Tranny wont shift....all the sudden.

[arrowhead_limo]

i have a 2001 Gt...i was driving down the street and stopped at a light....all the sudden the transmission wouldnt shift...... i put three quarts of tranny fluid.....still nothing.....no drive reverse nadda.....

[GTP Dad]

Unfortunately, you have probably suffered catastrophic transmission failure. If it was three quarts low I am surprised it moved at all before it finally gave up. Are you certain that you didn't overfill the transmission since that can be as bad as being low. If it is overfilled drain some out and see what happens. If nothing changes you will need to tow it to a tranny shop or dealer to get it diagnosed.

[arrowhead_limo]

do you know how much fluid it actually takes.....? thanks for your help/

[GTP Dad]

Unfortunately I am not sure how much it takes it will tell you if you have the owners manual.

[StealthSnake36]

i had a similar problem. my 95 did the same thing. I got the transmission fluid drained/replaced and the trans filter replaced and it works fine now

[vavoom]

Originally Posted by StealthSnake36

i had a similar problem. my 95 did the same thing. I got the transmission fluid drained/replaced and the trans filter replaced and it works fine now

Tell me more.. did you do it yourself?

A little story to go along with the thread...

My daughter has a 1995 Pontiac Grand Am SE, Quad 4, Automatic, 51,000 miles. She was at a light, in drive, it changed and something broke and she was barely able to get to the side of the road. I had it towed home as she was close by. Engine starts and runs fine.

I'm thinking torque converter... transmission is full, no leaks, no previous problems, she had driven over 60 miles earlier in the day. What else might it be? and how much to fix the torque converter if that is what has gone bad?

Will changing the filter solve this?

Thanks!

[GTP Dad]

Unfortunately if something broke then you need to get it to a tranny shop to get it diagnosed. This doesn't sound like a torque convertor but more like something internal.

If it turns out to be the convertor then it will probably cost $500 to $600. Parts are around $250 with labor being the rest. Get it diagnosed first before jumping to conclusions.

[vavoom]

Originally Posted by GTP Dad

Unfortunately if something broke then you need to get it to a tranny shop to get it diagnosed. This doesn't sound like a torque convertor but more like something internal.

If it turns out to be the convertor then it will probably cost $500 to $600. Parts are around $250 with labor being the rest. Get it diagnosed first before jumping to conclusions.

No jumping yet.. I'm not sure how deep the water is!

After researching the internet for hours on this, one of the suggestions was change the filter/ fluid in the tranny first... just trying to look at all the options before making a decision.

thanks.

[vavoom]

Oh yea... there was no noise when this happened, nor is there any suspicious noises after... I'm hoping filter!!! Everything else is too expensive

[GTP Dad]

It is possible that the filter is blocked if there were no noises. Unfortunately on the grand am there is no way to check the fluid on these transmissions. They fill in the same place the manual tranny does, on the side of the transmission. The cheapest way to see what may be wrong would be to change the fluid and filter and refill with Dexron fluid. It is possible that the level is too low to allow it to operate properly. You may want to consider using a can of sea foam fluid additive to the fluid when you change the filter. Sea foam will clean things up and free up sticking solenoids. Hopefully this will solve the issue. Good Luck!!

[vavoom]

Originally Posted by GTP Dad

It is possible that the filter is blocked if there were no noises. Unfortunately on the grand am there is no way to check the fluid on these transmissions. They fill in the same place the manual tranny does, on the side of the transmission. The cheapest way to see what may be wrong would be to change the fluid and filter and refill with Dexron fluid. It is possible that the level is too low to allow it to operate properly. You may want to consider using a can of sea foam fluid additive to the fluid when you change the filter. Sea foam will clean things up and free up sticking solenoids. Hopefully this will solve the issue. Good Luck!!

I just went out and tried it again. When you engage reverse from park, it moves slightly then no movement, and in drive the same. No noises at all. At least this is worth checking out. Is changing the filter/fluid a "driveway friendly" activity?

Many thanks for your help!

[GTP Dad]

Yes it is driveway friendly just make sure you have something to catch the fluid in becasue there will be a lot of it when you remove the pan. Also you should be able to save the gasket especially if it is neoprene. Make sure to use dexron as that is what is in it currently.

[homertwo]

Originally Posted by vavoom

I just went out and tried it again. When you engage reverse from park, it moves slightly then no movement, and in drive the same. No noises at all. At least this is worth checking out. Is changing the filter/fluid a "driveway friendly" activity?

Many thanks for your help!

Hey all. Nice place here.

Vavoom. I have one that is doing the same thing yours is. Did you find out what it was? Have you tried to crack a cooler line to see if it is pumping fluid?
I pulled one line off and there is nothing comeing out. So I pulled the other one off too. Both lines were hanging there and no fluid at all was coming out. So I figure either the pump is bad or the convertor. I have ordered a trans jack so I will wait till it comes to pull it out.

Thanks
Homer

[homertwo]

Just an update on my tranny.
Got the trans pulled on Sat. Pulled the torque off and found that the pump rod had been sheared off even where it enters the the shaft. Still stuck in the torgue.
I am going to try and replace the shaft.
Thanks
Homer