96 camaro 3800 problems
96Maro
12-23-2003, 09:34 PM
A couple of months ago i bought a 1996 Camaro v6 with 65,000 miles on it for $4900. The car was beautiful on the outside but the inside was a little dirty. The next day my transmission went out in it. Chevrolet wouldnt do anything about it so i got a used transmission with 15,000 miles on it. The car has been doing much better but last night i was on it to about 4,000rpm and i let off of it and it seemed to jump around a little. Then when i was pulling in my driveway i let off the gas to turn in and it jumped from 1500 to 1700 rpm and then dropped to where it should have been. Any thoughts on what this might be?
89IROC&RS
12-23-2003, 11:41 PM
TCC switch? forgive me if i takl down, dont know your level of knowledge. automatics have a torque converter. its a fluid coupler, that provides a link from the engine to the transmission. no clutch. however, modern day automatics have a lockup feature that essentially is a clutch in the converter. so you can cruise like a manual. with no slippage. better gas milage. if the switch that controls the lockup feature goes bad. it will lock and unlock it causing the symptoms you are talking about. im not a trans expert by any means, but im pretty sure if its not the sensor its self, it has something to do with it. hope it helps.
96Maro
12-24-2003, 12:22 AM
Thanks for the help..... also when i put the car into 2nd gear it starts out in 1st and then shifts to 2nd and stays in snd but it doesnstart out in fisr when it is manually shifted into second gear.
89IROC&RS
12-24-2003, 12:31 AM
hmm, that i dont know about, again, not a trans guy. could be clutch packs, but i wouldnt think they were toast after only 65k might need a rebuild, hard to tell withought actually diagnosing it. sorry i wasnt much help on that one.
96Maro
12-24-2003, 12:34 AM
the transmission only has about 20k on it and it came with a torque converter. The main thing that concerns me though is when it was jumping around but it hasnt done it again today.
89IROC&RS
12-24-2003, 12:46 AM
actually then i would say its an intermittant short to ground on the TCC circut, a wire rubthogh somewhere that is grounding the circut and causing the converter to lock and unlock. probly somewhere on the engine, as you brake the engine moves, in the same way everytime, or let off the throttle it moves the same way. so find the TCC sensor, and chase that harnes till you find a rub through, and fix it. no more surge.
fresdar
04-14-2004, 12:30 AM
When you shift it into second and take off it should go ahead and shift down into first then then go up to second when needed and stay there until you put it into drive. The '96 camaro that i have has a button on the center consol near the cig lighter labeled second gear start. By pressing this button it forces the transmission to take off in second gear and not go into first at all. Hopefully this will make some since to you. Or at least it will hopefully provide some more brainstorming for you.
Joseph1082
04-14-2004, 02:08 AM
Also, when you shift the selector to 2 on the auto, it still starts in first, it just wont go passed second.
1 - wont go passed 1st
2 - wont go oassed 2nd
D - wont go passed third
[D] - normal drive w/ overdrive
and second gear start button will prevent you from starting in first
1 - wont go passed 1st
2 - wont go oassed 2nd
D - wont go passed third
[D] - normal drive w/ overdrive
and second gear start button will prevent you from starting in first
Automotive Network, Inc., Copyright ©2026
