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transmission shifts bad when warm

Pontiac Racer

Pontiac Racer

New member
when the car is at normal operating temp and you floor the car, the transmission shifts poorly. if its cold it shifts fine but when warm it does not. never had the fluid changed but i feel like that wouldn't cause it. but i could be wrong. ideas?
 


sounds like its slipping. what color is the fluid? does it smell burnt?

id drop a quart of lucas trans stuff in there and drive it nice. ( suck a quart out if needed. long thin clear tubing works well right down the dipstick tube, the tubing need to be long enough to reach the pan on the tranny and then reach the ground lower then the pan to siphon out)

start planning for a new trans down the road.
 
i was thinking of changing the fluid and while I'm doing that ill go ahead and put some lucas trans fix in there. would it be cheaper to have the tranny rebuilt or just get a new one? the fluid is a bit dark on the stick but red when wiped on a towel. I'm not sure what burning tray fluid smells like though
 
Had that happen on my 98 GT. Ended up needing a new solenoid.

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Very possible. I know that ace transmission Will do a free inspection. Sometimes it's just severely broken down fluid. I've seen cars with 150k+ miles with never having a fluid change. My recommendation would be to drop the pan and replace the tranny fluid. You'll lose about 4 qts. Replace the 4 qts, drive about 3k miles, and do it again. Slowly get the old fluid out by mixing it with new fluid. If that tranny hasn't had regular fluid changes do not, and I repeat do not, replace all the fluid at once. If the shifts start to tighten up then it was the fluid...If not it's likely the solenoid. It could be a band, but those rarely have issues.

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Oh and a rebuild would be cheaper unless you get a used tranny and swap it yourself. I would be weary about any tranny over 100k miles. You just don't know what the fluid change schedule has been like. Most GM trannies can take 100k just fine.

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I have a similar issue with my 98 GTP. Feels nice and strong, but when warm, sometimes it shifts sort of lethargically. On rare occasion, it will shift hard and fast (lol) with low throttle input, almost as if the trans thinks the car is at full throttle. The car runs strong otherwise, and the trans doesn't slip during "spirited" driving, just does a few strange things when warmed up. Could that possibly just be a solenoid?
 
Nickster 7 said:
I have a similar issue with my 98 GTP. Feels nice and strong, but when warm, sometimes it shifts sort of lethargically. On rare occasion, it will shift hard and fast (lol) with low throttle input, almost as if the trans thinks the car is at full throttle. The car runs strong otherwise, and the trans doesn't slip during "spirited" driving, just does a few strange things when warmed up. Could that possibly just be a solenoid?
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Yes, or bad fluid. Also bad seals could be causing a pressure drop. I would also check your filter, and drop the valve body while you're in there and take a look at it.

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bachert24 said:
Very possible. I know that ace transmission Will do a free inspection. Sometimes it's just severely broken down fluid. I've seen cars with 150k+ miles with never having a fluid change. My recommendation would be to drop the pan and replace the tranny fluid. You'll lose about 4 qts. Replace the 4 qts, drive about 3k miles, and do it again. Slowly get the old fluid out by mixing it with new fluid. If that tranny hasn't had regular fluid changes do not, and I repeat do not, replace all the fluid at once. If the shifts start to tighten up then it was the fluid...If not it's likely the solenoid. It could be a band, but those rarely have issues.

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Click to expand...

yeah my brother was telling me that if a car has never had a regular transmission fluid change that you shouldn't change the fluid after that point cause its like holding everything together or something along those lines. its my brother so its probably wrong lol. but why shouldn't you change all of the fluid after its due for a change?
 


The reason is because of a phenomenon called "transmission shock." Feel free to Google it. I've personally never experienced it, but the short of it is that the worn out seals come into contact with the detergents, oils, and cleaners in the new fluid. They swell, crack, and basically wreak havoc on the tranny. Like I said, it's never happened to me, but I always use the method I explained above because I don't want to replace my tranny lol.

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bachert24 said:
Very possible. I know that ace transmission Will do a free inspection. Sometimes it's just severely broken down fluid. I've seen cars with 150k+ miles with never having a fluid change. My recommendation would be to drop the pan and replace the tranny fluid. You'll lose about 4 qts. Replace the 4 qts, drive about 3k miles, and do it again. Slowly get the old fluid out by mixing it with new fluid. If that tranny hasn't had regular fluid changes do not, and I repeat do not, replace all the fluid at once. If the shifts start to tighten up then it was the fluid...If not it's likely the solenoid. It could be a band, but those rarely have issues.

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Click to expand...

You lose about 7 to 8 quarts normally. At least I did doing a filter change. I have heard similar tales about not doing a complete flush of the fluid if it's over a certain mileage. Maybe an old wives tale, but I would lean on the knowledge of some of our professional or generally more knowledgeable forum members about that.
 
Pontiac Racer said:
yeah my brother was telling me that if a car has never had a regular transmission fluid change that you shouldn't change the fluid after that point cause its like holding everything together or something along those lines. its my brother so its probably wrong lol. but why shouldn't you change all of the fluid after its due for a change?
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your brothers right to a point. if the fluid is dark, smells burnt, start saving for a tranny. dont flush it or it will die for sure.

if the fluid is red pinkish, and you dont know the service history, then do a pan drop and filter. 8 qts like the other guys said.

if your tanny is having issues, a fluid change or flush WILL NOT fix it. its broken.
 
damn. well i guess ill be saving for a rebuild. any ideas for a cost. $1000+ i saw online. just for a comparison would it be cheaper to get a head gasket replaced or a tranny rebuilt?
 


neither would be under a grand i bet. tranny cost a easy 1600 to 2000. you'll need to shop around. tep sells a basix rebuild for 1600. but your swapping it. shops like to charge like 500 to swap a tranny.

suck some fluid out and try some lucas stuff. it cant hurt it, can only help.
 
long thin clear tubing. it has to be long enough to be put down the dip stick till it hits the pan, then over the fender to the ground.


now take the end and suck on the tube watching the fluid come down the tube ( why a clear tube) as it gets to say mid wheel give it one more suck then put the tube in a drain pan and hold it there till it looks like a qt is out. or use a old qt jug, but make sure the hose end is lower then the trans pan, or it will stop flowing.

jack the front up some or car ramps will help.
 
I call BS. Regal has 160K miles on the original fluid and filter. I swapped it out and it ran awesome. I drove that trans for another 33K miles before misdiagnosing it and swapping it out. Then ... I had to fix the problem. :th_winking:

Scottydoggs said:
your brothers right to a point. if the fluid is dark, smells burnt, start saving for a tranny. dont flush it or it will die for sure.

if the fluid is red pinkish, and you dont know the service history, then do a pan drop and filter. 8 qts like the other guys said.

if your tanny is having issues, a fluid change or flush WILL NOT fix it. its broken.
Click to expand...
 
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