My torque converter locks up consistently, and at the same speeds as it always has, but within the past couple weeks it seems to be acting up. When it does lock up, especially at 49-50mph, it seems to surge before it locks up. I just don't think it'* done this before.

Usually when I slowly reached 49mph before, it would gently engage and the rpms would drop immediately with a soft drone. But this week before it fully locks and makes the typical drone, the rpms kick up a bit first and makes a noise that makes me want to cringe. Then it finally kicks down all the way. The noise isn't HORRIBLE, but it'* something new.

ANOTHER thing I have noticed: While driving down the same hill everyday for work (very long fairly steep hill), I always set cruise control at 50 so I do not gain a ton of speed. With cruise activated I would still gain 3-4mph going downhill.

This morning while going down the hill, cruise set on 50, my speed actually DECREASED by 4-5mph. I thought I read somewhere in the past few months that this was a torque converter problem. No matter what, I should increase speed going down a hill. :?

At 133,000 miles I expect the tranny to show its age even though I baby this car. I am planning on dropping the pan soon to change the filter/fluid.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Thanks!

EDIT: I do realize I should get a scantool on this thing while driving, but I can't spend the money right now.

Yeah, I really don't expect anyone to diagnose something for me. I just figured someone with similar symptoms in the past could help. I probably know more than i think I do, but I tend to ask questions a lot.

I have been babying it ever since I noticed problems, and will take it easy as I cannot afford to put a big chunk of $ into the car again. I have been meaning to change the tranny fluid for a while, but I keep forgetting. I have to assume it'* never been done before. And there'* no "GM Rebuilt Transmission" sticker on this to ease my mind, like there was on my last Bonne. lol

Depending on what i find when I do the tranny service, I may have more questions then. But isn't the decreasing speed while going downhill a red flag?

you know, im betting my Surging Sputtering problem at that 48MH mark is very similar to your new found problem :?

i bet its my TC or 4th gear getting bad

I've always had a very mild shudder while TC is locked up and I'm at 1500rpms (45-50mph). 1900 rpms is ok, but when it goes down to 1500 I get the slight shuddering. I know that is the TCC, but people have had the same shuddering for a long time and they never had problems. I at least take comfort in the fact it engages consistently. But now it seems to be surging before it engages. I do know my tranny should be serviced ASAP.

I actually just thought of some threads I saw a bit ago, I think I'll do some more searching.

ok so we do have the same thing, just that sense you have more Power yours got worse faster

While I have more power, I have an HD trans. You'd think it would all be relative.

EDIT: Now that I think about it...I have been having some issues over the past few months. It does not happen that often at all (though I drive the speed limit most of the time), but at times when punching the gas hard from 70 or so, and getting up past 85-90 where it should shift into 4th, it seems to hesitate at the point where it should shift. I could tell by how I was accelerating where it should have shifted, but it didn't. I thought I was losing 4th gear. Since TCC locks up in 4th I'm thinking this could be related? Thoughts?? I know this is all just guesswork.

I think the problem we are having is not the TC, i think its the 4th gear clutches. i just think there getting warn out and are going to go sooner or later :?