is my tranny slipping ?

**EHB** · 05-20-2015

i know it sounds like a dumb question but bare with me. this car is the first automatic i've owned in about 28 years. infact only my very first car was an automatic and that was a 72 pinto ...don't laugh , i only paid $125 for it and i was young ..

also i've never had a car with traction control before which i just got the abs / tc thing sorted out a few days ago so now they work or at least the lights went off.
well yesterday i flipped the dog bone mounts which look to be pretty shot , and i plan on getting the poly ones eventually , and i went for a test drive to see how much different it felt. so i pull out and maybe doing 5 mph i floored it. the rpms shot up and it felt like the car shifted gears before it launched forward. i mean it took a split second before the car moved. the tires didn't seem to spin, at least i didn't here it , because before they would have lit up.
so is this just the traction control at work or was it a tranny slip ?
been nervous about the transmission since last week when i couldn't get an accurate reading on the dip stick , so i couldn't tell if i over filled it or it's low.

**sugaryuk** · 05-21-2015

Could be your tranny slipping, did you have any previous signs that rpms climbed without speed increasing? Are you sure your tires had traction? Also you might want to check your tranny and engine mounts, if broken they can cause similar problems.

**EHB** · 05-21-2015

well that's what i'm trying to figure out , did the traction control keep the tires from spinning ? i mean i didn't even hear a chirp or felt an almost immediate pull forward like there was when my TC wasn't working. the rpm's went way up, then they came down like it shifted gears , then i went forward faster. to this point i've never noticed any kind of slipping , but as i said i've owned manuals almost my entire life and never had TC so i can't say for sure what happened. in the few months i've owned the car , i've never thought it's slipped. i've always thought the engine moved to much on hard acceleration , that's why i turned the mounts to see if it would help.

**sugaryuk** · 05-21-2015

In my experience, TC feels like the engine is being bogged down, feels slow and sluggish to respond-- where as tranny slip feels like your motor is racing but your not going anywhere and once your tranny grips it often gives a jolt (usually 1-2 or 2-3 slip... 3-4 is usually a long drawn out slip).

**sugaryuk** · 05-21-2015

Turn your TC off and see if it still does it.

**BillBoost37** · 05-21-2015

Most likely it's the pcm seeing the speed, requested load etc etc and it's holding you back.

Also if you were turning, this can factor in as well.

Most likely..the trans is doing ok.

**EHB** · 05-21-2015

no i wasn't turning . i just pulled out on to the road from a parking lot and thought it would be a good time to test the flipped mounts to see if i could notice the difference in torque. i wasn't even considering TC at the time , plus i'm not sure exactly what to expect from the TC as far as how fast it engages and what not. i thought i'd at least hear a little tire spin before it engaged, but i didn't.
i'll turn the TC off and give it a go.

**BillBoost37** · 05-22-2015

Also..the pcm learns your driving style.

**EHB** · 05-22-2015

lol...i don't have a particular driving style. my driving is determined by what kind of mood i'm in or how often i see cops.
turned the TC off and mashed it. tires smoked just fine. now i know about TC..lol

**Sporto** · 06-02-2015

Thought I'd join this convo, I have what I think is tranny slip. It happens sporadically during high temperature days, at low speed usually from a stop or rolling stop once I accelerate again. Usually from 1st to 2nd. I've asked a local service guy and he suggested getting a software update as (also mentioned in this thread) the cpu learns driving habits. I've owned this car since day 1 (2004 Grand Prix GT2). Just would like more input before putting $$ into it, at 144K miles. Thank you!

**luckyg817** · 06-02-2015

Originally Posted by Sporto

Thought I'd join this convo, I have what I think is tranny slip. It happens sporadically during high temperature days, at low speed usually from a stop or rolling stop once I accelerate again. Usually from 1st to 2nd. I've asked a local service guy and he suggested getting a software update as (also mentioned in this thread) the cpu learns driving habits. I've owned this car since day 1 (2004 Grand Prix GT2). Just would like more input before putting $$ into it, at 144K miles. Thank you!

Thought i'd chime in here for this as I am having the same issue as you are and also the same year and model. I don't think the tranny is slipping per say. When it starts doing it, look at your temp gauge. I bet it's a line or 2 above the halfway mark correct? If it is, it's the temp getting a little too high on the tranny. I've noticed that on mine that it will only do it when the temp gets just a little too warm because in my case, if I let the motor cool down and get it right below the halfway mark, it won't do it anymore. I have posted on here before about the issue and looks like the best solution is to install a tranny cooler and get ready for a rebuild. A tranny cooler, a shift kit and maybe some lucas will buy you some time but looks like your heading towards the inevitable rebuild.

**Sporto** · 06-03-2015

Originally Posted by luckyg817

Thought i'd chime in here for this as I am having the same issue as you are and also the same year and model. I don't think the tranny is slipping per say. When it starts doing it, look at your temp gauge. I bet it's a line or 2 above the halfway mark correct? If it is, it's the temp getting a little too high on the tranny. I've noticed that on mine that it will only do it when the temp gets just a little too warm because in my case, if I let the motor cool down and get it right below the halfway mark, it won't do it anymore. I have posted on here before about the issue and looks like the best solution is to install a tranny cooler and get ready for a rebuild. A tranny cooler, a shift kit and maybe some lucas will buy you some time but looks like your heading towards the inevitable rebuild.

Interesting, I think first I'll get the tranny serviced (Fluid, Flush, Filter) see if it improves going into the summer and the above 60's, 70s, 80s temps here (Indiana).

**luckyg817** · 06-03-2015

Originally Posted by Sporto

Interesting, I think first I'll get the tranny serviced (Fluid, Flush, Filter) see if it improves going into the summer and the above 60's, 70s, 80s temps here (Indiana).

Yes I forgot to put that. But don't flush the fluid unless you have been servicing the tranny regularly. Flushing it might end up doing more damage than good. Just do a pan drop and replace the filter and add some lucas if necessary.

**Sporto** · 06-04-2015

I'm noticing "trans number" on rockauto.com, how do I determine which trans I have?

**Sporto** · 06-08-2015

Originally Posted by luckyg817

Yes I forgot to put that. But don't flush the fluid unless you have been servicing the tranny regularly. Flushing it might end up doing more damage than good. Just do a pan drop and replace the filter and add some lucas if necessary.

Okay so I replaced fluid and filter only (no flush) and shifting has "worsened"...now shifting is elongated, erratic and basically starting to annoy me...so next step is either software update and "the next step" or jump to the "next step" and pay for the scan/scope. Any thoughts and ideas are appreciated.

Thread: is my tranny slipping ?

Thread Tools

Display

Similar Threads

slipping tranny

Tranny going out/slipping in 1 to 2nd

tranny slipping?

tranny slipping?

Tranny slipping ??

Bookmarks