Hello, I am having problems with the tranny on my 93 SE (112,000 miles). If I start the car and try to put it in gear without letting it idle for at least 45 seconds, it will not go into gear. It will make a sound like it kind of goes in, but will not grab like it normally does. If I touch the gas, the rpm'* will go up and it will still just sit there. If I let off of the break and don't touch the gas while it is in drive but not really in gear, the rpm'* will go up by themselves but the car will not move. Does anyone have any idea as to what can be causing it? If I let the car sit and idle for a while, when I go to put it in drive, it will go into gear and the tranny will run fine... I hope it is nothing big going wrong...

I had the opposite problem when my tranny needed rebuilt. It ran fine UNTIL it got warm, then it did what you described.

oh no. I hope that my tranny does not need completely rebuilt. What does a good quality rebuild cost for a 93 SE bonneville?

Mine was 1500 US. It was a new TC, tranny mount, clutch bands, and diff pin. The only thing stopping it from moving was the TC, however.

Wow, you had quite a job done. If mine does need rebuilt, I hope they would still be able to use the existing tranny case to save at least some money.

Has anyone else had exactly the same problem that I was describing when the tranny is cold?

I meant torque convertor, not tranny case. The case is about the only original part left.

i would check those transmission fluid levels and try some lubegard.

ps, ever change out the transmission filter?

If money is tight, a flush may be in order. Should run you about 80 bucks, and could buy you some time. You need to get a scantool on that sucker ASAP, and see what'* really going on so you can plan ahead. The cheapest you'll get by on a rebuild is about 700 bucks, but you get what you pay for. 1200-1500 would be a GOOD rebuild, leaving nothing overlooked.

Hi again, I have never had the fluid changed or filter changed in the tranny which I know is probably not a good thing. I called a few tranny shops to talk to them about the problem. They all seemed to say the same thing. They all said that the seals in the transmission are hardening because of age and are therefore taking a while to build up pressure. They said that once the car runs for a little while, the seals and fluid heat up a little bit and allow it to build up the pressure it needs. They both said that it would need a complete rebuild which would run between $1,000 - $1,400. I am going to wait until the tranny kicks out completely before I do anything to it. They said that a tranny flush would probably make my problem worse because the new fluid would be thicker than mine and would therefore take longer for the pressure to build up. Does anyone have any guesses as to how long I can hope for my tranny to keep working at this stage with the seals hardening? Like I had said in an earlier post, when it is in gear, the transmission works perfectly.

Ok from my experience I would suggest a gm unit and only if you are gentle on the car and don’t put alot of miles on the car. The reason is they cost around the same but come with a 50.000 mile warranty and that is better than any shop I know of. The next best deal is a good rebuild that includes a 3 year 36000 mile deal. Most have a 1 year deal but even a tranny a guy built in his backyard will last that long.

Ty