Transmission Mystery

Hello my fellow Aurora drivers;

Well as much as I pampered my transmission, changing fluid and chainging filters and dropping the pan every 15,000 miles. It gave out at 131,000
milles.

It started to shift hard, at first we though it was because it was the motor mounts. They need to be replaced anyway. Also after installing them we ran the codes and the code for a transmission senor came up. We had to replace the senor that is in the case where you have to pull the transmission out.

The sensor was replaced, but notice that a direct line a red wire for current 12 volt was directly connected to the outside sensor. We have no idea, why or how this was done on my 1995 Olds Aurora.

We are trying to get the correct connection to work but e have a short and are not getting the 6 volts to come on.

If you had any experience with the transmission, please call (510) 219-5011 or e-mail [email protected] with any suggestions or advise.
The transshop is stuck and I loaned them by factory manuals to help them.

Thanks

Wow. When reading your article it felt like me car. I took my '95 (132k miles) in last month for an SES prompt and the idiots (actually it might be me as I listened to them) at the dealship talked me into getting the transmission fluid changed while I was there. Tranny always ran fine, but I let them do it anyways because they told me the fluid was dirty (I do not even think they checked!). Well lo and behold, 2 weeks, 3 trips back into the dealship, and $1,800.00 later the tranny (which was running perfectly until they charged the fluid) is still not running correctly (banging, clanging, the whole ball of wax. )The car is now in my garage and we are in litigation over the bills. Makes me want to scream. And get this, after the 2nd trip back to the dealership, I asked the guy (service mgr) what could have gone wrong and he says cars (nee trannys) with mileage like mine are better off left alone. Now he tells me!!

You know what? Mine is doing the same thing. I am hesitant to get the speed sensor fixed because I feel that it isn't the problem. If anyone out there knows exactly what it is please let us know. It could save a lot of us 1500 in repairs!!!

Thanks guys!!!

What I was told with high mile cars (seems to be true) that when the tranny fluid is in there for a while it seals and coats everything and is going to be kinda thick like gear oil. When you change out the fluid for that nice runny stuff you lose the seal and the thickness and that causes the problems with the tranny. So if the car is a high mile car you are probably better off leaving the old tranny fluid in there. Just what I have heard.

Any solutions? Any way to fix it? What about those GUNK products that say they fix trannys?

Rumors I've heard is if you don't change the trans fluid reguarly, then never change it. When you change it, then it breaks loose all the grime and metal shavings that had been just stuck to the side of the tranny. All the dirt frees up and then gets caught in the gears and could cause more problems than if you didn't change it.

If its any consolation, I had my turbine speed sensor done with about 180,000 miles on my car. It pretty much amounts to a rebuild by the time they yank the tranny and take everything apart to get at it. I also had them do the internal solenoids.

I've never had it shift smoother, and it's been a couple of months and 5000 miles since then. While I've heard its safer to leave em alone also, I wonder if its not just all that gunk starts moving around and plugs up filters and things to cause trouble.

My tab was $1100 plus tax.

Good morning, folks. Well it sounds like I am not alone with tranny problems with 1995 Aurora. Wife's car has a multitude of problems so not sure where to start.

First: Traction control has been out for years. Since it is an item you can turn on/off at will, have not bothered to worry about it.

Second: A couple of years ago, her transmission would "clunk" when taking it out of park into reverse. Now get this...I replaced a single 20amp fuse in the fuse box under the rear seat and did not have another problem with it for the last two years. Don't ask me which one I replaced..."old timers" :screwy: has set in and I will be hanged if I can remember which one it was. So this year, while getting it inspected for the great Commonwealth of Virginia (yea, right), Pep Boys informs her that she needs her motor mounts replaced, that is what is causing the problem. (I know better and so does she...but she gives the go ahead.) Well, it did help some...for about 7 days. Started up again so she takes it back and they tell her she needs to have the tranny worked on...at the tune of approximately $2000. So here we go again. So now we come to last Friday...she calls me at work and informs me that it "popped" out of gear while driving and she had to "limp" into work in first and second gear...and then did the same thing to get home that evening. And wants me to "look at it" when I get home. I did...as I walked past it to get into the house, resisting the urge to pour gasoline all over it, open the gas cap, insert a nice cloth wick and strike a match.

So, here I sit, bothering you nice folks again with my problems and lack of mechanical knowledge of a car that I used to love to drive...only love I have for it now is to see it go over the edge of a large cliff.

Any ideas, folks, on where to begin with this tranny problem? Oh, and she does get the transmission fluid changed regularly by professionals. :confused:

Thanks in advance for any input or advice you may share. You can email me at [email protected]. Thanks again.

Have a nice Sunday. (Looks like a good day for car shopping here; she has her eye on a bright red Volkswagon Beetle...any suggestions there?)

RickEB :loser:

my car had the same exact problem where when I shifted into reverse, it just slammed into it periodically. It almost sounded like the trans was going to fall out of the bottom of the car. It ended up being a sensor. The sensor was like $10 or so but the problem is the sensor is located on top of the tranny so I had to pay someone to pull the tranny. So the $10 ended up being about $1000 in the end. But it hasn't done the slamming into reverse sense.
But does the check engine light come on when it "slams" out of gear? If so, put a diag tool on it and verify that it is that sensor. That sensor will make the check engine light go on periodically.

As for your slipping out of gear and only being able to use 1st or 2nd, that would be the shift solenoids going out.

I had this done by a shop (for about $300), but they are supposed to be in a little pan of their own off to the side of the main transmission pan. Right on the bottom and easy to get to. There is a crappy filter/screen design between the 3rd and 4th gear solenoids that cause them to fail, leaving you with only 1st and 2nd gears. I got charged $70ish apiece for the parts IIRC. Any shop that does work on Auroras or I think some 93-95 Caddys with Northstars should be familiar. There was an update kit for in there that has an aluminum bracket for the filter, as well as the new filter, instead of the 10 cent plastic crap that causes so many $ in repair costs.

Search for shift solenoids and I think a couple of poeple have done their own as well.

Good luck!