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.

Hey randallons,

My 92 has the same problem, and there are some others here with the same issue, none of us can work out the problem. Maybe you could read these topic and let us know what you think :roll:

http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...824&highlight=

http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...110&highlight=

http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...444&highlight=

http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...379&highlight=

http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...380&highlight=

Cheers,

Andrew

Oh cool, thanks man...Well what you've decribed seems to be the exact same problem in my 97 sse. It sucks that there is no definitave answer. But I guess I just change out all the suggested parts. Any recommendation on brands of plugs and wires? Ones that I can get from napa?

Just stay away from Bosch.

NGK Iridiums are great :shock: Taylor wires are good. But AC Delco parts in general work perfectly

No problems. I have changed stuff to no avail. I did a tranny flush, no change at all.

The only thing I havent done is a fuel injector clean/change, coil pack change or transmission replace.

I found these two articles to be helpful:

http://www.c2c-auto.com/what_is_torq...er_shudder.htm

http://www.atra-gears.com/gears/02jul/2002_07_22.pdf

Wires and Plugs! I went through this too.

Wires and plugs for mine, too. And a 93 LeSabre (mom's). And an L27 (Jseabert's). This is what it USUALLY is with those symptoms. Not always, but usually.

Does auto zone or murrays carry the NGK plugs if so what type should I get and what wiring?

Just an update here....So i just finished installing new plugs, Delco Niridium, what ever they are, they were 6 bones each. I did the wires as well as a pcv. I'm about to see how she runs. I need to find a road with a nice incline to truly see it this resolved the problem. wish me luck

is yours worse when its hot ? Mine behaves great until its been running for about 20 mins. Then it starts getting worse.

I am waiting on your results - I have changed my plugs and wires too. Never changed my PCV though

Damn, after changing plugs, wires, pcv, adding a some lucas fule cleaner, oil change, and a car wash, it's still doing it. its definlatly running stronger but its still doing it. I dont try it on a really steep incline yet though. And yeh, i think its worse when its fully warmed up.

sorry dude - I have done it too. Frustrating isnt it. But you have to do it to eliminate that as a cause.

I think I will get some coil packs from a wreckers and see if that helps. Thats the next thing for me.

Cheers,

Andrew

Yours get worse when its hot? Sounds like a tranny to me, i had a tranny that wouldnt shift when it got hot on a car i almost bought. Good thing i was able to check it out a lot, and found all the crap in there. Damn thing would go up to 30 MPH and then the engine would slow a lil bit, then it would run up and i'd fall out of gear. I really wanted that SSE to be in good shape too. Oh i was on 494, a very slow interstate and it only went up to 30 mph so i was good on that. When i got to my exit i pulled over, open the hood, and let the engine bay cool. Worked after that...

Yeah, it is great when cold. But after about 20 mins of driving, it starts acting up, and the longer I drive, the worse it gets. It gets so bad that on some hills, I have to kick it down just to maintain speed.

Yeah, it could be a tranny. Weird though. When it sits at work all day, without me driving anywhere, it starts doing it right away as soon as I drive away, even though the engine is cold.

Yeah I really dont know...But it seems like it has gotten better since the tune up. My optimistic theory is that the old man who owned this car before me never really took it on the highway. So maybe the injectors are just a bit clogged? The problem is seeming to get better the more I drive it. Friday I'm taking the car on a 300 Miles round trip, well see how she acts after that....IS there any other things I should tune up? I bought the fuel filter, but breifly lloked for it and couldnt find it. I thought it was on drivers side near gas tank?

On my 92, its under the passenger side, bolted under the firewall area. On the 97, I am not sure.

Fuel Filter on the 97' should be in front of the passenger side rear wheel kinda under the back seat. As for your problem my 96' SE was starting to do the same thing. I put some 0 to 60 Octane Boost/Cleaner and started running 93 octane fuel and it seems to be a lot better, there is fuel cleaners that are a lot better than the 0 to 60 but it was the only thing the store had. For this reason I would have to say it is probably something to do with the fuel system. There has been a couple guys on BC that had some hesitation problems and replace the entire fuel rail and injectors. They said it made all the differnce. Just a little FYI.

Update to my "trasmission problem".: The tune up didn't fix the problem, though it has mad e difference. I guess that would suggest a fuel system problem. For the next couple weeks I'm only running 93 octane and a bottle fuel cleaner every tank. I'll probably change the fuel filter too. Beside that though she's running great. Very fast. Any other tune up suggestions?

Update again
 

So yeah, it's still happening, after driving a lot latly, I've relaized the tune up didn't to much at to help. But a Check engine light came on, got teh codes ran. I think teh code was 440? 1440? I fogot, shoudl have worte it down. And basically what it soemthing to do with teh EGR, and probably due to a dirty intake or some shit. Is there any way to clean this?

Well he reset the light, and will see how soon it come back on.

I would pay close attention to the code - It may be revealing to you the source of your problem.

Randallons,

Yes the EGR can be cleaned--I have performed this repair on my '94 Blazer. It is in the front of the engine on the driver's side. Before you begin, you will need some carb cleaner and a new gasket. Disconnect and remove your EGR valve. Spray carb cleaner in the EGR and work the plunger back and forth until it no longer sticks. Rinse it out with more carb cleaner and repeat. Let it dry THOROUGHLY before you re-install and re-connect.

I paid for mine to be done by a mechanic (once), but the second time it fouled up I did the exact same thing that the mechanic did--only better. It didn't foul up on me the rest of the time I owned it. This is only supposed to be cleaned once--after that you are supposed to replace it. I didn't have the $$ at the time so I cleaned it. This should only take one hour including dry time.