ONLY 13 MPGS any ideas?

[rhaigh08]

Yea to me it sounds like you blew a soleniod. GM had issues with the solenoids. I had mine changed out several times before I got a decent set. But if you blew a solenoid my guess is it went unnoticed for quite some time. Sometimes it can take quite a while for you to notice the symptoms. Usually by then it is to late you are probably looking at a tranny rebuild. But it will be cheaper to have a re manufactured put in it. The reason it can go un noticed is because when the tranny detects a slip It will increase the pressure inside to try and correct and minimalize the damage. But by driving like that the valve hose thing inside "I forgot what it was called" can blow. then valve body etc.. The damage just continues up the chain from there. I paid $2,100.00 to have mine rebuilt. I could have paid $700.00 for a re manufactured one and another $300.00 to have it installed. Right there you could potentially save about a grand. Take it for a long drive let it get hot and take it to a tranny specialist they'll charge you about $45 to plug it in and check for a tranny code.

[cougar214]

How much would it cost me to change out the soleniods?I think I saw on AllData that these trannys only have 2 of them.And what would be the process in changing them out?Drop the tranny pan and remove the valve body right?

Also if I do need to drop the valve body what else should I change out while I"m in there?

[Tobey]

I believe the solenoids are accessed via the side cover. You have to remove the left axle, disconnect steering components, and drop the sub frame to get to it. It's a big job. Not something you could do with a Saturday off and few beers...

[cougar214]

I was afraid you were gonna say that....lol.Now I have to get the tools to do the job and yes I could do this job.

Only problem is I have only done work like this with friends and family on their cars and helping them do it.


It's a little different when you gotta do it on your own car and don't have the proper tools to do it.

[rhaigh08]

It costs about $600.00 to have the solenoids changed out. However be warned going that route does not and will not necessarily fix your problem for good. I had mine changed out and 95 days later (5 days after waranty) they blew again because the transmission was so screwed up internally. I would deffinately have it looked at. These are good transmissions but when they have a problem its usually a nightmare getting them fixed. See when a solenoid blows the transmission increases pressure to try and minimalize damage during shifts. You often wont even feel the shifts at all. But after so long of the transmission issue going unresolved it can start to damage it. Like your valve body and your force clutch and the pressure regulator. Ultimately it sounds like that is what is happening to your car dont quote me but it sounds to me like its to the point a rebuild or "remanu" may be necessary. Dont be like me and waste $600.00 just for it to blow again for good afterwards to pay another $2100.00. I would deffinately try to have the pan dropped so you know whats going on in there. If you just take it to just any shop they WILL change the solenoids before cracking the pan. But then you will pay twice. Try to locate a reputable transmission specialist in your area with a good warranty if you do decide to rebuild. If you decide to have a remanufactured one put in I found some on ebay for like $700.00 make sure it has a decent warranty as well. Then my transmission guy would have put it in for $300.00. So I wish I would have went that route instead of the rebuild.

[cougar214]

This is an update on my gas millage.

I checked my rear E-brake just to be sure it was working properly and it's not.

The e-brake on the passenger side is working fine but the drivers side isn't

The drivers side has resistance in the wheel with the brake on or off.This explains why it is pulling more to the left than it did when I bought the car.

I was working on the car one day and used the e-brake.Thats when this extra pulling started now that I think of it.

So whats involved in fixing the e-brake?All I have to do is remove the wheel,disc,and caliper and replace the e-brake pad right?And possibly replace a clip or spring?

[cougar214]

[quote]Have fun redoing the rear brakes. Probably a binding cable. Disassemble and clean. Rear shoe is like $45 to $100+/QUOTE]


So.....I"m guessing its a pain in da azz?

[LittleHoov]

Now comes the question I always love to ask....does one really need a parking brake when we have automatic transmissions?

[cougar214]

[quote]Have fun redoing the rear brakes. Probably a binding cable. Disassemble and clean. Rear shoe is like $45 to $100+/QUOTE]


So.....I"m guessing its a pain in da azz?

[cougar214]

Well i finished pulling the back wheel off and it looks like the caliper is sticking not the e-brake.I tried spraying everything out with brake cleaner but its still doing it.Any ideas or am I looking at buying a new caliper?

[rhaigh08]

You could try greasing up the calipers but that may be just a waste of time. I believe you have to replace them in twos. Im not positive but it may be recommended to ensure they are both in sync.

[Ruley73]

Originally Posted by rhaigh08

You could try greasing up the calipers but that may be just a waste of time. I believe you have to replace them in twos. Im not positive but it may be recommended to ensure they are both in sync.

Calipers can be replaced only if necessary and don't need to be installed in pairs, but are usually a little cheaper (price per caliper) if they are purchased in pairs. However, not many parts stores stock brake calipers in pairs; most just stock them individually.

Originally Posted by krivasauto

Setting parking brake when parking on an incline before releasing the service (foot) brake reduces the load on the parking pawl and prevents that popping noise when shifting out of park.

I cringe when I hear that sound. I normally drive a manual anyways so I've made it a good habit to set the parking brake. Obviously, its not wise to leave your car in neutral and rely on the parking brake either.

Originally Posted by krivasauto

In addition, setting the parking brake is a good habit in the event a child obtains keys and moves the transmission lever out of park. More than one person has been killed or seriously injured by the failure of a driver to set a parking brake.

^^+1

[cougar214]

O'k guys.Update time.I have replaced the rear drivers side caliper as it was frozen and the pads on that side were pretty much gone.I did not replace the caliper on the passengers side yet but when I have the money I am going to overhaul the whole thing front and rear.

Surprisingly the pads on the passenger rear side were pretty meaty.Only problem there is they were starting to scorch the disc.I did not have it turned because it wasn't too bad and figure the new pads will wear off the marks.

The excess pulling is now gone but the alignment still has to be done so there is still the little pulling from when I bought the car.

As for the gas millage Time will tell.I just filled the tank and took note of how many gallons went into it,about 11 gallons,plus the 1/4 tank I still had which is about 4-5 gallons.So figure 15 gallons.Nice round number.Lol.I have set my trip odometer after filling so lets see how she does on fuel now.

As for the tranny,Like I said in another post, I will be using the Seafoam Trans Tune on her and give it a good cleaning out and put in a good filter and high quality fluid and see what happens.I have nothing to lose by trying.

On a side not Id'e like to thank everyone for helping me out here.I have been coming to Automotive Forums.Com for a few years now with various cars and problems and you guys have never let me down.Sometimes you hear what you don't want to but thats how the world works for all of us.