tranny

I lost overdrive in my tranny. Has anyone else have this happen to you? I hope its not really serious or cost me my arm or/and leg.

I have a '98 and there are only 4 noticeable upshifts (4 speed) with no apparent lock-up/overdrive. Maybe '97's are different. My brother says there's no need for an overdrive in the Aurora because of the gearing and the tremendous torque. I'm showing only about 2500 rpm at 80mph....

p.s. Make that 3 upshifts, not 4.

ok well make that 4th gear is gone. i got a quote and it could cost up to 1000 to fix so Im saving either for another aurora for parts or a used tranny

Don't panic. All classics have a variable lock-up converter. After shifting into fourth gear, and at a stable cruising speed with no load(climbing), it "locks up" and RPM's drop 3-400. My dad's '89 Audi 5000 had this back then! So it gives the feeling of an overdrive(5th gear). No 4th, in your case, could be a sticky solenoid. These have been known to act up in cold weather. Someone on the old site experienced the same thing and replaced the solenoids himself. He described the procedure and it sounded simple enough(and cheap; $160). Another reason it ticks me off that we lost the info on that site. I've only done fluid and filter on mine('97) and have had no problems in the trans. If you need work done, seek out a trans only shop with a good reputation. It's an easy job and most shops want to charge you based on the fact that it's a Caddy trans instead of just a GM product. If your fluid is clean, up to full temp and you're still experiencing this you may have to replace them. If so, there's a TSB on a $60 "upgrade"(defect fix) that involves one of the solenoid wires getting soaked with ATF, thats supposed to be dry, and causes shift problems. Good luck and keep us posted.

I had a my shift solenoids fail after a filter that sits in between them shot out. Apparently it originally had a plastic bracket that should have been aluminum. The solenoids broke at the base and caused the small check ball in the base of them to not work, so I would go into third but them drop out again. Of course, I lost both 3rd and fourth this way, not just 4th. I paid $300 at a Cottman Trans. for 2 new shift solenoids, labor and fresh fluid, filter and pan gasket and stuff. I felt like I got off very cheaply since I was thinking more along the lines of rebuild...
I was pretty happy with their shop, and I see they have some in MD, though I didn't check about how near to you they are.

so anyone replace soleniods by themselves

The way he described it, they just unbolt straight out the bottom and the wires disconnect there also. Be careful when you remove because the check ball falls out. That's all I remember.

I remember the guy at the shop telling me they were in a seperate housing/pan thing off to the side of the main transmission pan, but maybe you already have an idea where they are...

I am heartbroken. I may have to give up my '98. I've loved this car from day 1, even though it's been horribly expensive to maintain. Between the two coilsets, two alternators, two A/C compressors, and a starter plus a bunch of other things, it's been about $4K over the past 5 years. I still think I came out ahead given the $12K I paid for it in 2002 (40K miles). But I think I'm done this time. 65 miles from home on the Turnpike, going about 80, I feel a slight 'hiccup' (like when the ignition modules started going bad). A few seconds later, a horrible jolt - felt like I'd hit a large animal or stomped on the brakes for a microsecond. Then a rapid drop in RPM (I was already coasting to pull over) and then some more jolts, like something was 'catching' the undersideof the car. Rolling to a stop in neutral, there's one last 'grab' at about 5mph that feels like someome jammed it into "park". The engine was still running, but something smelled bad...and the engine seemed to be fluctuating in RPM at idle more than normal. I put her into gear and she barely moved. I realized the tranny was probably in 4th gear and would not downshift either. Got her to a filling station to wait for a tow. No reverse either. Checked the trans fluid, and it seemed to be going up and down in the filler neck. Next day, I start it up and just go back and forth in the driveway, just to see what would happen. I should mention that I checked the trans fluid first, and there appeared to be none. Poured in about a half quart (all I had left in the garage). Oddly enough, I got reverse back, and it felt like she was shifting into first when I put her in "Drive". But when I went to "neutral" and let her coast a bit, I felt the 'grabbing' again. She's now parked in the swail while the crappy little Aveo I rented occupies her space in the driveway. I'm shopping for a decent used Japanese or Korean car on the advice of my family, but I will never love another car as much as my Aurora, ever. I just don't think I can justify another $3000+ to fix it...IF it actually is the tranny. Guess it's wishful thinking, but could it be something stupid and not so catastrophic that is wrong?