96 Cutlass shift problem

[Elishaman]

I have a 96 Cutlass Supreme that will only shift from 1st to 2nd. It will not shift into 3rd or OD either by manually moving the shifter or automatically. It does not try to shift into 3rd and rev as if the clutches are out it just does not shift. Fluid is full and was just changed and a new filter installed. Could this be a 3rd gear shift solenoid? Any way to troubleshoot without a scanner?

[Chris Stewart]

I had the same exact thing on my '97 Bravada only I wasn't driving and the 3rd gear clutches were DOA when the car got home. I guess few actually make shift observations. The troubleshoot before the clutches are wiped is the manually shift each gear which overides the shift or lack of shift solenoids. Given your slippage in manual gear selections, it'll likely need to make a trip to the trans shop. They can diagnose the problem over the phone and price the job as it's a fairly frequent problem lately.