3 times in the last 2 days i've started the car, put it into reverse and forward and it takes 2 or 3 seconds for the trans to engage. Has anyone had this before?

Just took it for a drive and checked the fluid level....way down on what it's supposed to be.

I think i know what the problem is..

Where would the transmission fluid go?
Leak?

Delayed engagement is not a good sign. I had it (Magna F4A51)and the trans lasted not much longer full of metal and a busted planetary gearset. Someone else just had it (F4A51)and similar result. Don't know much about the 5 speeds.

How low? checked running in neutral and hot where is it sitting?

You could always do a drain and have a good look at the fluid and the magnet. If you get the fluid in the sun and it's glistening with fine suspended metal particles that's bad and if they're goldy coloured like mine was it'll most likely be crushed up shims from the gearset.

If there's any hard fragments stuck to the magnet, same. that's what i saw first with mine, took the Valve body out as the manual valve was jamming going into drive and the valves were stuck in the VB. pressure regulating valve was also seized up.

tried to clean it out but then got real bad delayed engagements, then started dropping out of gear at the lights. Manual valve was slightly better but was quickly fouling again(box full of metal particles jamming it up)

finally the engune was badly loaded up as the TC was loading it up at idle then it was ok, then I did a stall test and on reverse it failed to engage, suddenly engaged with decent RPM onboard and bag, end of gearset which was already busted. Could say i did myself a favour as I was about to embark on replacing the VB.

that's my story.

Sorry about all the doom and gloom. Hope for you it just needs a fluid flush or it is low like you say but have a good look at what's coming out or anything abnormal stuck to the drain plug if you give it a drain.

I changed the fluid a couple of weeks ago and apparently didn't fill it right up. I checked the level and topped it up while it was hot but the level was off the bottom of the dip stick. No leaks, everything is tight and clean. I topped it up last night and the level is ok now. The delay seems to have been alleviated. I'll drop the fluid next weekend and have a look at the magnet......*siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhh*

I changed the fluid a couple of weeks ago and apparently didn't fill it right up. I checked the level and topped it up while it was hot but the level was off the bottom of the dip stick. No leaks, everything is tight and clean. I topped it up last night and the level is ok now. The delay seems to have been alleviated. I'll drop the fluid next weekend and have a look at the magnet......*siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhh*

Yeah, i did that too in a rush when working through the issues on mine but surprised you did not notice anything driving it. i know with mine if I drove it hard with higher RPM upshifts 3-4 was an issue with huge flaring and that was due to low fluid but normal driving was ok. So I only mention all that other stuff just in case it's not.

Nah, not a problem mate. It's all settled down now and behaving itself. Makes me wonder though......how low can the fluid level be before you're rebuilding the box? I've never run a box with a low fluid level before, so it would be interesting to know how low you could go before it all fell apart - or in that case heated up, seized and turned itself into one unserviceable lump.

I don't think low trans oil level does any damage. You will lose drive long before the internals are damaged.

(Just my opinion, others are free to disagree)