Ok guys, I am having another problem with my w-body, but it seems to be transmission relation.

[89-W-Body-Regal]

I was driving the Buick today and it all started going weird on me. I just replaced the air filter and did a brake job and now something else goes onIt’s enough to stress you the hell out.

 

All of a sudden, the engine stalled out after every couple of mins and I would have to shift back into park and start the vehicle again to get it going. It would occur mostly when I cut my wheel and turn out of a parking lot or corner the vehicle and the engine would completely stall out.

It stalled out 3 times, one time when the vehicle stalled out, I shift back into park from drive and the transmission made a loud noise. On occasions and not only today, the transmission would be in drive and when driving it would not engage moving forward. I would have to shift back into park and shift into drive again for the transmission to move the car forward. 



A couple years ago the vehicle would do the same thing, but a little different, at higher speeds, the vehicle would slow it self down and stall out on the highway at around 55-65 mph. I took it to one shop and they did a diagnostic test on it and found out the torque converter control solenoid kept making the transmission go into overdrive causing the engine to stall out intermittently. They disconnected it and said I didn't need to use it because it wouldn't cause any damage to the transmission, it was just designed to improve gas mileage, mostly. After it was disconnected, it did not stall out intermittently anymore, it would just stall out on occasions.

Today it started doing it again but I could not get it to stop stalling out. I think this time it might be the torque converter. I checked the transmission fill level and it was full, clean and did not smell burnt. I did a trans pan gasket on it myself last year so I know it's not dirty or containmented.

I know this one shop who does transmission diagnostics. Do you have any advice from experience? Something I should let them know so they will know how to fix it? I am a beginner mechanic but do not have any transmission scan tool to do a torque converter test or see what the transmission is doing. So I would rather take it to a specialist to someone who knows transmissions so they can do a torque converter test on the scanner driving it to see what’s it doing. Please know even if I could, I cannot do a test myself, I don’t have a tachometer to see Rpms and don’t have a scan tool specialize for transmissions.

Edited June 28, 2021 by 89-W-Body-Regal

[Schurkey]

2 hours ago, 89-W-Body-Regal said:

the engine stalled out after every couple of mins and I would have to shift back into park and start the vehicle again to get it going. It would occur mostly when I cut my wheel and turn out of a parking lot or corner the vehicle and the engine would completely stall out.

It stalled out 3 times, one time when the vehicle stalled out, I shift back into park from drive and the transmission made a loud noise. On occasions and not only today, the transmission would be in drive and when driving it would not engage moving forward. I would have to shift back into park and shift into drive again for the transmission to move the car forward. 



A couple years ago the vehicle would do the same thing, but a little different, at higher speeds, the vehicle would slow it self down and stall out on the highway at around 55-65 mph. I took it to one shop and they did a diagnostic test on it and found out the torque converter control solenoid kept making the transmission go into overdrive causing the engine to stall out intermittently. They disconnected it and said I didn't need to use it because it wouldn't cause any damage to the transmission, it was just designed to improve gas mileage, mostly. After it was disconnected, it did not stall out intermittently anymore, it would just stall out on occasions.

Today it started doing it again but I could not get it to stop stalling out. I think this time it might be the torque converter. I checked the transmission fill level and it was full, clean and did not smell burnt. I did a trans pan gasket on it myself last year so I know it's not dirty or containmented.

I know this one shop who does transmission diagnostics. Do you have any advice from experience? Something I should let them know so they will know how to fix it? I am a beginner mechanic but do not have any transmission scan tool to do a torque converter test or see what the transmission is doing. So I would rather take it to a specialist to someone who knows transmissions so they can do a torque converter test on the scanner driving it to see what’s it doing. Please know even if I could, I cannot do a test myself, I don’t have a tachometer to see Rpms and don’t have a scan tool specialize for transmissions.

Your current stalling problem when turning the wheel sharply, seems to be more power-steering related than transmission related.  I'd be looking at the PS pressure switch and it's wiring.

Your previous and current problems with the transmission are going to require real diagnosis.  The folks who dicked with the transmission before--telling you that the torque converter solenoid "makes the transmission go into overdrive" should not be trusted.

[89-W-Body-Regal]

8 hours ago, Schurkey said:

Your current stalling problem when turning the wheel sharply, seems to be more power-steering related than transmission related.  I'd be looking at the PS pressure switch and it's wiring.

Your previous and current problems with the transmission are going to require real diagnosis.  The folks who dicked with the transmission before--telling you that the torque converter solenoid "makes the transmission go into overdrive" should not be trusted.

I honestly doubt it’s the power steering pressure switch because I replaced it not long ago when I had the rack replaced. But that’s worth checking into because it is related to a stalling issue. I will also check the wiring to make sure it’s good. But was disconnecting the TCC switch a good idea? It stopped the stalling since than until now. That loud back in drive really makes me think something with the transmission is going on inside. Can they determine that on a scan tool with the torque converter? Torque converters cause stalling when they lock up and have overheating issues if I am not mistaken ?

Edited June 28, 2021 by 89-W-Body-Regal

[89-W-Body-Regal]

Ok so I checked, the power steering pressure switch was replaced but I don’t have a pressure kit to check it. So I rather just let someone diagnosis it because I have a feeling I am going to need to have the trans taken apart so while they are doing that I’ll make sure to tell them to check the switch to see if it’s related to the issue I am having.

Edited June 28, 2021 by 89-W-Body-Regal

[Schurkey]

8 hours ago, 89-W-Body-Regal said:

But was disconnecting the TCC switch a good idea? It stopped the stalling since than until now. That loud back in drive really makes me think something with the transmission is going on inside. Can they determine that on a scan tool with the torque converter? Torque converters cause stalling when they lock up and have overheating issues if I am not mistaken ?

Torque converter clutches cause stalling at very low speed, like when the car comes to a stop.  Which is why they're always disabled in first gear.  They do NOT cause stalling at highway speed like you described.   The trans will run hot when the converter clutch is NOT locked up, because most of the heat in a transmission is created by the fluid in the torque converter getting churned around until the molecules get dizzy.  When the converter clutch is engaged, the fluid isn't being churned--so there's little heat generated.

Disabling the torque converter clutch was a TERRIBLE idea.  Do not go back to the boneheads that did that unless you can get them to pay damages.  (Not likely.)

Wouldn't surprise me that the trans has internal failure(s) that will require removal, disassembly, and inspection; with failed parts getting replaced.

Among the things I'd be looking at on the scan tool, would be the idle speed control's ability to actually control idle speed.  There may be a way to determine if the PS pressure switch is working properly, too.

[Jim_rockford_007]

When is the last time you changed the fluid and filter? 

[89-W-Body-Regal]

On 6/29/2021 at 5:47 PM, Jim_rockford_007 said:

When is the last time you changed the fluid and filter? 

Last year and that didn’t fix the slippage problems I am having in drive. Plus it leaks too when it sits. So it’s probably leaking internal. The last time the transmission was first rebuilt was in 1998. The shop I took it too said it could be a piston inside not moving in and out. So likely it’s going to need a rebuilt because with it stalling every single couple of mins in drive it could be a problem. The transmission is putting a load on the engine and the engine can’t progress it.

Edited July 30, 2021 by 89-W-Body-Regal

[89-W-Body-Regal]

On 6/28/2021 at 5:21 PM, Schurkey said:

Torque converter clutches cause stalling at very low speed, like when the car comes to a stop.  Which is why they're always disabled in first gear.  They do NOT cause stalling at highway speed like you described.   The trans will run hot when the converter clutch is NOT locked up, because most of the heat in a transmission is created by the fluid in the torque converter getting churned around until the molecules get dizzy.  When the converter clutch is engaged, the fluid isn't being churned--so there's little heat generated.

Disabling the torque converter clutch was a TERRIBLE idea.  Do not go back to the boneheads that did that unless you can get them to pay damages.  (Not likely.)

Wouldn't surprise me that the trans has internal failure(s) that will require removal, disassembly, and inspection; with failed parts getting replaced.

Among the things I'd be looking at on the scan tool, would be the idle speed control's ability to actually control idle speed.  There may be a way to determine if the PS pressure switch is working properly, too.

You could actually be right. I have every single document to this car of all the work we had done to it over the years. I know the exact dates when repairs have been done. About 15 years ago, is when we started having the stalling out problem. That’s when the place disconnect the torque control solenoid and said it was fixed. But no it wasn’t fixed. It would stall out occasions when I would make a sharp turn out of a parking lot. But it would never keep stalling out on me like it’s doing now. 

As for the power steering switch, that was replaced in 2017 along with the steering rack. After it was replaced, it wouldn’t stall out anymore on occasions. But now it’s doing it every couple of mins. So I think it’s transmission related. I did hear a bang when I put it back into park when it stalled out. So I think all of this connects to the transmission. 
 

It’s at the shop so I will have to see what they tell me. I wrote the owner a complete letter of what it’s doing. I know the car more than they do. Just not a transmission expert.

Edited July 30, 2021 by 89-W-Body-Regal