HELP: Transmission Problem? Options

[kyleung0309]

Dear all,

I'm a newbie from the UK .... My knowledge on cars is limited too! And I have seem to have a niggly problem with my JDM 94 Celica GT Manual 3S-GE, 52000 miles on the clock, last service christmas.

For example, I wanna overtake a slow car in front. During hard acceleration (esp in higher gears) the transmission OCCASIONALLY seem to lose grip/slip and I lose power to accelerate!! My rev increases during initial acceleration (obviously!) then if i keep pushing it (cos i wanna go faster in the same gear) ... the pin on the rev-meter DROPS and u can hear a slight 'neutral-revving' sound....... <sorry my english is not great!>

Any ideas what it could be? I tried to get my frd to video it for me a few times but every time i tried it my car was fine!! ironic!!

Clutch seems fine, somebody did a quick check for me. He was doubting the spark plugs they put in, whether they used platinum ones during my service or not cos it was with the garage it bought it from and they did it for 99 pounds, but we didnt have time to take them out, I'm not good with cars but i guess i can try if anybody suspects them.

Thanks in advance!!

Kwan

[bindertch]

Well if when you step on the gas and it just revs up even though you have it in gear but your speed doesn't increase then it is your clutch. If you don't have any noises or grinding sounds coming from the transmission(gearbox) then I wouldn't suspect that. How well does it take off from a stop? If it is slow and it revs up real high then you need a new clutch.

[kyleung0309]

Well if when you step on the gas and it just revs up even though you have it in gear but your speed doesn't increase then it is your clutch. If you don't have any noises or grinding sounds coming from the transmission(gearbox) then I wouldn't suspect that. How well does it take off from a stop? If it is slow and it revs up real high then you need a new clutch.

Thanks for the reply, this is what happens:

I have it in gear already, car is in motion, i step on the gas.... it revs up and there is power/acceleration initially, then when it gets to roughly 4-5kRPM it revs DOWN a little about 200RPM?, i feel a slip in power (as if neutral)... that's the strange thing....

from start it seems fine.... definitely not high rev and i can pull off quickly, but seems not as quick as before but could be psychological.... clutch wear as opposed to total failure?

I will try to video this, it is quite unusual

Kwan

[Kwanza26]

You're from the UK and your english isn't great? Oh the irony... just joking. ;P

Umm... sounds like your clutch is slipping to me. When the tranny goes bad... typically it's hard to shift or impossible to shift. If it merely slips... I think the clutch is worn.

[kyleung0309]

You're from the UK and your english isn't great? Oh the irony... just joking. ;P

Umm... sounds like your clutch is slipping to me. When the tranny goes bad... typically it's hard to shift or impossible to shift. If it merely slips... I think the clutch is worn.

Haha i'm actually chinese that's why!

Well back to the car thing.... I'm just thinking if it's the clutch wearing out and slipping, then why the rev goes DOWN instead of up? if it slips from the transmission sure it is similar to spinning disengaged (neutral), you should get a RISE in RPM if it slips (but no power) ... instead this is DOWN slightly on RPM, and no power?

I'm gonna try to film it a little bit later, hopefully it does that thing.... strange for me to hope for that!!

[Negative]

It won't just because you are trying to get it on film for diagnostic reasons. My old 3S-GTE 4th Gen would have all these weird problems and I would take them to my mechanic to get them fixed and they would clear up everytime. Then, just to spite me, on the way home the problems would come back. Man that car was a PITA.

[kyleung0309]

done it.... filmed it so u guys can take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEartrkq4Uw

1st, 2nd, 3rd gears - notice on the 3rd it 'slips'.... but i didnt take my foot off the pedal... also no wheelspin heard

[kyleung0309]

took it to a garage today actually, that guy said it could be ignition coil getting 'weak' and thats why when it gets to high RPM the car isnt getting any more power.

Not sure if i explained it properly, any logic behind what he said?

[alltracman78]

You're from the UK and your english isn't great? Oh the irony... just joking. ;P

BUAHAHAHAHA
I was thinking the same thing.

A slipping clutch will raise the RPMS, not lower them.

Weak coil makes sense. It sounds almost like a misfire. Which is what a weak coil will do at higher RPMs.
Try using NGK BKR5ES plugs.
They are V power coppers.
Did the service include a new cap/rotor?
If so hopefully Toyota. Some of the ignition problems we see are caused by non Toyota parts.

[kyleung0309]

is changing the ignition coil a big job? i'm gonna take it to another garage cos the one i went to is really busy, but they seem honest.

Just trying to get feel for the price that's all.

any idea of cost of part / labour hours?

Cheers!