87 Lesabre transmission problems.

[OntarioJohn]

Hi, folks. I bought my 87 Lesabre in '02 from a Florida dealer, and shortly after moved it up to Ontario Canada. The car had an existing tranny problem, in that it wouldn't shift from first to second (auto) until the vehicle warmed up. I didn't pay a lot for the car, and it didn't seem that much of a problem.... until now! It's taking a lot longer to warm up (summer or winter - doesn't matter) and now doesn't want to shift into third (sometimes does, sometimes doesn't). When I have it up over 100 kph/60mph and try to accellerate, it seems to miss (engine) and struggle, but I'm not getting any ECM codes at all. Anyone experienced this? I like the car, it does me well, but it's beginning to be a pain having to wait 15-20 minutes for the car to warm up, and even then it's not a guaranteed nice trip.

[buickmastermind]

First, check the fluid. If it smells burnt, then rebuild the tranny, or buy a new one, or get one out of a junkyard with less than 100,000 miles on it.
If it doesn't smell like burned rubber, change the fluid and filter. If you got the money, get it flushed.

[wallus]

Quickest thing to try is a thermostat for your no heat problem, your old one is probably stuck open( I've had this problem two years in a row on my 1990) First check the prestone level though.
As for the no upshift, the thermostat won't cause this.There are a few engine related problems that can cause a no or delayed upshift.
Engine realy weak or rough running-this may cause you to step into the throttle further to make it come up to speed.When you do this the throttle valve cable or "T.V" cable as it is more commonly known is pulled out to boost pressure in the trans. This of course will cause it to shift higher, and the longer it takes for you to get out of that throttle the higher the trans will shift.
Try checking for a stuck cable. Watch it as someone "floors" the gas pedal.
Then as they release it make sure the cable travels all the way back to its original resting place. If it sticks in the outward position your cable may be siezing. The worst case senario here is that the throttle valve itself is sticking in which case you could have contamination from breakdown or wear floating through the trans.

If the vacuum to the modulator is low this will also boost pressures in the trans and cause a high upshift.
Check for vacuum at the modulator, you will need a vacuum gauge for this.
It should be around 18 pounds. 16 or lower? Start looking for a leak or a plugged up vac line.
If it is just a cold weather problem you may have moisture in the modulator vacuum line which is freezing( that would go under the plugged line catagory) but that does'nt usualy happen.
Modulator diaghram leak.
Modulator valve sticking in the channel plate. (Breakdown or wear again?)
These might keep you busy for a while. Hope it's a minor one.

[buickmastermind]

Sorry for only addressing half of the problem in the beginning.

I agree with wallus, but I still advise you to check the fluid first, as it wil give you a heads up as to where the problem is. Clean fluid means check the coils and plugs and wires. Actually, those should be checked anyways since you are having a misfire feeling.

Just one question. When you say it doesn't want to shift, it means that as you accelerate, it doesn't shift, so you let off the gas, and it still doesn't shift for 2-5 seconds? That would tell me it's not the TV.

To simplify what I said,
Check the transmission fluid for smell and metal.
Check the coils, plugs, and wires.