That is very interesting.  I hope that someone out there can explain
how and why this would happen.

Larry A.

On Sun, Jul 17, 2011 at 10:16 AM, J Stewart <fonman4277@comcast.net> wrote:
> Now, that brings up a question I have. I've now owned my '85 w/auto trans
> for just over a year. Even though the PO gave me a ton of maintenance
> records going back 10 years, nothing about the trans fluid ever being
> changed-tho it could have been done at a Jiffy Lube, who knows. It has been
> my (unpleasant) experience on two used vehicles where trans fluid status was
> unknown that changing the fluid caused total transmission failure with a few
> days. Since my fluid looks OK and the trans is shifting fine, I've decided
> to just leave it alone. � � Jeff
>
> Jeff Stewart
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> Jim,
> �� Change the fluid every two or three years. �You don't get to drain
> it all because of the torque converter, but that's the best you can do
> without expensive flushing procedures. �Check fluid warm, idling, with
> van level. �Do not overfill. �Frequently lubricate the place where the
> throttle cable from the front hooks to the lever on the side of the
> trans. �It's a ball that snaps into a spring loaded socket, a real
> PITA if it rusts solid.
> ��Leaks that can be tracked down visually:
> �� �Bottom pan gasket
> �� �Filler/check tube joint to pan
> �� �O-ring on the governor cover (up on the side of the differential,
> held on with a wire bail)
> �� �Rusted thru governor cover
>
> ��Common and annoying leak: �Seal behind the torque converter. �This
> is the usual suspect if you seem to be getting oil spray on the left
> side of the engine compartment that may be coming out of the openings
> in the bell housing and the torque converter looks oily. To get to
> this seal you separate the engine and transmission. �Don't let the
> torque converter fall off the front shaft prematurely. �Then carefully
> pull the torque converter off the front shaft and you will see the
> seal that it fits into. �What fun!
>
> Larry A.
>
>
>
>
> On Sat, Jul 16, 2011 at 7:36 PM, Jim Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com> wrote:
>> I have a 91 Vanagon GL automatic that my daughter drives. I've done a
>> little
>> work on it over the last year or so and it is in pretty good, reliable
>> shape. The one thing that is giving me some trouble is the automatic
>> transmission. If you can help me with that, read on.
>>
>> I have driven Vanagons for 20 years or more, but I have never had an
>> automatic transmission. I have done about everything you can do to a
>> vanagon, almost, except mess with an automatic transmission and though my
>> wife has had them on her non-vanagon cars, I have never had an automatic
>> Vanagon. I just recently learned how to check the fluid level in them. I
>> know virtually nothing about them. My daughter's car is leaking AT fluid
>> so
>> that it has to be topped up once a month or so.
>>
>> So I have two questions. One, what should I do, in general, to the
>> automatic
>> transmission just to keep it in good shape? What are the preventive
>> maintenance best practices? Two, what should I do specifically about the
>> loss of fluid; what is a "usual suspects" list of things to address?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Jim
>>
>
>