1991 Oldsmobile Cutlas Ciera Auto Transmission

[coldon]

We have the auto named above as the subject, with less than 50,000
miles on the odometer and since 1993, when we purchased it , the vehicle has always been stored, or parked in our carport. We use it from Nov 1 to April 30 each year and it's parked the remainder of the time.
Until yesterday, it has given us very few problems, but returning from a short 10 mile drive under normal conditions, except that the weather was quite warm, I applied the brakes at a stoplight and the transmission remained in gear at the rate of accelleration at which I had been driving. I had to stall the vehicle to stop it and restart it to continue and as I continued the problem got worse. In fact,at the last stoplight, I had to left turn into our street and each time after I restarted the engine it would stall and in that way I coaxed it across the lane of oncoming traffic.
I have very little expertise as a mechanic, but before I subject myself to the mercy of the General Motors Dealership, or a Transmission Repair facility, I would like to have some idea of the solution to the problem. For instance, is the transmission activated mechanically when the gear shift lever is positioned, or does the position activate a sensor that causes the transmission to function as it should? Is the problem likely to be in the transmission or the shift mechanism?
I would greatly appreciate it if someone could enlighten me to the point where I could request the repairs or servise I require, sensibly.

[89calais]

I can tell you this , The weather had nothing to do with it. It's an automatic , That's your first mistake. Automatics are 'designed' to fail. Anything that requires a hydrolic pump ( torque convertor ) or any hydrolic lifting - sliding ,engagement peices are bound to fail. Put it in P , start the car , drop it down to 1 , then 2 , 3 and finally the drive or 4th , which ever yours has. First things you might want to check is for transmission fluid leaks. Look under the car at the transmissions fluid pan and around the seal , see if any fresh RED tranny fluid is all over the place. Go under the hood , Pull the transmissions dipstick and check it as well. If your reading empty and have NO leaks ( This only applies to RWD. ) Then the spine shaft seal is blown and all your fluid is in the drive like yoke and the rear of it.If it's like a subaru's drive line then it holds all the fluid =D experienced that with the XT6. The cause of stalling might bee too much friction and pressure with no lubrication.

[slpman]

Is the engine racing like a stuck throttle? If the car is not racing at high RPM and it keeps pushing even at idle I would say the torque converter is locked up. The converter is supposed to slip at a predtermined rpm. If it's pushing hard at idle it sounds like the torque converter to me.