Transmission flush - won't move now

Hello,

I'm here to pick your brains please. I just drained the transmission and the torque converter. Put everything back in with a new filter and gasket. I filled about 5.5 quarts in and it overspilled a bit so I started the engine to start filling the torques converter. At that point, the trans shifted in all gears P,N,D but the van did not move. I added about 1/2 quart more while the engine was running and I think it spilled again (but it was pretty dark outside.) Stopped the engine, try to put a bit more in but it is still spilling (in the front of the engine, dripping along the oil pan).
So it seems like it's full but the van won't move at all. I suspect the converter is not filling. I tried to do the trans reset by holding the pedal for 15 seconds, didn't do anything. I started again, shifted all gears, gave a bit of gas. Nothing.
So I couldn't find any specific procedure to fill the trans it seems like all you guys drain it and refill and go..

I serviced my trans before but didn't drain the TC.

Interestingly with the engine running I hear a faint tick that seems to be coming from the trans/TC. In neutral while idling I hear the noise going about 60rpm. In gear, it slows way down.

I don't really know what else to do. The van is not exactly level, the front wheels are slightly lower but not much. Maybe a bad new filter that won't allow the fluid to circulate? What else? Anyone ever experienced something similar?

Thank you for any ideas.
2007 Sprinter 2500 - 200k miles. Trans was fine before attempted service. Valvoline Maxlife.

JT

Get the correct dipstick and check the trans level. I suspect you will find the level is low.

I have a dipstick, the level seems correct. Would it still overflow if the level was low?

If the level is low, would you suggest filling with the engine on or off?

Thanks
JT

overflow from the vent port (pretty high up on the trans?) should take a lot of fluid.

If you are sure it isn't low, I would drain the pan (collect the fluid for re-use). Refill the pan until it hits the high mark on the dipstick.

Start the engine and let it idle, add fluid as needed until the level stabilizes at normal.

Put it into drive and see what happens.


Overfilling the NAG1 can cause it to foam the oil, causing all kinds of problems. Including oil coming out the vent port.


Since the entire trans was drained, you want to pre-fill it with the engine off at first, just to make sure it has every opportunity to prime the pump. It can take a minute or two for the TC to bleed off most of its air.

Did you change/disturb the electrical connector body? If yes, try properly re-seating the plug.

vic

I have not flushed my Sprinter transmission yet but my experience fiddling to get the levels right after draining other transmissions has lead to me ALWAYS accurately measure how much I drain out. This gives me a good initial point to fill to. Usually it's right on and any level adjustments are very tiny. This of course won't work if the transmission is overfilled to begin with or you lose some out the vent/spillage.

Well well well.... "problem" was solved (but not the cause!). Turns out I'm just an idiot and poured 8 quarts of ATF in the engine. Yes I did :/ . I have a pseudo excuse but mainly I didn't think about what I was doing. I bought the trans oil online and saw the kit with the RED dipstick. I knew I had bought a dipstick 1.5 year ago so I just purchased the fluid this time. Drained the trans and converter and refilled from the RED dipstick in the engine bay. I forgot that my trans dipstick doesn't stay in place while driving and the trans fill tube is a bit lower in the corner hidden. I thought I was filling the trans. Didn't even think it could be the engine dipstick (to me it usually is yellow for some reason). Anyway my fake excuse is pretty dumb.
Drained the motor, refilled the trans (maxlife this time) and motor (random oil same viscosity). I had to drive 800 miles right away. Last week I changed the oil again for the ESP mobil one.
The funniest part about the story... while I was looking everywhere online why my van wasn't moving anymore I read the story of this guy filling his front diff instead of his trans in his Subaru and I thought to myself "what a noob, he's an idiot" how can you do that? Ahahaha! Instant Karma. Live and learn!
Well I am pretty sure sure I won't make that mistake again.

Thank you all for your support,time and suggestions.

jtolittle said:

Well well well.... "problem" was solved (but not the cause!). Turns out I'm just an idiot and poured 8 quarts of ATF in the engine. Yes I did :/ . I have a pseudo excuse but mainly I didn't think about what I was doing. I bought the trans oil online and saw the kit with the RED dipstick. I knew I had bought a dipstick 1.5 year ago so I just purchased the fluid this time. Drained the trans and converter and refilled from the RED dipstick in the engine bay. I forgot that my trans dipstick doesn't stay in place while driving and the trans fill tube is a bit lower in the corner hidden. I thought I was filling the trans. Didn't even think it could be the engine dipstick (to me it usually is yellow for some reason). Anyway my fake excuse is pretty dumb.
Drained the motor, refilled the trans (maxlife this time) and motor (random oil same viscosity). I had to drive 800 miles right away. Last week I changed the oil again for the ESP mobil one.
The funniest part about the story... while I was looking everywhere online why my van wasn't moving anymore I read the story of this guy filling his front diff instead of his trans in his Subaru and I thought to myself "what a noob, he's an idiot" how can you do that? Ahahaha! Instant Karma. Live and learn!
Well I am pretty sure sure I won't make that mistake again.

Thank you all for your support,time and suggestions.

Click to expand...

It takes a good person to fess-up to their mistakes. Yes, a mistake, I'm confident, you are not likely to repeat.

jtolittle said:

Well well well.... "problem" was solved (but not the cause!). Turns out I'm just an idiot and poured 8 quarts of ATF in the engine. Yes I did :/ . I have a pseudo excuse but mainly I didn't think about what I was doing. I bought the trans oil online and saw the kit with the RED dipstick. I knew I had bought a dipstick 1.5 year ago so I just purchased the fluid this time. Drained the trans and converter and refilled from the RED dipstick in the engine bay. I forgot that my trans dipstick doesn't stay in place while driving and the trans fill tube is a bit lower in the corner hidden. I thought I was filling the trans. Didn't even think it could be the engine dipstick (to me it usually is yellow for some reason). Anyway my fake excuse is pretty dumb.
Drained the motor, refilled the trans (maxlife this time) and motor (random oil same viscosity). I had to drive 800 miles right away. Last week I changed the oil again for the ESP mobil one.
The funniest part about the story... while I was looking everywhere online why my van wasn't moving anymore I read the story of this guy filling his front diff instead of his trans in his Subaru and I thought to myself "what a noob, he's an idiot" how can you do that? Ahahaha! Instant Karma. Live and learn!
Well I am pretty sure sure I won't make that mistake again.

Thank you all for your support,time and suggestions.

Click to expand...

If it's any comfort, every public confession to a blunder saves 16.5 other people from doing the same thing. Actually, I invented that statistic, but you get the idea. Thanks, I can now move on to my own misteaks.

jtolittle said:

...
Well I am pretty sure sure I won't make that mistake again.

Thank you all for your support,time and suggestions.

Click to expand...

Nope. Not that one. You'll find others.

To date I have:
Put about 0.8 gallons of petrol in my Sprinter. Lived through that.

Forgot to put the engine oil fill cap on after an oil change. Cleaned that up.

Drilled an exhaust stud through to the cooling chamber. JB Weld to the rescue.

Cracked the eggshell thin aluminum injector valley cover during injector removal attempts. Thanking JB Weld again.

Distorted the rear wheel tone ring during bearing/seal change. Re-formed ring to work again.

Installed the serpentine belt incorrectly. I now have a nice diagram on my windshield washer bottle.

Overflowed the transmission during filling after TC/pan drain. (Correct way is to add 5 quarts, start engine, shutdown and then add the rest... usually 3 more quarts.)

And I'm certain there's many more that I have forgotten.

Not that you asked...

I would just let the engine oil drain overnight and refill. (Put tape over the ignition key during that time.) I wouldn't go through a flush and refill. Should yo decide a refill/flush is needed use the cheapest 15w-40 diesel oil you can find. No reason to waste expensive oil.

vic