1989 Ninety-Eight Regency Brougham Tranny Issues

[daledoering]

Hello,

I'm a proud owner of this Oldsmobile, and recently the vehicle has begun to show signs of an unhappy transmission... Here are some recent specs of the vehicle:
*I just bought it from a 1-owner older gentleman who took it to the store and back since 1989; Garage kept for its life.
*70,800 Original Miles.
*Basically the car is in excellent condition.

The transmission does not like to shift out of 1st gear until the tach reaches the high 4,000's. When it does let go of the gear, it pulls the car quick, as if the torque catches up with the power. So far, I noticed the transmission was low on fluid (possibly since it wasnt driven much), and now the fluids are topped off. This helped a LOT, but either the tranny doesnt go out of 1st easy, or it doesnt go out of 2nd with similar signs as described above. Additionally, I notice if the A/C is on, the transmission switches gears optimally, although it does get to the mid 2,000's or low 3,000's, it switches with much more ease than if the A/C is off. Also, the A/C makes a fast rapid clicking noise, which seems to click faster as the RPMs increase.. Any ideas??? I'm a newbie when it comes to automotive troubleshooting.

Does AutoZone have the capability to do a free diagnostic on this year/make/model Olds?

I havent been able to do any real work on the inside of the engine yet, but I can say for sure that this car will go another 100K as long as the A/C doesn't go out.. Thanks in advance for your time on this!

[ahren81]

The clicking noise you are hearing is a bearing in your a/c compressor. As for your transmission, you are experiencing a boost in line pressure. Either way, you want to have both checked out as soon as possible. I'm in the middle of trying to swap the transmission on my 86 Regency 98 and it's a real project. Unless you are somewhat auto savvy, you are going to want to pay to have the work done.

[Alibi]

You may just need to top off the R134a (assuming it has been converted) as the compressor is just kicking on and off with the incorrect amount of freezant (hehe...I made up a word).

As for the trans, did the car sit for a while? Has the fluid and filter been changed recently? It should have been done at 40k miles...which I doubt it was done if an older guy had the car (lack of money and/or health). I suggest you replace the filter and fluid....and when you do add a large bottle of LUCAS trans-slip. It is expensive at about $10 a bottle, but it is very very well worth it.

The whole filter/fluid change is a couple hour project and can easily be done in a driveway with the OEM jack and a 10mm socket wrench...and a large drain pan.

Almost forgot, Autozone can only diagnose a problem if the ECM (computer) finds it via the check engine light...but the early OBD1 cars only had an "engine control module" (ECM) while the newer cars have a PCM (powertrain control module) which checks both engine and trans...so basically autozone guys can pull codes for the engine and just give advice on the trans.

But...if you care to learn, you can pull your own engine codes with a mangled paperclip.