERIZON.NET wrote:

> Proper checking is done on a level plane, while hot, engine running, and
> with the shifter in park or neutral.
> 
> If you were seeing what looked like the proper level on the dipstick
> with the engine off, I'd say your first problem was the transmission was
> grossly overfilled.
> 
> I don't know how to advise you at this point.  Maybe someone with
> "Experience" with this particular problem will chime in.  (Experience is
> what we get when we were expecting something else).
> 
> Mike
> 
> 
> robertmstewart wrote:
>> I checked in Park with engine off. 5-10 min after running.
>> 
>> 
>> on 7/20/06 10:31 PM, Mike Collum at collum@VERIZON.NET wrote:
>> 
>> 
>>> Were you checking the ATF level with the engine running and while in
>>> park or neutral?
>>> 
>>> Mike
>>> 
>>> 
>>> robertmstewart wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Hello everyone,
>>>> 
>>>> I have a question for you, my 88 Auto with a used good condition Tranny all
>>>> of a sudden today started to fail and I am at a loss and need your
>>>> feedback...
>>>> 
>>>> (The short version is this: ATF burping and how does a perfectly working AT
>>>> go to a non-functioning AT?)
>>>> 
>>>> Here�s the background:
>>>> 
>>>> The van�s past owner before the person I purchased it from was a VW
>>>> Mechanic
>>>> and the prior owner and he installed another auto trans from another good
>>>> working van�s tranny several years ago.
>>>> 
>>>> I have had the van since January 06. Since then the transmission has been
>>>> shifting normally, and for the last month I have been traveling 3-4 hour
>>>> trips from Long Island to Upstate NY and doing some serious highway driving
>>>> and mountain driving. Usually I put in at least 8 hours of solid driving
>>>> per
>>>> weekend for 4 weekends. All in all the van has performed great..
>>>> 
>>>> Here�s where the story starts.. Just before my first long trip (4 weeks
>>>> ago)
>>>> I check all fluids, stupidly I did it when the van was cold, and in doing
>>>> so
>>>> thought the ATF was low so I added just a little bit to what was in there,
>>>> now after about 3hrs of driving, I pull into the driveway at my destination
>>>> and park the van, well I see ATF fluid burping out of the Dip Stick tube!
>>>> Not much just a little 1/4 cup. I figure it�s just the overflow kicking
>>>> out.
>>>> I check it in 10 minutes and the level is fine.
>>>> 
>>>> Well 4 weeks pass and I drive it pretty hard to and from the LI to Upstate
>>>> NY, 8 hrs per weekend (3x) all is good. Today I start the van up and drive
>>>> 1
>>>> mile away from the house in Long Island to the grocery, on the way I can
>>>> see
>>>> smoke from the back of the van, it smells like the ATF burping and leaking
>>>> onto the exhaust. I park at the grocery and see it burping out, about 1/4 �
>>>> 1/2 cup.  I do some shopping come back 15 min. later, and drive the 1 mile
>>>> home, all seems fine. No smoke. After it cools down a bit I check the ATF
>>>> fluid and it appears a bit low, so I top it off with Dexron III and
>>>> accidentally over fill it but not by much.
>>>> 
>>>> About 4 hours later I get in the van and drive back the same direction
>>>> about
>>>> 1 mile to go to the post office and immediately I can detect something is
>>>> not right.
>>>> At the stop light with the brake on I can see the rpm�s go from about 875
>>>> and revs to about 1,000, then levels off again, normally at idle it stays
>>>> right at 875. I thought the surging was strange. I then continue to drive
>>>> and again I see the smoke occurring again from the back of the van, smells
>>>> again like ATF on the exhaust, now I decide to head right to me local
>>>> standard mechanic not my VW guy cause he was closed.
>>>> 
>>>> The local guy tells me the burping is normal if there is to much ATF in the
>>>> case. So he checks the fluid and he says the level is good. He tells me to
>>>> bring it by in the morning as I wanted them to check the brakes since I
>>>> just
>>>> had all the brakes replaced (the original ones were too rusty). I then
>>>> decide to take a little drive just a mile down the road along beach to let
>>>> the fluid cycle through and burn off the stuff was sitting on the exhaust
>>>> and I thought that maybe taking it up to highway speed would be good, to
>>>> get
>>>> the fluid really circulating. Bad idea...
>>>> 
>>>> As I drive this simple little straight route I notice the transmission is
>>>> not engaging right, when I take my foot off the brake it usually goes
>>>> forward on its own, this time nothing.. I have to gas it. Then it gets
>>>> progressively worse. It goes into 1st, then second, then it rev�s and then
>>>> goes to 3rd, and then I thought, oh crap! I have problems. Time to get it
>>>> back to the mechanic!
>>>> 
>>>> Well To late, I turn it around to go back the mile I came and now at the
>>>> stop light I give it gas and it goes now where!
>>>> 
>>>> I am stuck during rush hour and everyone is honking, my flasher are on, but
>>>> people don�t pay attention. I signal for them to go around me. People are
>>>> screaming, others understand..
>>>> 
>>>> I call the mechanic and see if they can come by and push me the 4 blocks to
>>>> the garage, he says he can�t.  I then call AAA to haul my van back, but
>>>> right after I decide to start the van and try... Well it starts to move,
>>>> each time I stop it�s a crap shoot to whether it will move. It never gets
>>>> past 1st gear. I have to literally move my body a little forward to try and
>>>> coax the van to get in gear and move, but somehow I get to the garage.
>>>> While
>>>> the engine is still hot I check the ATF level, I see a hair on the end, but
>>>> it was pretty try.
>>>> 
>>>> So what is going on with all the burping and how does a perfectly working
>>>> AT
>>>> go to a non-functioning AT?  The mechanic suspected that the AT is
>>>> overheating.. What does this mean? I just hope this does turn into a
>>>> massive
>>>> money pit now.....
>>>> 
>>>> I hope someone here can shed some light on the burping issue, and why all
>>>> of
>>>> a sudden the transmission would not engage...
>>>> 
>>>> Thanks in advance,
>>>> Robert
>>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>