1998 Caldina GT-T Tipronic fault

Hi Everyone,



I have just purchased a 1998 Caldina GT-T.



First thing i noticed, was in tiptronic, 3rd and 4th gear seem to bog down. the revs will rise, then drop a little, then rise further, then drop a little again.



The best way to describe it would be as if the clutch is slipping. But it's an auto and this problem only happens in tiptronic mode. in drive, there is no drama at all.



I test drove another caldina (was a 2002 model) at a dealer and found it did the exact same thing. Can anybody explain to me how to stop this from happening. It is a standard thing among the caldinas, and if so, why?



Thanks in advance

Reply 1 : 1998 Caldina GT-T Tipronic fault

Welcome to the forums! What speeds were you doing when you were in 3rd and 4th gear while in tiptronic mode? I just asked my brother who also has a 1998 Caldina GT-T tiptronic and he said that his doesn't have a problem. However, he did say that the gear ratios are very long, so in 3rd gear using the manual mode you should at least be going 100kph or it's going to be laggy like you described. Perhaps it's just a case of being in the wrong gear for the speeds that you're travelling at.

Reply 2 : 1998 Caldina GT-T Tipronic fault

Sounds like it could be exactly what Kiwi mentioned. I don't drive an auto, or a Caldina for that matter, but my wife's car is an AWD V50 T5 with an auto and it has the same issue when I drive in Volvo's version of 'tiptronic'. Bogging as you describe as well as the shiftable ranges not being what you'd expect them to be when driving normally and sometimes you can hit the dam thing like 10 times before it does anything. The dealer said its normal. Turns out my issue was because I was driving it like it was a manual, that is to say I'd run it and out of habit, let up on the gas as I hit the shifter. The mechanic said I should just keep my foot down when shifting so the ecu doesn't see a drop in rpm, think you're slowing down and assume the next gear up is the wrong gear to be in. When/if I'd catch it at a low rev and it would shift, it would bog pretty badly when I'd hit the gas simply because the gear was too high for the speed.

Its not intuitive to someone who has been driving stick for 19 years, but it is to someone who has been driving auto.

I also had the same issue in my buddies Bimmer with paddle shifters.

Reply 3 : 1998 Caldina GT-T Tipronic fault

hmmmm....



i want to agree with you, but it does this even on the freeway at 100kph



foot to the floor doesnt help. it doesn't just bog down as it changes gear, it rises, then drops, rises further, drops, rises further again, drops.



i wish i could explain it better. it's one of those "you have to see it to understand it"



Thanks again.

Reply 4 : 1998 Caldina GT-T Tipronic fault

Could be a torque converter issue or even a fluid issue. I don't know much about diagnosing autos but our old 00 Bravada was an awd auto and it felt like it was slipping like a worn clutch as the auto tranny started going out. ...but you mention driving two different Caldinas with the same issue. Also I wouldn't think a dealer would let a car with obvious tranny issues out on a test. Which is why I guessed driver error over mechanical error. Have you tried changing or upgrading the fluid?