4L30E Bang Shifting into 3rd

1996 Honda Passport, 2WD, 4spd Auto.

Just had the trans rebuilt and noticed
that when when shifting into third the engine revs up and
"slams" into third. It also "slams", not as bad, back into first
when stopping.

Shifting from 1-2 is okay.

Transmission shop is giving me the run around. what do you
all think?

How many miles are on this tranny - before the rebuild? What's the history on maintenance?

Could be the range mode sensor is dirty; but the 4L30-E typically doesn't do well being rebuilt.

I only hope AAMCO's not involved in yours, they seem to like to tell everyone they need rebuilds when in fact there's nothing wrong. They told me this at 70k miles on my tranny, I now have 162k on the same transmission.

tranny had approx 162K mi before it went out, fluid was changed every 60K.

AAMCO was not involved.

The tranny shop even went to say they "swapped" it with another
and it does the same thing, telling me its a PCM problem.

I now have 162k on the same transmission.

uh oh ....

No way. 200K+! He's had a bad enough year already.

Uh-Oh...

Sorry All, I don't understand. This is my first post on this site.

sorry about that, I'm just pointing out you both have 162k on your rigs.

I do believe I ran across this thread where the trans would not shift at all.

Mine does at a high RPM, but, it did not do that before.

From what you described it sounds like the clutches are slipping from 2-3 and then when they do engage, because the engine is revving thats why it bangs into 3rd gear. I know these transmissions arent the greatest but if they did a good rebuild it should be working alot better.

What was happening with the transmission before you brought it to the shop??

I can't see why they say its a PCM problem, my only idea is that they know they screwed up on the rebuild and want more money before doing anything else.

Transmission started slipping, checked fluid and had enough, and within a few days (3) wouldn't shift at all.

uh oh ....

What's that ?? I don't understand :rofl: Didn't hear/read a thing you said!

Holy shmoley - don't JINX me!!


jlpmba - have to agree, sounds like this transmission's slipping as well. Tell them to provide proof of the transmission swap - guessing you JUST had it done? They should be able to provide you - visually - with the old transmission as well as a warranty (??) for the new one?

FWIW - when your current tranny is fixed, make absolute certain to do partial fluid swaps every 15-20k, or full transmission fluid services EVERY 30k miles; do not go over 40k without swapping the fluid on these 4L30-E GM/Chevy transmissions, they hate old fluid and will break down sooner.

Also, you might want to check around for another transmission shop, not many will admit to the knowing of how to handle the 4L30-E transmission, which is currently obsolete and very difficult to work/rebuild on.

Good luck to you, keep us posted.

what do you all think?

check this post out and see if any of the symptoms are the same. it's about the mode switch and includes a lot of links i came on during my own research (including right back here).
link:
http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB86&Number=902938&fpart=&PHPSESSID= (http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB86&Number=902938&fpart=&PHPSESSID=)



frankly, i'd go there first, if only because it's possible cause, and because it's easier and cheaper. but of course, you don't want to replace it without confirming and testing first.

let us know what you think after reading some...


hth


//bc

tranny had approx 162K mi before it went out, fluid was changed every 60K.

AAMCO was not involved.

The tranny shop even went to say they "swapped" it with another
and it does the same thing, telling me its a PCM problem.


At what mileage after the rebuild did you start to notice the problem? Throwing any CE or CT lights? Did you ever drop the pan and change out the filter? What was the extent of the rebuild? They replace all soft parts and some hard parts? IF the tranny is STILL slipping after the rebuild, then it stands to reason they didn't do it correctly. I'm sure you got some sort of warranty?

1996 Honda Passport, 2WD, 4spd Auto.

Just had the trans rebuilt and noticed
that when when shifting into third the engine revs up and
"slams" into third. It also "slams", not as bad, back into first
when stopping.

Shifting from 1-2 is okay.

Transmission shop is giving me the run around. what do you
all think?
I recently had this same problem and I wanted to share what I found. I had known for a while that my intake manifold gaskets needed to be replaced but it got pretty bad the other day, I could hear it sucking air, and the idle was pretty rough. The vacuum leak was enough to cause the tranny shifting problems, I am guessing this tranny has some kind of modulator connected into the vacuum system. I replaced the gaskets and all is well again.

Is your AC Fan blowing and turn lights working? I can't remember which one but one of those fuses controls the tranny shifting as well. I think it is the turn signals. I had a rear tailight wire get frayed and caused the fuse to blow and the tranny to shift like that; same symptoms.

Is your AC Fan blowing and turn lights working? I can't remember which one but one of those fuses controls the tranny shifting as well. I think it is the turn signals. I had a rear tailight wire get frayed and caused the fuse to blow and the tranny to shift like that; same symptoms.

Everything is fine now. I only had the problem when my vacuum leak got really really bad.

Originally Posted by jlpmba
1996 Honda Passport, 2WD, 4spd Auto.

Just had the trans rebuilt and noticed
that when when shifting into third the engine revs up and
"slams" into third. It also "slams", not as bad, back into first
when stopping.

Shifting from 1-2 is okay.

Transmission shop is giving me the run around. what do you
all think?
I recently had this same problem and I wanted to share what I found. I had known for a while that my intake manifold gaskets needed to be replaced but it got pretty bad the other day, I could hear it sucking air, and the idle was pretty rough. The vacuum leak was enough to cause the tranny shifting problems, I am guessing this tranny has some kind of modulator connected into the vacuum system. I replaced the gaskets and all is well again.
hey iskiuskiweski (that was fun to type),...thanks for the heads up with your experience of how fixing that major vacuum leak solved your harsh shifting problems...
i'm interested in figuring out why that worked. afaik, there is no vacuum connection that feeds to the 4L30E automatic transmission. it is controlled totally by the trans computer and the gear selector.

i'm thinking that one of the many inputs to the trans computer may be influenced enough by the vacuum leak to adversly affect the transmission shifting.

the inputs include:
rpms, vehicle speed, engine coolant temperature, ac info, throttle position sensor, kickdown switch, power/winter switches, mode switch, brake switch.

the trans computer is programmed to transmit specific commands for actions to the trans under a full array of different circumstances.

my guess is that the trans computer received conflicting data -- e.g. high rpms and low engine speed, and closed or closing throttle -- and thus sent conflicting info to the trans, which promptly took the conflicting actions, which results in the slamming shifts. (similar to the way when a bad gear mode switch sends incorrect gear position to the trans computer; the trans receives conflicting info from the gear selector and from the trans computer -- which can cause among other things very harsh up and downshifting.)

i think, iskiuskiweski, your feedback is very valuable, and the first i've heard of that connection. it should help many in the future.

i like trying to reconcile the symptoms and diagnosis's and actual results so that a future anomoly is easier to "see".
thanks again....

anybody have their own take on what's going on here with the IMG leak and the trans harsh shifting?
anybody else have this same problem/solution?

thanks

//bc

i had the same problem from 1st to 2nd. on mine it just meant that my tranny fluid because when my brother had the car before me, he lost the dipstick to the tranny so he never knew how much fluid he had-therefore, the transmission went out, he gave it to me, n i had to put in a new tranny in n ive got a dipstick in the new one n mines doing great