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[johnnydog]

This is my first post on this forum, although I have been an interested reader for sometime! Just wondered if anyone could shed any light on what I think is an auto gearbox fault.
I have owned Omegas for the last 8 years; currently I own two 3.2 Elites, a 2001 saloon, and a 2003 estate.
The estate has developed a problem which I believe is the auto gearbox. The symptons are quite straight forward - when warm, and slowing down at slow speed for a junction / roundabout etc and the gearbox drops down to second gear, as you begin to accelerate, there is a judder / shudder from the transmission for a couple of seconds. It's similar to an electrical misfire, but also similar to clutch judder from a manual gearbox. It drives very well at normal road speeds, changes up the box smoothly, but has this annoying judder / shudder which is only apparant at slow speeds as the box has changed down and I begin to accelerate gently. It isn't as obvious if I accelerate hard at this point. Whether its connected, or just coincidence, but the problem began to show itself following a failed engine ecu, when the vehicle was recovered, and was towed for approx. 5 miles. The tow was by a dolly with the rear wheels on the road, and the speed was kept under 50 mph. The car has only done 57,000 miles. As far as I'm aware, the gearbox oil is the original from new, and I haven't checked its level or condition of the oil at this point. Any suggestions as this is spoiling an otherwise superb car!
     

[feeutfo]

A failed engine ecu..? Unusual. What's the story there? Is the new ecu configured correctly...?

Any engine codes via pedal trick?

Not convinced its a box issue. Could be a number of things. Although ATF change is due about now. If it where mine I'd get it tech2'd for fault codes. If nothing obvious shows up, service the ATF.

Towing under 50 is said to be fine on here.

[feeutfo]

...and welcome btw.

[flyer 0712]

Hi and welcome matey 

[b4ndit]

Hello and welcome

[johnnydog]

Thanks for the welcome!
The problem with the ECU was a result of the car having stood in a garage for two years before I got it. The battery had been taken off, and the elderly owners son had tried to move the car, and had used a battery pack on the leads to start it. The spanner light had come on, and although it would start, it wouldn't rev, so they gave up on the car, and that's how I came to own it! I collected it with a trailer. The fault codes from the pedal trick came up with throttle body position sensor or something similar. I changed the throttle body, but it made no difference. It was then taken on a car transporter to Vauxhall (a technician friend), who diagnosed the ECU had been spiked presumably by the jump starting with no battery on it. I sent the ECU off to ECU Testing in Derby, but they said it was damaged beyond repair. Due to the high cost of new ECU's, the car was towed by rope to a nearby garage for storage until I got an ECU (my friend couldn't get away with storing it at VX all that time). It was towed with the engine ticking over (as it wouldn't rev). For the last couple of miles, my 'assistant' told me he had accidentally put it in 'D' (from habit he said when we were about to pull away from a junction) whilst being towed (the engine was still ticking over). I had got to speeds of 25 mph approx. towing it.  I subsequently replaced the ECU with a known good used one with the same bosch number, and it was then towed the 5 miles on a dolly this time back to the Vauxhall technician friend, who wiped the ECU, and reprogrammed it. It was on the return journey that I noticed this shudder. The technician friend says it was programmed correctly, and there are no warning lights on at all.
Whether it was there previously, I can't say, because I bought the car without driving it, athough it started and would tickover - it just wouldn't rev.
The main query is - would towing have brought on these symptons, especially the time my 'assistant' admitted leaving it in gear on tickover for a couple of miles whilst on a towrope? Is it a symptom that could be as a result of the re-programming? Or could it just simply be its due for an ATF service? Or could it be more serious like the 'bands' slipping () which may mean gearbox removal and strip down?
I'm not averse to taking the box out if it comes to that, but an easy fix is better!!
Sorry for the long winded post, but obviously the more information, the better.....
John

[feeutfo]

I feel guilty now, asking you to type that lot out. But yes, that would makes sense if the ecu was damaged with jump leads. We have seen similar before on here.

It will be interesting to see what one of the tech2 owners here say. But I guess the issue could have been there prior to storage...? Towing in D... Can't see that making any odds personally, it's just like shutting the throttle down a hill. No?

An odd one, but maybe others can give a more definate answer.

[dubiez]

Did you ever find out what the problem was?
My omega has started suffering from the same symptoms when taking off from a standstill.

[voodoocars]

Sounds like torque converter shudder to me. My 5 series does it a bit. Its like clutch judder on a manual. There is a product called 'mr tranny shudder fix' that can stop it. Have a google.

[dubiez]

it looks like a miracle product!
I'll check the oil level in the ' box in case it/s a bit low and try this out.

[JamesV6CDX]

Check for remains of thrust washer in front sump...