FTO slipping gears and going in LIMP mode

[flateric]

Hi Guys! I'm new to this community and bought myself 2005 Japan imported red FTO from 1996 in UK recently.
I'm living in the Netherlands and there's hardly any FTO around here.. maybe 3-4 in the whole country.

The former owner told me that the torque convertor was gone but i doubt it..
When the engine is cold i can drive away easily in first and second gear but when the engine is warmed up.. i have to be very careful of revving up till it pulls away till i can get it going fast enough to get it into Limp mode which allows me to drive it untill i turn off the engine.

however, the reverse is always fine so i had to drive it off the Ferry from Dover - Calais..... backwards... until i found i place so i could give it some time to get it going untill i could get it into limpmode.

Since this is my first automatic / tiptronic shifting car i didn't even think of checking the fluid before leaving but when i arrived, i checked the fluid the day after and it was at the "hot" mark in cold condition... could an overfilled system cause these issues ?

looking forward to any thoughts.

Kind Regards

Eric

[Bernard]

Was it like that when you bought it? That's a mad journey to attempt with the TC on the way out.

[flateric]

well it was not that bad because the car was not completely warmed up with the testdrive but it turned to be worse after the drive.. do you think it's the torque convertor ? why would it run perfectly in reverse ?

Thanks!
Eric

[CJ]

In the worst cases of TC failure, the ATF turns black, check the colour (red is healthy, brown is boiled). While you're there, check the level.

Undertake a diagnostic (search the forum), it may simply be an issue with a sensor that needs replacing. Input / output speed sensors have a tendency to go bad and cause the problem you describe. Unfortunately, TC failures are also common on 4-speed tip boxes, best option is to replace the gearbox in such cases.

[flateric]

The color is still a bit red but not clean anymore. according to the maintenance papers my FTO had the gearbox fluid changed every 2 years. the actual mileage = 75000km
the level is too high, on max level with a cold engine. is there a way of getting a bit out ?

[CJ]

Worry less about getting fluid out of the box (use a large syringe if you must) and more about undertaking a diagnostic check to ascertain if the problem is sensor or gearbox related.

[flateric]

yeah i have an oil surge pump so that will do the trick.. i'm gonna take it to a local mitsubishi dealer for a check out on next monday.. will let you know the result.

[flateric]

okay guys, i took about 1 ltr oil out to get it to a proper level. the color was red / brown. unfortunately i had to cancel the appointment with mitsubishi because i had to go to work . i was considering of just swapping the tiptronic gearbox by a 5-speed one including ECU. is that an option ?

[Bernard]

Have you tried the diagnostic as CJ suggested?

[goz_83]

It is an option and would make the vehicle more economical, but it's not yet come to that. Get the diagnostic done and go from there.

[flateric]

yes i tried, cleared the error codes first by leaving the battery disconnected for a night (needed to charge the battery)
However, the N is flashing constantly every second in the same length when going into limpmode.

any suggestions ?

[flateric]

Hi guys! according to the dealer and some other specialists the gearbox needs repair and that would cost between 500-800 Euros.....
I have found a 5 speed gearbox including ECU from a GPvR is that just a matter of swapping it or do i need different brackets ?