Saturn Trans Problem/Question...

[TCCustoms]

ok, got the car(99 sc2) about a week ago and was warned about the trans shifting REALLY hard and never had it do it til today! I was out driving it hard with my brother(first ride in the new car) so im assuming the trans was quite warm. Its an automatic and have read alot of problems with it but heres a quick vid so let me know if this is the solenoid problem everyone talks about...

CLICK my Homepage link when you click my Username to get it since i dont have 15 post in yet...Im working on it, lol!

[quantumech]

First, and simplest thing you want to try is changing the transmission fluid and filter. I don't personally have any experience with the auto transmission, but that sounds and looks like what others have described for the valve body/and or input shaft nut.

Might want to start talking with Special Forces about a valve body. He rebuilds them, and nobody seems to complain about them afterwards.

[bobyjones]

Originally Posted by TCCustoms

ok, got the car(99 sc2) about a week ago and was warned about the trans shifting REALLY hard and never had it do it til today! I was out driving it hard with my brother(first ride in the new car) so im assuming the trans was quite warm. Its an automatic and have read alot of problems with it but heres a quick vid so let me know if this is the solenoid problem everyone talks about...

CLICK my Homepage link when you click my Username to get it since i dont have 15 post in yet...Im working on it, lol!

heres one solution.. automatic dohc trans usually need to be 1-2mm over the top of the trans fluid fill line(when read correctly, engine running and hot) for it to shift correctly, I've seen an exactly filled tranny bang and the same one get even worse with 1mm- 2mm under the top of the fill line, and then once I get it 1-2 mm over it's better..,, top of with lucas trans fluid.. if you are leaking and have higher mileage white shepherd ($34 a bottle) worked for me to stop a profuse tranny leak

also when your engine runs over 3/8 on your temp guage in an automatic, as soon as you start getting over that temp, your trans will start to bang more.. so if you have a extra heating problem a manual fan switch may help keep down the temps of your engine and transmission..

I had this heating problem cause reverse slam on 3 cars I've seen so far.. when its right below half or maybe a little warm it would slam, plus if I was going downhill and put it into reverse it would slam more, the opposite if I was facing uphill

I've seen screwed up trannys last forever just dont beat on it..

[bobyjones]

Originally Posted by quantumech

First, and simplest thing you want to try is changing the transmission fluid and filter. I don't personally have any experience with the auto transmission, but that sounds and looks like what others have described for the valve body/and or input shaft nut.

Might want to start talking with Special Forces about a valve body. He rebuilds them, and nobody seems to complain about them afterwards.

change your fluids too.. try my overfill fix first real quick, it may help

[bobyjones]

Originally Posted by bobyjones

I had this heating problem cause reverse slam on 3 cars I've seen so far.. when its right below half or maybe a little warm it would slam, plus if I was going downhill and put it into reverse it would slam more, the opposite if I was facing uphill

by a little warm I mean 7/16 over 3/8 but under 1/2 on your temp gauge, severe slam over 1/2

also there is the reverse slam fix and comparable methods for 1st 2nd and 3rd gears, where you drive around you neighbor hood in your slamming gear to purge it for 20 minutes at 2200 rpm or so.. as opposed to in reverse against a wall.. doing the same thing for 20 minutes(not at 2200 rpms in reverse, lol, just against a wall in reverse gear, engine running, with e-brake on for 20 minutes.. foot off the gas)

[TCCustoms]

should have stated this in original post as i see its recommended but it had a flush done and i added the Lucas yesterday. I had a 97 SC2 and loved the car and it had a manual trans so im not familiar with all this BS on these auto trans....not a very good trans if they are this picky in my opinion. The fluid should be alittle over cuz i did drop some fluid to add the lucas just to play it safe as i know a quart dont make much difference but i dont like being that much over or even knowing its over, lol.

[bobyjones]

2mm over the top of the fill line should only be 1/3 of a quart or less, you have to read it warm, after driving for 10 miles on the highway

I prefer to do my fluids because i know what I'm using, Mobil1 ATF will help it shift better ive dont the 45$ worth of (5.3 aka 6 quarts of mobil1)fluid thing for an automatic and seen it help the transmission shift alot smoother..

It would be worth swapping it out, other ATF they give you at a garage probably isn't all that great.. I also had luck with a 5spd with trans issues swapping to mobil1 to stop the problem

[1996SL11.9L]

What ever you decide to do, do not drive it too long with it slam shifting. It will beat the trans to pieces and kill it.

[TCCustoms]

well this was the first it did it and i was out SHOWING OFF as most would say for a short time and thats not how i normally drive as ive had the car for about a week now and this was the first it did it....its not pleasant to drive like that so i dont know how someone could handle their car doin that

[bobyjones]

learn in what gear at what rpm it slams and try to avoid gunning it near that, be careful near that, try not to gun it at all, I had this problem at 36mph and I took care of it(never beat it) and never even changed the tranny oil all the way and it out lasted the engine at 210k+ I was being lazy oh well..

Ive heard too that changing tranny oil on a bad automatic tranny will make it break quicker, I'm not sure how true that is, but in my case I couldn't prove that wrong

you can learn how to make it not slam ever or rarely if you do it right lol

[bobyjones]

I almost guarantee overfilling it by 1-2 mm will fix/help that problem though, shifting badly all the time.. 2mm even more maybe? try a few levels 4+ mm over won't kill your tranny(for a short time) if it fixes it great, maybe even 3mm over is in order.. you can always drain some.... maybe all the missing metal from all the miles requires more pressure in your clutches hence more fluid, who knows.. I know more pressure comes from adding more fluid, and the right pressures(more than just filled to the line) will help you shift better..

[TCCustoms]

also, how hard or how do you replace the valve body? thanks, Travis

[adventureoflink]

Originally Posted by TCCustoms

also, how hard or how do you replace the valve body? thanks, Travis

The instructions are in the how-to library. If you can change your oil, you can do a valve body (but be careful not to get any of the bolts into the transaxle).

[TCCustoms]

kool, makes it nice since you can access the valve body from the engine compartment and not have to go underneath...Ordering one from Special Forces soon after i hear back from him

[al0ns0o]

Hey, i have a trasmission problem too, usually the engine temperature is about a quarter gauge, but when it comes up, the transmission get stucked on 2nd gear, i had to connect the radiator fan directly to avoid this problem, anyway, when cold start, the reverse gear comes just fine, but when the temperature comes up to "usually normal" i have to rev the engine just a about 1200 RPM's to make it work.. i haven't change the oil fluid/filter, i want to be sure before spend my money..

[adventureoflink]

First, did you replace the ECTS and/or the connector? The original resin/plastic one can cause problems. Instructions are in the how-to library.

Next, how is your fluid? is it at the proper level? is it black/burning?

[TCCustoms]

ok, i changed the valve body, re-torqued the input and output shaft nuts, and changed the ECTS and even had battery unhooked but still didnt cure it....better but not cured.

So heres my next question...when you check the fluid after out driving the car and its up to temp after a good drive and you stop to check the fluid...should it be just about or at the FULL mark or should it be at the MAX HOT line(bout 1/2" higher than the full mark? I want to clarify which one it should be at???

ALSO, this was from another thread called REVERSE SLAM Cure All....did he mean the solenoid or is there a servo that i should be checking out also??

Originally Posted by racyroy1

Hi, Change your line pressure servo, it's the one that releases pressure when you shift gears, it's probably bad. I had the exact problem in my sw2 and I put in new servo and the problem went away. Hopefully that's your fix also.