Hi guys.

We are working on a mates 1988 ea fairmont ghia 3 speed auto, i have a diagonostic unit and we wanted to run an engine and transmission test on it, does the ea 3 spd autos have a diagnositics plug ?

The book for the unit shows the plug's for the auto diagnostics but the cables for the unit say ea/eb 4 speed auto diagnostics, but in the book for the diagnositic unit does not say any thing.

So just wondering if the 3 speed actualy has any transmission diagnostic plugs at all ?

Thanks

Last edited by benckie on Wed Feb 22, 2012 1:26 am, edited 1 time in total.

Nope. 3 speed auto is a fully hydraulic gearbox - no electronics.

There is still a diag connector, but its for the Engine/ECU

Nigel

Thanks Nigel, i did not think the 3 speed had diagnostics's. Ive only been in the car once for a quick drive it seams to shift very well, but my mate Ben seams to think its now revving harder then normal. Ive only been in it once so i cant say but at 100 kph its revving around 2500 rpm and around 120 kph its around 3000 rpm, i would not have a clue if that's normal for a 3 speed 3.9ltr but he says it used to rev lower and and drop revs at a certain speed say on the high way, i thought this makes cause of the lock up converter, but on my quick drive down the high way the rev,s maintained the same rev,s once the car was in 3rd gear and up to speed, it did not drop rev,s at all like i would normally expect with a lockup torque converter on the auto.

Before i made this Thread (i knew even if it had trans diagnostic,s it does not pick up mechanical faults and so on) but i was thinking the torque converter, slipping band or some thing simple like the taco was faulty or nothing at all, but the engine does seen to be revving high and not dropping rev,s once up to speed and when Ben got back from a 400 odd km round trip, he said it was revving hard on the high way, i have not driven the car long enough to see if the problem gets worse when the car warms up and hes gone to work and lives a bit of drive away.

I'm leaning towards the torque converter after driving it, but I'm hopping its more simple for that for Ben's sake, the tranny has had a recent service but has had a bit of a thrashing knowing Ben but still shifts smooth, we are hopping not the have to swap out the trans ?

afaik the 3 speed auto dont have lock up converter..

Ahh ok, i thought i read some where on here they do. Would you know off the top of your head thecruzing rpm around 100 clicks ?

OK cool so Ive been told in another forum that 2500 rpm for 100 clicks is about right.

My mate Ben must be tripping cause i got a phone call Monday saying its revving higher then normal and not doing its normal rev drop once up to speed on the way back from Perth.

The problem is he is not very manically minded and when he brought the car around its was dark and Ive only been in it once.

Ive never owned an 88 ea and cant remember ever being in one till his for 5 Min's, so i have no idea, so I'm going from what he tells me and research on the net.

The 3 speed EA gearbox is a 100% hydraullic automatic, if it's playing up it's eithier caused by a low fluid level, blocked filter, buggered cooler lines, or something actually wrong with the gearbox. It will behave normally even if u fit a manual computer. Nothing what so ever to do with any computers it would work with no wires at all and a carby. First thing I'd be doing is a trans service.

Gab

The tranny recently had filter swap and top up dextron 3 the oil is not black or smells burnt, It changes up and down smooth witch is surprising, I might personal just do another filter & oil change on it as it cant hurt since they are only partial oil changes and tell him to drive it till it stops.

The revs he has mentioned are about normal it is weird what they will rev at on a 100km high way journey

that is the spirit just do anther filter and oil swap and just drive it till it stops ( personally believe if the fluid is still red i am sure its got ALOT more life left in her)

the auto in my EA ghia (3 speed) is playing up. You know what i'm doing? A manual conversion. Better acceleration and better fuel economy.

plus changing diff ratio...

how did you know that? You one of the guys trying to sell me a 3.27 LSD on FaceBook?

lol nah ... altho i do have a 3.23 ...... for my '89 S to replace the 2.77 single..... hell even the '88[9] wagooon i bought was good with the 2.92 [5sp] but the 2.77 ...... bit slow

yeh i'll be going a 3.27 LSD in it. And full exhaust. Will make it go a lot better than 3 speed and 2.77

yeah should make it 'boogy' lol

could neva figure why with the EA 'S' why it had a 2.77 ..... i mean it's 'supposed' to mean its lol 'sporty'