Hard to describe tranny slipage? Advice needed.
 

Hmm, I'll try to explain...As some of you may know I just bought my second bonnie last week. Today, I took it out for it's first real highway run since I got it. It seems like the tranny is slippin or the engine is missing or something. I should have been more scientific logging my findings but I did find out some consistant things. When going uphill, steep or gradual, it has a real bad hesitation or slip or whatever. This does not happen when engine is reved, or downshifted to 3rd. Also when this is happening it causes the car to subtly vibrate, but the mirror rattles like a motha. I havn't noticed this going 60 on a flat road, only slightly. Beside that the enigine runs perfect, and tranny seems to shifting on time. What do you recommend? Thanks!

Doesn't sound like slip to me. Sounds like plugs/wires.

I should aslo note that it's not just one hestation, its constant. The RPM will go back and forth between, i Don't know, 1700, and 2200. Yeah plaugs and wires are probably original anyway.

What condition is the trans fluid in? Brown? Smells Burnt?

I guess it was more on the brown side than red. Should a trans be a problem after 49K miles?

Shouldn't, but that doesn't mean it's not. Sounds like you're due for a good tuneup anyway. At 50k, I'd do plugs/wires, fuel filter, O2 sensor (just the #1), PCV valve, and air filter. Stuff that needs to be done anyway, and it may just solve your problem.

Bad plugs/wires will feel very much like water in the fuel, if you've ever experienced that. Usually hesitates under accelleration.

Yeah that sounds more like engine misfire. Probably needs new plugs/wires. My 95 had bad wires and the #3 cylinder was misfiring, the whole car would shimmy when that happened.

Prob not as bad as when i really messed my engine up when installing wires... Had the #2 and #4 wires crossed... Well it wasn't too bad actually i didn't think there was a problem at idle, start was rough but i didn't know if the new wires had a rough first start. Only got bad once you got up in high rpms and the engine wasn't balanced at all... I think it happened when my dad came out and picked on up from the rear when i had them just drapped thru to the front, but the seperator wasn't closed.... Just traced it back and it's fine now!

Yeah...I thought I had tranny problems too a while back. I still may be due to have the fluid at least changed, etc. But my real problem was the wires and plugs. They (wires) were original most likely at 113K miles. Got the Taylors and new performance plugs and it runs extremely better.

Another idea - Your torque converter clutch may be slipping due to the trans fluid being spent, so if it is burnt it should be changed out, at least as a maintenance measure.

Could also be plugs, wires, etc.