• The site migration is complete! Hopefully everything transferred properly from the multiple decades old software we were using before. If you notice any issues please let me know, thanks! Also, I'm still working on things like chatbox, etc so hopefully those will be working in the next week or two.

stays in first gear for 5 min when engine is cold

chev1988rolet

chev1988rolet

New member
This is a problem I have been dealing with for about a year and a half so I hope someone can help. Here it is, My transmission stays in first gear for atleast 5 minutes when I first start driving my car in the morning or when engine is cold. It will shift fine after that as long as I dont floor it when i am leaving a stop or a yield. can anyone help me out with this problem? One thing I can add is that when i am in first gear for the first time of the day. It dont feel like it gets all of first gear if thats makes any sense. Example, from a stop I accelerate slowly until about 19 mph and the rpms are at 3,000 then it just stops picking up speed and feels like i'm in neutral. I just cruise it until speed is at 10 mph then i accelerate again to about 20 mph and so on until second gear kicks in. I suspect the EPC or 1-2 shift solenoid since the resistance changes with temperature. I hope its not the first or second gear clutches. sorry for the long question. Can anyone help me cause I am eager to put my engine back in but can't cause I dont wanna bring it out again to fix the tranny.
 


It will help knowing the year and mileage of your car.

Since you'd had this issue for a year, it's probably safe to say the clutches would have worn out by now. I'm thinking along the lines of a seal warming up or a solenoid. You can test the soleniods.

Measure the resistance with the engine/trans cold (when it gives you the trouble) between pins
A and E (Sol A)
B and E (Sol B)

Those are your two shift soleniods. Can't find it quick but the solenoids are like such (might have 2nd and 4th backwards)

1st gear On On
2nd gear Off On
3rd gear Off Off
4th gear On Off

Looking at that, we can see that maybe one of them is sticking on and not allowing you into 2nd. Check the resistances hot and cold and report back.
 
ok thanks. I'm gonna check later on today when i borrow a voltmeter cause my son spilled coke on mine and f****d it up. good thing it was a cheap one. one question though, I read that resistance should be 19-24 cold and 24-31 hot. So does that mean resistance probably barely reaches 24 hot but is around 5-10 cold? kind of makes sense dont you think?
 
Just read them and codes for now. If the solenoids aren't in range, then we can chat about how far out of range is probably acceptable.
 
what about this I dont think my car goes into 4th gear cause I can be goin 75 mph and be reving at 3,500. the 1-2 solenoid is the same one for 3-4. well I'll post the update later on
 
Let's go ahead and get started on the other.

Meanwhile when you are at 70mph what is your rpm? If you keep your right foot on the throttle lightly while cruising and touch the brake a little does the rpm come back up 200-500?
 


somewhere around 3,000. not sure exactly where since my car has been parked for about 3 months. the only accurate number is 55 mph at 1,800. rpm's just rise when i accelerate from there. I havent felt any shift after 55
 
yea, I did transmission filter but found nothing on pan. opened filter and found clutch material. (looked like coffee grain but thicker.) Tranny finally gave out on me about 2 weeks ago. Now it dont go past 20 mph with revving. Just gonna get a junkyard tranny and hope for the best. you could check solenoids through side connector just to cancel them out. I did but they all turned out to be good.
 
chev1988rolet said:
yea, I did transmission filter but found nothing on pan. opened filter and found clutch material. (looked like coffee grain but thicker.) Tranny finally gave out on me about 2 weeks ago. Now it dont go past 20 mph with revving. Just gonna get a junkyard tranny and hope for the best. you could check solenoids through side connector just to cancel them out. I did but they all turned out to be good.
Click to expand...


Try www.car-part.com I love that site :th_thumbsup-wink:
 
my car has the same problem, i drive it around in second for about 5 minutes than when it shifts into secon for real it shifts ok after that, if i floor it it wont shift out of first unless i let go of the pedal
 


I think your problem could be debris on a shift valve or a bad solenoid. My clutches went out on me cause water got into my tranny 3 years ago.
 
a tranny shop had told me it has something to do with a pressure thing inside the tranny what exactly he didnt know but said the tranny had to come down to fix it, havent done it yet
 
the pressure thing he's talking about is an epc solenoid. Its a solenoid that controls line pressure in an automatic transmission, and it might be easiet to drop the tranny a couple inches like he said to take off the side pan. there is some images online to let you know which is which but let me know if you cant find them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top