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erratic shifting?


douellette

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hi, every once in a while when i take off from a stop the transmission shift erratically from 1st to 2nd. it starts to shift and then there is like a 1 to 2 second delay/lag before it shifts into 2nd. and when it does shift its alot harder/firmer than usual. but it only does this every great once in a while. i changed the transmission fluid this past fall. what could be the cause? anything to worry about? and its a 97 cutlass 3100

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Heres a 10 step guide to solve your problem

 

 

1. go to http://www.car-part.com

2. search 1997

3. cutlass (after 1988)

4. search for automatic tranmission

5. sory by distance

6. select transmission you'd like

7. drive to junk yard of choice

8. pay for it

9. find someone to install it

10. pray it works

 

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Sounds like it could be a bad vacuum modulator. It is on the front face of the transmission and has a metal line plumbed to it. Unhook the line from the modulator, turn the modulator so it's vacuum connector faces down and see if any fluid leaks out. if so, replace. if it doubt, replace it anyhow... and make sure the vacuum line is 100% hooked up.

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Sounds like it could be a bad vacuum modulator. It is on the front face of the transmission and has a metal line plumbed to it. Unhook the line from the modulator, turn the modulator so it's vacuum connector faces down and see if any fluid leaks out. if so, replace. if it doubt, replace it anyhow... and make sure the vacuum line is 100% hooked up.

 

I'll be damned if this works, because I had the exact same problem he's having and spent $900 to have my transmission rebuilt at 144k, and he's nearing right up there. They told me I had burned through my clutch plates. Its probably not coincidence that I did a 100 foot burnout just a couple of months prior.

 

Heres a 10 step guide to solve your problem

 

 

1. go to http://www.car-part.com

2. search 1997

3. cutlass (after 1988)

4. search for automatic tranmission

5. sory by distance

6. select transmission you'd like

7. drive to junk yard of choice

8. pay for it

9. find someone to install it

10. pray it works

 

 

Rob, the answer to all transmission problems is not a rebuild/new trans. Take my shifting into reverse problem, which turns out is nothing more than a parking brake actuator that you can get for under $30 shipped with 2 day shipping.

 

Although your suggestion does make me want to go out and buy a trans to rebuild just for the hell of having a spare one lying around if mine were to ever fail.

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Ive checked it cold cause i didn't have time to wait to check it warm. but i don't believe its leaking at all.

 

i bought a new "universal GM" modulator valve from advance auto parts, so ill see if replacing that fixes anything.

 

And also idk if it makes a difference or not, but every once in a while when driving i can smell hot tranny fluid. im pretty sure its from my car and not from someone im following.

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okay i bought the modulator valve, but havnt checked the old one yet or installed the new one. but when i took the new one of the box and pulled the little rubber cap off the end of it, the little rod thingy that goes into the tranny just like fell out of the modulator, is this supposed to be like this? i dont want to take the chance of it falling out and into the tranny.

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