Ok.....My car is really starting to nickel and dime me to death. But this seems almost more like a few hundred dollar fix.

when i decide to drive like a grandma, it will shift into second fine. But any other time, the car will shift hard into second...Sometimes slams into second...

Also, it likes to skip third a lot.

I went to advanced auto and they ran the codes. They came up with 2nd 3rd and 4th gear

What do you mean by they came up with 2nd 3rd and 4th? These transmissions aren't computer controlled i thought the only code they could show are TCC related? Well in any sense it sounds like you have either A: A vacuum modulater problem (the canister on the front of your tranny that controls shift "feel") or B: an in-depth transmission problem that needs to be professionally diagnosed. Get back to us.

I'm putting my money on the Vacuum Modulator. It sounds like you aren't getting 1st gear [a symptom of a mal-functioning Vacuum Modulator]. I had a dead VM, and I lost 1st gear, unless I put the car in 1st [on the gear selector]. I also had very harsh engagements from 2-3 no matter what throttle position, and harsh engagements from 1-2 under WOT [smooth under WOT].

Lets do a test. Put the car in 1st [we are going to manually shift your auto for today]. Drive.. drive until you need to shift [of course after the car is up to temp]. Then once you get to that point, drop it into 2nd. Is it smooth? Now, keep it in 2nd and come to a stop. Then take off again [does the car have the same acceleration as it did before? or is it slower?]. Then once you are about to shift [or you think you are about to] pay attention to the feel of the shift. Does it shift? If it does, what did it feel like? Do these tests at light throttle and WOT. Also try this from the 2-3 shift [same process, just with the gear selector in 2 and D, instead of 1 and 2].

Alec: Our transmissions are NOT electronic, they are hydraulic, however the ECU is notified of what gear the car is in [1st gear: OFF. 2nd gear: ON. 3rd gear: OFF. 4th gear: OFF]. Like that if the car were in 2nd gear. The TCC engagement is reliant upon this operation, because the TCC will only engage in 3rd and 4th [at a certain TPS voltage and engine temp].


-justin

and the computer codes did throw a 2nd 3rd and 4th gear switch problem.
I'll throw you all of the codes it ran off.

code 13 O2 sensor
history code 22 TPS signal voltage too low
history code 23 MAT signal too low
history code 24 VSS sensor short circuit
history code 25 MAT sensor signal too high
history code 26 QDM Fault
History Code 27 2nd gear switch problem
CODE 28 3rd gear switch problem
history code 28 3rd gear switch problem
code 29 4th gear switch problem
History code 29 4th gear switch problem
code 42 Ign Sys EST fault
code 44 O2 sensor lean
code 49 vaccuum leak
code 64 EGR solenoid #2 problem
code 65 EGR solenoid #1 problem

*******This was all before i changed tranny fluid. But tranny doesnt seem better. It dosent slam into relerse since the fluid and filter change though.**************

will try tonight...
thanks

Try to erase or clear the codes, and then drive for a bit and see which ones it will stre....There are a lot of history codes that are set, but may no longer be relevant or a problem any more.

Holy crap dude! You have a LOT of problems! It looks like rats got to your electrical! Have you resolved any of those issues yet?


-justin

That sounded more like a list of possible codes and not real ones. How were they pulled ? Agree, pull the battery and try again. While a bad ECM *might* fill the error bytes with ones, it is unlikely (each code is a bit set in the low memory. If you load an "F" in one of those bytes, you will get eight sequential errors).

The other factor is that if all of those codes are set, the engine will run oddly. Since I have several, I'd probably swap the ECM but not until making sure the power and ground lines were solid. Electronics really do not like spikes.

I did the manual shift thing...
I noticed that it does go into 3rd.
The problem is that it goes into overdrive and the RPM'* are at say 1600...A second later or so they'll drop down a couple hundred RPM'*
I dont have a 4spw/od in a 3spw/od do I?!

1989 bonne le

by the way...1st to 2nd is still hard when you shift manually and acceleration is the same.

ok. well then why does it skip this stage about half of the time???