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1997 Grand Prix GT -Mechanic says no first gear? Can this be a bad ingnition switch?

jensunn

jensunn

New member
1997 Grand Prix GT. Love this car. Mechanic says it has no first gear & needs a new tranny, but I am hearing that a bad ignition switch (GM) could cause an open circuit to the tranny and cause this? I do not even notice anything wrong with the tranny, but I am a girl who knows not much about cars. I took off watching the RPMS and it goes down 2x, but I can never get fast enough around here to see it go down a third...1 x around 25-35 mph, 2 x around 55 mph.... x 3 cannot get going around here to find out if the RPMS drop a third. The lights on my dash flicker all the time, which I hear can also be related to the ignition switch. Idles kind of rough. Trash the car?? HELP!! Thanks!!! - Jen
 


Replace the switch first, it's less expencive than a transmission lol

Yes also if the switch is causing any relays to switch on and off, your TCC circut being interupted can cause the transmission to act very funny including locking up the converter to make it seem like the transmission is in kind of like a "limp mode" or abuse mode
 
Hahha! Thank you!

gptuner said:
Replace the switch first, it's less expencive than a transmission lol

Yes also if the switch is causing any relays to switch on and off, your TCC circut being interupted can cause the transmission to act very funny including locking up the converter to make it seem like the transmission is in kind of like a "limp mode" or abuse mode
Click to expand...
 


Here is the fun way to test for 1st gear:

1. Drive to stop sign with no traffic or people
2. Engage E-Brake. (This step may be skipped if tires have little to no tread left)
3. Turn off TCS
4. Stomp on the gas pedal hard.

If the car does a burnout, then you have 1st gear.
 
If 1st gear is still not enguaged, trying to launch hard in 2nd from a dead stop will be a good way to burn out the transmission...especially if shes having other electrical issues due to the switch...

Not exactly a bright idea
 


I am 98% certain that she has first gear anyway as it would be very noticeable if she didn't. Coming out of stop signs in 2nd gear would be painfully slow.

I only hit 4th gear when cruising in the expressway. So rpm drop twice means 1st gear shift to 2nd, and 2nd shift to 3rd. All normal sounding to me.

Also, the transmission in the 97 is vacuum controlled anyways.
 
Both of my 97's are 100% eletronic, 96 was the first year for the 4t65hd to come out in the SSEi's that was the last of the vacume controlled units
 
Jen,

Welcome to the site.

At a full stop, pull the shifter back to the 2 position. Then drive normally to about 45mph. If the car shifts once, then you do have first and second gear. Our transmissions will shift to 2nd at about the 10-25 mph area based on how much you press the gas, less pressing means it'll shift sooner.

The car running poorly can make it shift funny, however it won't keep the car from using first gear. A throttle body cleaning and tune up sound like they are in order if you decide to keep the car.
 
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