Cooperhawk
Well-known member
We were traveling on Mo13 to Branson, Mo. last Sunday when the coach started to lose power and slow down. First thing I thought of was a dirty fuel filter, but then I noticed the transmission indicator showed 5th gear. What the heck! Things continued to worsen until I was down to showing 3rd gear. By now I was creeping on the shoulder and looking for someplace to pull off. It was raining and blowing pretty badly as well. I finally stopped right on the shoulder with traffic zooming by.
Called my go to mechanic and asked what the heck could be wrong. He replied that it sounded like the transmission was low on fluid. Why now? It had been full when I checked it a couple days ago. Went back and checked and sure enough it was low. I had a couple quarts so I added them. Success. Just like the submarine in Das Boot that was stuck in the mud on the bottom we were again sailing along, for a while anyway. Another hundred miles and it happened again. Had to pull into a stop and purchase more fluid. This time I got underneath and found the leak. One of the lines running to the oil cooler had a pin hole spray coming out of it. I poured in several quarts and we made it to the campground in Branson.
The next morning I started a search to find someone to repair it. Found only one place in Springfield, Mo. would work on it. Took it up Wednesday morning. 42 miles and I made it OK. Then the search for parts began. The parts department at this repair shop was deplorable. Finally the General Manager got involved and by Thursday noon I was back underway to Branson where we had tickets to a show as soon as I got back there.
What I learned. The transmission will protect itself by down shifting. It will also start shifting with hard jerks when low. It holds several gallons of fluid and I never really got it full. In fact, since it takes so long for the fluid to clear off the dip stick it takes a long time to just check it. The fill tube has so much fluid in it it can literally take hours to fill and check. Both lines had to be replaced and they had to be fabricated at another location. The cost when it was all done was over $1600.00. I will now always carry a couple quarts of fluid with me.
Fortunately my cousin and his Wife were camped next to us and we used his pick up to run back and forth and keep the Wife's cat in their fifth wheel.
Called my go to mechanic and asked what the heck could be wrong. He replied that it sounded like the transmission was low on fluid. Why now? It had been full when I checked it a couple days ago. Went back and checked and sure enough it was low. I had a couple quarts so I added them. Success. Just like the submarine in Das Boot that was stuck in the mud on the bottom we were again sailing along, for a while anyway. Another hundred miles and it happened again. Had to pull into a stop and purchase more fluid. This time I got underneath and found the leak. One of the lines running to the oil cooler had a pin hole spray coming out of it. I poured in several quarts and we made it to the campground in Branson.
The next morning I started a search to find someone to repair it. Found only one place in Springfield, Mo. would work on it. Took it up Wednesday morning. 42 miles and I made it OK. Then the search for parts began. The parts department at this repair shop was deplorable. Finally the General Manager got involved and by Thursday noon I was back underway to Branson where we had tickets to a show as soon as I got back there.
What I learned. The transmission will protect itself by down shifting. It will also start shifting with hard jerks when low. It holds several gallons of fluid and I never really got it full. In fact, since it takes so long for the fluid to clear off the dip stick it takes a long time to just check it. The fill tube has so much fluid in it it can literally take hours to fill and check. Both lines had to be replaced and they had to be fabricated at another location. The cost when it was all done was over $1600.00. I will now always carry a couple quarts of fluid with me.
Fortunately my cousin and his Wife were camped next to us and we used his pick up to run back and forth and keep the Wife's cat in their fifth wheel.
