engine problem (chk eng lite on)

[rob'sdamvan]

My van has the same slipping? tranny too and also has hard shifts at times. Only 58km but out of warranty. It will only happen in overdrive while going up an overpass or slightly easing on the gas on level pavement, press harder and it goes away. I've driven in 3rd gear and it has never happened. Took it to the dealer and they ran the code...P1811. They said it needs a trans shift solenoid and possible valve body, $1200 parts and labour CDN...Nice!! Took it to a tranny shop for another opinion, they dropped the pan and said there was alot of brass fillings in it. Thought it might be the converter but wouldn't really know until they dropped the tranny. GMMerlin any opinions???

Just recently the van has had the check engine light come on due to the van stumbling when accelerating. This doesn't happen very often, only twice and the light doesn't stay on, maybe a day. Haven't had time to go get this one checked yet. Dam van!!

[zenubian]

Just a heads up from someone that HATE's working on cars. I have had the same problems, listed above, poor performance, engine hesitation, engine light on, etc....

I tok the time to take it to a local repair chain who told me $300 to replace the MAF. I spoke to ASE certified friend who told me I could do it myself!

In denial, I bought the part anyway with the intention of paying him to do the work instead.

When I opened the box I wanted to slap myself, I couldn't believe this was the part! The MAF sits right on top of the engine next to the air filter & the MAF is actually easier to replace then the stupid air filter!

To anyone reading this thread, save yourself some grief & some cash & replace the thing! It cost's $114.00 (in Chicago) & takes 10 minutes to swap out! How much are you willing to pay in towing & repair costs if it goes out during a summer trip (god forbid the look the wife will give you)?

Franklin Jackson
[email protected]

[KJRich]

My Venture had a similar problem. The tranny did not slip, but it had intermittant hard, jerky shifts. If you shut the engine off, it would go away. The check engine light came and went often. I finally let the dealer rape me for $70 to read the codes, showing mass airflow sensor and a couple tranny codes. They wanted $225 for the MAF sensor, and $2000 for a new tranny, not counting labor. I went to my local Autozone, purchased a MAF sensor for $104, installed it myself, and the transmission has not jerked since (over 1 month now). It did it almost daily, before. The check engine light never did come back on, either. I don't know if any of this applies to your problem, but I thought I'd share my experience.

[daveycarpet]

Originally Posted by NordicLight

Look out.. Not being an expert, but this sound like how my problem (posted under thread Oil cap or PVC valve) started this summer. When I was cruising at highway speed it felt like the transmission was jumping/shifting or maybe an ignition problem. Check engine light turned on randomly. My local mech looked at transmission (=fine) and checked ignition and changed sparkplugs (those were getting too old). Unfortunately this problem has developed to that the engine dies when idling, randomly... It only happens when the engine is warm, randomly... and usually gets worse if I have started and stopped the car often, randomly. My local mech is out of ideas - and so am I. I guess the central computer can be it.

Have you tried changing the fuel filter?
Might be a good place to start.
Just a suggestion
Davey Carpet

[mrdctaylor]

I am having a similar issue as well. Has anyone had this resolved?

[KJRich]

Yes, as in my earlier post, no problems of any kind since replacing the MAF sensor.

[umina]

KJRich, when you say jerking shifts, you're referring to like the 1-2nd shift and others on up are smoother right? my tranny doesn't slip, but does have harsh shifts from time to time. The other day while on a long road trip my SES light came on, and autozone said it was MAF. I had them reset the code and haven't seen the light since (about a month ago). It also seems to buck pretty good when putting it into drive or reverse. I'm hesitant to replace the sensor since i'm already about to fork out for intake gasket set (dealer says 6-7 hundred)
And also, i'm wondering if since MAF code usually comes with tranny codes, could this be why my van seems to shift at a higher speed (20-25MPH) than most cars?

[KJRich]

Mine jerked every shift, 1-2-3-4. It came and went. When it started jerking, if you stopped and shut the engine off and then restarted it, the jerking would go away for a while. I had this problem for over a year until I finally replaced the MAF sensor. I took it to the dealer and got MAF and transmission codes. They wanted to replace the tranny for $3000+. I talked to some people online and they said try the MAF sensor first, since everything is inter-related with the engine computer. I can't guarantee you it will help your problem, but it is something to think about. For me it was worth spending $105 (there will also be a core charge for the old sensor) to try to fix the problem. If that hadn't fixed it, I found an independant transmission shop that could have fixed the tranny for a couple hundred dollars, or I was also considering trading the van in.