Alto Lapin sluggish movement

[jcover_ja]

I just got a 2004 alto lapin for dirt cheap with only 65000 Km on it and a K6a engine. Sine I got the car cheap it dose have some problems.

1. Transmission oil looked burnt in the AT
2. Signs of sludge deposit in engine
3. Car feel under powered.

When I first got the car it had problems going up a gentle slope. I change the AT oil and it seem to fix it but the car still find it challenging to go up a 3% grade hill.

I changed the oil in the engine but I will do a full oil system flush with a string solvent to try and remove the mild sludge build up but I don't think that could be reducing the engine power that much.

I can't seem to find any mechanical problems with the engine, she idle smoothly and revs up well. The last Place I need to check is the catalyst to see if it foiled but I doubt it will be.


what is really weird is when I place the car in revers it very responsive when it moves off but once in D, 2 or L it becomes very sluggish.

What I'm thinking is that maybe the AT is not going to 1st or is trying to engage more that one forward gear at the same due to a defective seal or misplace ball check valve.

I also don't feel the AT slipping because the engine don't race away at all.

How complicated is the AT and dose any one have a workshop manual for a 4 speed AT

[Husky]

Check your engines health, compression check cylinders and timing

[jcover_ja]

I got good compression. the ignition system is electronic but I haven't checked valve time because it the k6a uses a timing chain and its a huge effort to get to.

but this would not explain why i get a better move off in revers rather than 1st gear. I checked the ratio on the web and 1st gear should be stronger than reverse. therefore if it was an engine problem i would be even worst trying to move off in revers.

1st Gear 2.914
2nd Gear 1.525
3rd Gear 1.000
4th Gear 0.725
Reverse 2.642

[Husky]

fair call, I figured it might be the ratios made reverse feel more powerful, like you said. I guess your looking at a gearbox issues, torque converter maybe?

[Brayden]

I'd look at a new torque converter and potentially a gearbox overhaul. Unfortunately I doubt anyone here would have a workshop manual for a 4AT transmission as they were never sold in Australia.

[rf4burns]

HHMMMM a stall test would be helpful (if you can get a manual for the tranney) and how does it perform if the 1st gear (L) is selected manually by comparasion to D by the way I've had a few so the manual is what would be most helpful but the result of a stall test may help you if you have the savy :!:to decide if it's the torque converter or tranny/engine.

[jcover_ja]

Well this weekend I'm going to remove the engine and AT from the car so that I can do a full inspection of the engine timing chain, remove the sludge, try clean the hydraulic lifter and also open up the AT.

I really hate working with out the manual but this just now means I'm going to have to be extra careful and take tons of pic at each step.

[jcover_ja]

to Day the day that I begin the work on the engine and AT but yesterday I found out something that seem to be very weird.

To turn on and off the overdrive I have to double click the button.

There is some wrong with that AT.

[jcover_ja]

I finally found the problem. It was actually a damaged wire to two of the shift solenoid for the AT. The wires were damaged and created so much resistance that the voltage to solenoids wasn't high enough to fully activate it but since it was still connected the engine diagnostics didn't pick it up.

What directed me to the problem was when the Over drive light started flashing which meant that there was a problem in the AT. I had to pay $35 just for some guy to plug a diagnostic unit to tell me what was wrong.

Once I repaired that the AT started shifting down into 1st.


I can now drive over a speed bump

[jcover_ja]

Its like this car dose not want to stay fixed because after sorting out the AT the injectors when bad and then after replacing them with vitara injectors I now noticed that the AT is slipping badly in 1st and second.

I think the reason why I'm just noticing the slip is due to the fact that the old injectors was robbing the engine of power and now with the new one the engine is building more torque hence the slipping.

Well....you get what you buy....

There is one thing I'm not sure is the AT fluid level if I read is correctly. I'm going to drive the car again at a good speed to really warm it up and check the level. I think it might have too much fluid in it. Right now it has a gallon.

[johnzoku]

just out of curiosity, what country are you in?

[mowog]

A gallon seems a lot. I think you have to check fluid level with oil hot and engine running.