Transmission Problems???

Fastbird93 · 12-22-2004, 06:06 AM

I'm hoping not, but expecting the worst. Just got home from taking the fiancee' to work and while I was on the highway doing about 70, I went to go around someone and put the gas to the floor. Figured what the heck. Car downshifts, and RPM's rise to 4500 and that's it. So I back off the throttle a bit and the car comes up a gear and starts pulling. Odd, but ok. Tried it again and same thing. Gas on the floor car wouldn't go above 4500 RPM and wasn't pulling at all. Let it come up a gear from third to fourth by backing off the throttle some and it starts pulling.

So I purposely take a side road home with some stop lights in hopes to see what would happen to a WOT run from a dead stop. Green light, ease into the WOT, and this time it only hit 3000-3500 RPM before stopping dead in it's tracks. Back off the throttle some and it starts pulling.

This brick wall feels just like that. One second the car is pulling along then suddenly the RPM's (and speed accordingly) just stop moving up. I can feel the tranny trying to lock up but it just won't.

Cliff notes: Wide Open Throttle = brick wall at 3000-4500 RPM depending on gear/speed. Less than wide open throttle = 1 gear higher than max accelerating gear but no brick wall.

Anyone have any experience with this?? I hate to think the car is going to have to go in the shop less than a week after the purchase.
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2000 LS8 Sport

grecian81 · 12-22-2004, 07:18 AM

I haven't had any transmission problems at such a high speed with mine. I got an '01, v8. I have however had acceleration lag at city driving speeds and tomorrow have an appointment for an entire tranny flush. I had a leak so that's what prompted the dealer visit. I've got about 64 k on mine and suppose the tranny needs refreshed after that. Check to see if your fluid is almost black like mine was and i would suggest a flush to solve your problem.

Fastbird93 · 12-22-2004, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grecian81

I haven't had any transmission problems at such a high speed with mine. I got an '01, v8. I have however had acceleration lag at city driving speeds and tomorrow have an appointment for an entire tranny flush. I had a leak so that's what prompted the dealer visit. I've got about 64 k on mine and suppose the tranny needs refreshed after that. Check to see if your fluid is almost black like mine was and i would suggest a flush to solve your problem.

I'll check that out to be sure, thanks.

Fastbird93 · 12-23-2004, 04:29 AM

I'm starting to wonder if it's the fuel pump, as it's starting to act like it is. Yesterday it was just a medium to high RPM/high load situation, and this morning this is how it went:

Taking her (my fiancee) to work, it was absolutely fine, although I didn't put it into the previously mentioned high RPM/load situation. Accelerated just fine up to 80 MPH on the highway on ramp. After dropping her off about 25 minutes later, having never shut off the car at all, I get back on the highway, and the sucker (car) would barely make it to 70 MPH under normal acceleration. It took a feather touch to get it to accelerate to 80. Then once off the highway, I noticed it "slipping" everywhere, and surging while trying to maintain 45-50 MPH!!!!!

My observations is that it's heat failure related, and could very well be fuel system related.

Of note, there was a leaking valve cover when we first looked at the car which has since been fixed. Although I have my doubts as to 1 or 2 coils being the cause of the issue.

el es · 12-23-2004, 07:29 AM

i had somehting similar happen way back and it turned out to be a hose that had a hole form on it. It was dealer replaced and they didn't write it up becasue it was such a small job so I can't even go to my paperwork. I think the hose became a problem after they worked on my valve covers.

I would get a bright flash light and poke around the engine compartment looking at hoses.

I also had my fule pumps and REM replaced recently to correct a shutdown problem. The only way for them to diag fuel pumps is to put guages on the fuel lines in the engine compartment, tape them to the windshield and drive drive drive and drive.

They have to look for the dip in pressure. I think it is supposed to hold about 40psi, could be wrong, mine would drop to 15psi or less and then just flat shutdown.

Have you changed the fuel filter?

Fastbird93 · 12-23-2004, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by el es

i had somehting similar happen way back and it turned out to be a hose that had a hole form on it. It was dealer replaced and they didn't write it up becasue it was such a small job so I can't even go to my paperwork. I think the hose became a problem after they worked on my valve covers.

I would get a bright flash light and poke around the engine compartment looking at hoses.

I also had my fule pumps and REM replaced recently to correct a shutdown problem. The only way for them to diag fuel pumps is to put guages on the fuel lines in the engine compartment, tape them to the windshield and drive drive drive and drive.

They have to look for the dip in pressure. I think it is supposed to hold about 40psi, could be wrong, mine would drop to 15psi or less and then just flat shutdown.

Have you changed the fuel filter?

Hmmmm......the day before we picked the car up the driver side valve cover was replaced.......Something to DEFINITELY look at!!

I've done the fuel pressure driving test by taping the gauge on the windshield on my trans am's before. That's no big thing at all.

If there's ANY chance you remember anything specific about which hose was replaced, PLEASE let me know.

Thanks for the help!!

el es · 12-23-2004, 09:12 AM

well that should save you a few days or weeks of test driving. They had my LS for 3 months and I am not stretching the truth not even by a day.

I wil try to contact my SA and see if they had any notes on the job. If I can come up with anything I will certainly post it.

el es · 12-23-2004, 09:17 AM

Now that I think of it my problem was also throwing the CEL and was giving the same code a loose gas cap would. So it must have been a vac hose for the fuel system. I will call my SA though to see if I can get any info.

el es · 12-23-2004, 09:31 AM

ok they replaced the vac line to vapor mgmt valve. I am not certin where that is and won't be able to check my books till I get home.

Fastbird93 · 12-23-2004, 09:43 AM

Well I poked around under there and didn't see anything abnormal looking.

This sucks.

Fastbird93 · 12-23-2004, 09:49 AM

Ok, I just made an appt. at the dealership for next Thursday. Thank goodness for warranties.

The worst part about this is that I do ALL of my own work. However, this is hard to accomplish without the help of service manuals, which I Haven't been able to find!!!!!

el es · 12-23-2004, 10:19 AM

at least you have the warranty. I bought cd's and books online, ebay. I have a friend that uses alldata.com at his shop and have found it to be a great resource as well. DIYers can subscribe to alldata.com. Eventually you will discover that there are a number of specialty tools that are next to impossible to procure plus you will need a good obdII scan tool.

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