2001 GTP Tranny / Shifter Question

I needed a new transmission and decided to let a shop that specializes in GM trannys do the work for me. After getting the car back the transmission works perfectly fine but the shifter feels really weird. For example when I am switching from Park to Reverse it feels normal. From Reverse to Nuetral is when it starts feeling weird. It's almost like the distance that R to N occupies takes is the distance of 2 or even 3 gears. Then from N to D is normal and then D to 2nd is normal but I run out of room so I cannot put the shifter into 1st gear. The mechanic is saying that the tranny rebuild etc has nothing to do with my shifter issue but I know that there was no issue prior to having them work on the vehicle. Can you guys explain what might be happening and if you believe its something that is or isn't related to having the tranny put in my car? Thanks!

*Update*
OK The guy called me back and mentioned that it is a cable (Shifter Cable) that he says is going out and said that cable has nothing to do with what they did by installing a new tranny. Any help that you guys can provide would be of great help!

Oh man, I'd almost claim BS that the trans rebuild has nothing to do with it.

Take a look at the top of your trans, peer down below your brake booster. You will see your PRNDL switch, and the cable. Make sure the linkages are tight. Maybe have an assistant work the shifter back and forth as you watch the linkage move. (do it key on engine off with the parking brake set).

OK so my wife took the car back in to the shop and the guy said that he would look at it. He calls me at work and says that the cable is worn out and that it had to be that way before I took it in to have the tranny rebuilt. I told him that it wasnt that way and he said that he would take a look and call me back. He calls me back and said that they got it fixed but that it's tightened to the max and that he doesn't know how long it will last.

Do you have any idea what he could mean by saying its at its max and that he isn't sure how long it will last?

What would you do if this was going on with you?

Is this really expensive or difficult to fix as a do it yourselfer? I'm not sure I want to take my car back to this guy. He might break something in order to make up for what I would make him fix this issue and I really dont want to go to jail. :mad:

The trans shifter cable is no pic-nic to change. The whole thing smells fishy to me. How could a cable wear out and then be tightened to the max? Arent cables either good or broken?

Where exactly did he adjust it?

Does it work in all gears now?

As Tim said check the linkages at the PRND switch, these could be loose or might have been installed incorrectly.

On the other side the shop might have messed the installation of the linkage, there is a piece which looks like a black cylinder at the top of the engine near the air filter box. This piece has a clip on it which moves the position between the shifter lever and the PRND switch. If the shop took the clip off and installed it the wrong way the shifter won't have enough space for each gear.

If I recall correctly GM DOES NOT advises to remove the clip, and should this happen the best way is to replace the full linkage.

So in other words, the shop might have messed with the clip and they want to cover their mess by saying the linkage might not last long and you need a new one...

Go and ask them what they did to remove the linkage, if they ever mention the clip or even worked near the clip, that might be an indicator. I'll try and see if I can find the document form GM.

Best regards,

Oscar.

The trans shifter cable is no pic-nic to change. The whole thing smells fishy to me. How could a cable wear out and then be tightened to the max? Arent cables either good or broken?

Where exactly did he adjust it?

Does it work in all gears now?

I agree with you about the cable either being worn out/broken or not which is what I told my wife. I thought that maybe it had been installed incorrectly or something like that and he didn't want to have his guys get in there to re-adjust it withouth trying to get money for the "Extra" labor even though the issue was on his side.

I don't know where he adjusted it but all of the gears work now and it seems to be just fine. I'm concerned that he might have rigged it to work in a way that it's not meant to work so that he can get enough time to let it fully break and then say the issue is mine because it was fixed after yesterday when I left.

I don't know what to do because I want to go and break this dudes face but know that if I do that ultimately I'll lose. I didn't have the 2500 for the tranny rebuild so I am late on my mortgage to get this damn thing fixed and now I feel like I'm late on the mortgage and might end up with an undrivable vehicle soon because of a crappy job done.

Any suggestions on what I should do would be great. I don't know if I'm just screwed or what.

As Tim said check the linkages at the PRND switch, these could be loose or might have been installed incorrectly.

On the other side the shop might have messed the installation of the linkage, there is a piece which looks like a black cylinder at the top of the engine near the air filter box. This piece has a clip on it which moves the position between the shifter lever and the PRND switch. If the shop took the clip off and installed it the wrong way the shifter won't have enough space for each gear.

If I recall correctly GM DOES NOT advises to remove the clip, and should this happen the best way is to replace the full linkage.

So in other words, the shop might have messed with the clip and they want to cover their mess by saying the linkage might not last long and you need a new one...

Go and ask them what they did to remove the linkage, if they ever mention the clip or even worked near the clip, that might be an indicator. I'll try and see if I can find the document form GM.

Best regards,

Oscar.

I will do this Oscar...Thanks man.

Where exactly did he adjust it?


Once again just like Tim said, ask them what they did. If they mention the clip tell them to show you the paper sheet with the procedure to adjust it and tell them that as far as you know that's a non-adjustable item.

I couldn't find a better image of the clip, it can be seen at the right and next to the bar code; and the linkage passes above the brake fluid reservoir. Thanks to Bob for the picture.

Best regards,

Oscar.

I think the whole thing was bogus. I think that they never installed it right after putting the tranny back in and he didnt want to spend time looking at it again so he was going to see if I would buy that it was already that way or going out before I got the work done. After I took it back and insisted that they fix it everything seems to work just fine and I don't see any thing that looks like it is rigged up.