Transmission Problem

Please help me somebody! I have a 1996 Aurora with 130,000 miles. I have had some problems with it that I thought were huge, but turned out to be pretty small. I am hoping that this one is too. Here are the symptoms. The car starts and runs great until temperature gets between 100 and 200. Then the car automatically drops you into second gear. The RPMs will skyrocket but it wont shift back up. Has anyone experienced anything like this? I have been reading on the forums and I self diagnosed it as shift solenoid. However the mechanics that I am talking too say they dont think thats what it is. I know I should go get it checked on the computer but money is tight right now. I was going to attempt to fix it myself. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

I can slmost guarantee that it is the shift solenoids, the computer locks the car into 2nd gear when either the A or B shift solenoid don't engage correctly. However you should get it scanned. Luckly its a 96 which is OBDII and Auto Zone will scan OBDII cars for free.

My 97 did the exact same thing. Turned out threre was a broken wire inside of the tranny. Took my dealer over two weeks to find it and then he just lucked into it. Im not sure what wire it was but he did say it was pink. I hope this get you started in the right direction.



BKVic

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=308521&highlight=shift+solenoids

Angel, check out this thread and see what you think.

I had attempted to self diagnose and that was my guess also based on Sweet Williams earlier post. Thank you all for the information. I will get it scanned at Auto Zone later this week. One other thing if I am not being a pest where would I get the updated shift solenoid kit? I checked different auto part websites and cant find anything called that. Is shift solenoid kit the proper term? Sorry I am clueless when it comes to the computerized cars.

My problem is kinda the same so I would like to know if it is the same! I have the 4t80e transmission in a 1995 Aurora. I just put a motor and tranny back in the car. I had bought the car from a lady with a cracked block (froze) so I had to replace the motor. She had also told me that it would not shift into 3rd gear because somebody that tried to steal the car did something to it. When she took it to a transmission shop they told her it was the shifter cable? When I had the transmission out I replaced the shift solenoids, speed sensor and the TCC. When flooring the gas on the car the car shifts at 6000 no problem through all the gears. When I am driving it normal the shift normal sometimes with no check engine light. When I take off from a stop sign the next time it will not really shift from 2 to 3rd unless I accelerate then let off the gas then when hit the gas again it will down shift again into 2nd gear and the check engine light will come on. The light will come on then go off depending if the tranny is working or not. Any ideas? I heard maybe modulator? Anybody know where that is located? Thanks in advance for any help you might be able to provide? I have changed out the PCM, PROM, TPS with the same results

My tranny guy just told me to fix the engine code problem (stuck egr valve) before having him spend more time trying to fix the tranny problem (won't shift into overdrive). He told me that if the engine computer is sending junk info to the tranny, than it might not shift correctly. Soo, maybe the tranny shift problem isn't giving the check engine light--rather whatever is causing the light might be causing the tranny not to shift. Just a shot in the dark...

I personally doubt very much that my egr code is causing my tranny not to shift, but I'll go along with him.

No mechanics are listening to me! It must be because I am a girl. I explained that this is what I thought the problem was. It was a simple diagnosis from what I have heard. Let me know if I am wrong, but I am pretty sure that if you hook the car to the computer it will pop up the shift solenoid code (94). Well this mechanic is trying to explain to me that the computer only works when the SES light is on, and that currently mine is not on. This is impossible because the god damn light has been on since I bought the car. Maybe its just burnt out. However he doesn't want to listen. I mean after all he is the mechanic and I am just the dumb blonde!!! Anyway's he says that it could be the shift solenoid, but hes not sure. He can go ahead and fix it for me, but hes not quite sure that its the problem. He wants to fix another solenoid for $1000.00. Sorry I am venting. My question is should I have him fix what I think the problem is?

Get the car scanned yourself at autozone. Forget the damn mechanic for now. The light is only on when the car has detected the code and is doing something to compensate. Once you turn the car off and turn it back on the light will not go on until the problem has been detected again. Now, just because the light is not on does not mean that there is no problem or that there wasn't a problem, it just means that since the car was last started that the problem has not happened again (or in reality the problem has not been detected by the computer).

The nice thing though is that when a code is set it is stored in memory for later recovery. However after the car has been cycled through a number of running cycles and the code has not been set again the car will erase the code. So if you wait too long after the code sets it will eventually be deleted from the memory if the code does not reoccur. I'm not sure how many engine on/off cycles this is but let’s just say 30 for example. So if you run the car 30 times and the code no longer sets then it will be erased automatically.

I would get it scanned now and see what comes up, if nothing comes up then wait until the light comes on again and get to autozone as soon as possible so that it doesn't get erased.

Also the codes for 96 and up look something like P1234. The letter tells the area of the problem, P for example is powertrain, B would be something like body control module and there would be a letter for ABS etc. Then the four digit number tells the rest.

A code like 94 would be set on a 95 Aurora or pre OBDII system. You really don't need to worry to much about the logistics of the code though since the scanner should give you a word description (and the code itself). If the scanner doesn't give a word description then you can attempt to get the description at www.obdii.com.

I'm not sure what the code for a shift A/B solenoid problem would be on a 96 and up car though...but that doesn't matter since all that really matters is the code that is retrieved by the code reader. If the reader says there are no codes then keep driving until it gives you one.The think to remember is to let the car do the work and detect the problem itself...no sense in trying to guess the problem. Car self diagnostics are fairly comprehensive these days.

Anyways there is a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) for the shift solenoid problem. I have a copy of the TSB here

http://ghutchin.dyndns.org/pics/ShiftSolenoidTSB.htm

The GM part number for the kit is 24211355 and this will only be available from a GM dealership or online GM parts supplier such as www.gmpartsdirect.com

If you do get one of the shift solenoid codes then take it to a transmission shop or a dealership. At a trans shop this job should cost on the order of $300 or so. (I believe this is including parts) Do not have a regular mechanic do this type of work, it will just end u pcosting more.

And in general I never find it good idea to tell a mechanic what you think, this just offends them ( which makes sense since you are after all coming to them for help and when they offer it the last thing they want to hear is that you think they are wrong). Its best to go armed knowing what the problem is, wait for them to confirm it and if what they tell you does not agree with what your own investigation has told you go somewhere else.


Get the car scanned at autozone...it is free

Good luck

-Glenn

P.S. I'm not a mechanic, I don't particullary care for them but at the very least I respect their decision and allow them to do their thing (within reason) when I have no idea what the hell is going on (although that doesn't happen that often).

Hi, Does anybody know which oil pan to drop to change the solenoids. Side pan or bottom pan?
thank you

Hi, Does anybody know which oil pan to drop to change the solenoids. Side pan or bottom pan?
thank you

It is the bottom pan

thanks remmans

What causes the shift solenoid to "break" in the 95 Olds Aurora? Does driving with low transmission fluid level have any effect on it? I had my radiator replaced and transmission fluid changed on mine 8 days ago. Since then the car has made a "whine" when accelerating. 2 days later the car won't shift while driving. I checked the transmission fluid level and it was over a quart low. The mechanic now wants to charge me another $200-$300 to repair the selonoid. Is it just coincidence that it was fine before he changed the ATF?

I would take it to a tranny shop. That does sound just like a solenoid or a wiring problem. My tranny did the exact same thing about 2 years ago. However, I know a great tranny shop that found the wiring problem in an hour and fixed it. A good shop will find the problem.

It is the bottom pan
ARE YOU SURE? BECAUSE MY TRANY SHOP TOLD ME THAT THE SOLENOIDS ARE ON THE SIDE NOT BOTTOM PAN. SO ARE 100% SURE IT'S THE BOTTOM PAN? i WANT TO DO THIS MY SELF BUT i DON'T WANT TO SCREW IT UP?

Yes, they are in the bottom of the trans, in the valve body. Use the link in my post above for the directions.
You can go in thru the side of the trans to get to the input speed sensor. Most shops will tell you they have remove the trans for that to get to it.