Automatic Transmission Question

[bh357]

Transmission sometimes does not want to shift into drive, when the vehicle is cold (shortly after startup on cold winter days. Vehicle will back up fine. There are no other driveability issues, and no abnormal noises/feelings in the drivetrain. Problem is intermittant, and seems to go away after the vehicle is warmed up.<br />Vehicle is a 2002 Saturn SL2, with an automatic, and about 50k miles.<br />Thanks.

 

[dolluper]

Re: Automatic Transmission Question

Check Trannie level when it's hot and colour Black colour=seals gone<br />brown= burnt----change fuild<br />red = normal close to changing time 60k<br />shift valve could be sticking but proper warmup probably the issue or low oil level

 

[bh357]

Re: Automatic Transmission Question

Sorry, I forgot to mention that the fluid level is correct when hot, and the fluid is full.

 

[dolluper]

Re: Automatic Transmission Question

Take it out and shift in D1 and manually threw the drive to OD it may have a fleck of clutch blocking in valve body port not allowing pressure to be right to go in to gear this will blast it open??? a couple times around the block at reseasonable shift points though don't hotrod it

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Automatic Transmission Question

It is a common GM problem. It is the cold weather.<br /><br />Bob

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Automatic Transmission Question

If you have a 4sp overdirve trans, and it will not shift into overdrive (4th gear) when the engine is cold, this is not a problem and it is normal. <br />Now, if when it's cold all you have are first & second gear, well, that's odd. Try changing the trans filter.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Automatic Transmission Question

Best advice, let it run for a few minutes. A car should not be started and driven immediatley anyway. You don't have to let it fully warm up, but when it is cold, it is a good idea to let it run at least until the temp guage has started to move and the high idle has come down to normal idle. By that time the fluids have been moved sufficiently and are warmed enough for driving. Even then, the car should be driven with care, not taken out on the highway and flogged. My wife does that and I can hear her Jeep dying a grinding death. She jumps in, starts it, and immediatly drives off. Very bad for a car, especially in our case because we go out onto a 55 mph highway to get to town.

 

[deputydawg]

Re: Automatic Transmission Question

I have worked on many saturns with this same problem. <br />Check everything above. Also could be the trans pump, worn bands, dirty valve body, electrinoc issues among others. <br />I have also found working on these that for the best performance one should change the fluid and filter in the transmission every 40k miles. When you do this make sure they flush the torque converter and trans cooler. If not the new oil will contaminate right away.