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Hard shifting transmission question


Big_Ed

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The transmission in my 96 Cutlass shifts hard when it goes from 1-2, especially when the car's not warmed up. All other shifts feel normal at all temperatures. It feels like I have a shift kit, but I know it doesn't. The 1-2 shift gets smoother as the car is fully warmed up, but even then it's a tad firmer than normal. I was thinking of having the trans flushed and a new filter installed. The fluid isn't brown, but it's not quite the nice clean red it should be.

(3.1 with 88K miles)

 

What do you guys think the problem is? Will a flush job help?

Thanks!

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I know in my 94 CS I used to have, I had the trans flushed and a new filter installed. It shifted really hard into 2nd for the next 2 weeks, and then one day with my foot on the brake, I put it in reverse, and the reverse gear, or ring or whatever exploded, this was 2 weeks after the filter change and flush, at I think 128k miles. May not be your problem but thought I'd mention it.

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Check the vacuum line right below the air box. Its a hard metal line that runs to the transmission, and then has a rubber elbow. Mine has cracked twice in the past four years. It made the 1-2 shifts feel terrible.

 

If the line is fine, pull it off and see if its leaking fluid. That means the vacuum modulator is going bad.

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