The perfectly okay transmision in my daughter's '89 740 suddenly stopped functioning. No gears. She coasted to safety. It was simply out of fluid. I topped off fluid (no visible leaks). First two shifts were delayed, then... it worked perfectly again. Drove it around for two hours and gave the car back to my daughter. No problems whatsoever for 30 days. No slipping, no hard shifts. No leaks. Overdrive works. Better operation than my wife's '91. Nice & smooth.

Yesterday, it suddenly stopped working again. Oddly, this time it seems to have too much fluid when you check the dipstick --- but no fluid has been added. I suspect that the fluid isn't circulating to actuate the brakes/clutches, etc. Nothing happens in any gearshift lever position.

I will drop the pan, clean the screen and look for obvious damage but last time there were no signs of damage or unusual amounts of material. Engine revs but the car does not respond in any gear. I hear a very slight change in noise & vibration as I run thru gearshift positions.

If the screen is clear, what else should I consider? Broken flex plate? Clogged valve body? Bad check balls and/or springs? I don't think so. One minute it seems perfect, the next it behaves as if there were no driveshaft. I let it rest overnight, no change. I rebuilt the BW automatic in an 140 Volvo but the symptoms of wear were very obvious. I don't know what to do. I can't afford to replace the transmission and I don't know what else could cause this behavior. Please help!