I have a `97 Lumina (3.1) with 4-spd AT (4T60-E) and although it seems like I'm slipping in 1st (sluggish starting off from stop) I wonder if the Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS) could be bad. Is it possible for the speedometer to work and still have a bad VSS?
The cruise control rarely works anymore too, so I'm beginning to think the VSS may be the prob.
With 172K miles (90% hwy) I guess I could be worse off and although I'm considering draining trans fluid (7 qts, not complete 11 qt flush) and replacing filter, I'm also wondering if I should capture and re-use the old fluid to avoid risking possible further damage caused by additives/detergents in new fluid--have heard many say serious trans probs appeared shortly after changing fluid in trans with high miles when it has never been chg'd before. I'm mainly considering the drain procedure cuz I'm concerned that the filter may be clogged with sludge and is causing the drag on take-off.
All other functions seem fine--starts right away, good acceleration on hwy, etc...just that real sluggish/dragging feeling taking off from stop, and of course, the lack of cruise control 99 times out of 100 attempts!
I should mention that the cat has checked out to be fine--thanks for the vacuum test tip to diag the cat, jeffco!
Lastly, someone mentioned it may be starting out in 2nd, but all gears appear to be working, including manually selecting each one with gear selector. I do get the OBD-II DTC codes P0751/P0753, but am hoping it's not a sticking solenoid cuz I've been told you might as well rebuild the tranny by the time a tech gets to the solenoid to replace it!
Any thoughts?