 | Leaks - The biggest threat to automatic transmission health is heat
generally caused by a loss of fluid. The fluid level on the 928 is difficult
to check. Unlike most cars where one simply pulls a dip stick, the
mounting of the transmission in the rear of the car makes this difficult to
implement. The transmission level checking is outlined in the owners
manual. There is a site tube on the right rear of the transmission.
If no fluid level can be seen in the sight tube then the transmission is
probably leaking. There are several places to check for transmission
leaks. The transmission is cooled by lines that run from the rear of the
car to the front. These are routed to either a cooler located in the right
radiator tank or in front of the radiator. The lines should be check for
age and leaks. The transmission has a built in overflow that allows excess
fluid to be vented should the transmission be over filled. This will leave
oil on the outside of the transmission and give the appearance of a leak.
So care should be used when inspecting of the transmission to locate the actual
leaks. One of the best ways to determine chronic leaks is to look where
the car had been parked over time.
(Deduct up to 20 points depending on
the extent of leaks)
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| Service - Many people over look servicing the automatic
transmission. This is very important and should be done every three years
or 20K miles. The transmission has a filter screen that with time can
become clogged. When the screen becomes clogged the transmission becomes
starved for oil and will slip and shift improperly.
(Deduct 5 points if the
transmission has not been serviced recently)
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| Torque Tube - Put the car in Park or Neutral If there a
significant noise coming from the center of the car, the bearings in the torque
tube are worn and needs replacing.
(Deduct 30 points for a noisy torque tube)
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| Operation - The transmission should shift smoothly through the
gears with no clunking when standing still and should engage with little
delay. When driving the shifts should be smooth with no slip. The
928 transmission can be adjusted to shift harder for performance, but when set
in the performance mode should still see no slip between gears or confusion as what
gear the car is in. The late model transmissions will not always start in
first gear. This can make the car appear sluggish. The transmission
can be adjusted for better performance. The transmission should kick down
cleanly.
(Deduct 100 points for a badly leaking or poorly shifting
transmission. Deduct 5 points for a service and another 5 points for
adjustments)
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| Cables - There transmission is operated by a cable running from
the shifter and a kick down cable on the throttle linkage. Inspect the
kick down cable for fraying.
(Deduct 5 points for frayed or worn cables)
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| Miscellaneous - The shift handle and lock out on all models can
deteriorate with time. Newer models have selector lights on the
console. Over time the drive and park lights burn out. These lights
are not easily replaced.
(Deduct 10 points to cover broken shift components)
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