Need help with 96 cavalier trans

[brianalan01]

We have a 1996 cavalier 2.2 Automatic

We are having an issue with the transmission...the tranny slips when you floor it....seems to shift fine and smooth if your are just running around town....but when you have to floor it to pass, or just take off fast it slips...rpm's go way up.

When we got the car the head gasket was blown and was pressurizing the system....replaced gasket...had head sent out and redone...replaced wires, plugs, water pump, thermostat at that time.

Engine is running great now, no engine lights or running problems...

We flushed the trans and changed oil and filter...no major metal or sludge in pan...oil did not seem burnt or real brown.

Also adjusted the TV Cable when I reinstalled throttle cables as the manual said.

Just wondering is there something that I could have done....maybe vaccum lines messed up or something? Is there anything else I should check or do before I spend the time and money trying junkyard transmissions? Hate to change it and it be a problem with something else....

Thanks for any help or suggestions and hello from Ohio.

Brian

[J-Ri]

Is it 3 speed or 4 speed?

It's got to be in the transmission, probably either low pump pressure or worn clutches/bands. Does it slip in all gears, or just in the gear it downshifts to?

[brianalan01]

three speed...seems like whenever you floor it...so i am assuming the gear if downshifts too.....dont matter if your going 10 or 50....whenever you floor it.

[manicmechanix]

I would double check the TV cable and adjustment, and also the fluid level. Make sure the TV cable is routed well, hooked securely to the throttle and the transmission, and that the cable operates smoothly and it's adjusted properly of course. If you can't find any problem there, then it's probablysome internal problem with the transmission.

[brianalan01]

The directions I found were to push the release button on the cable and by hand rotate the throttle to WOT.

I think there was a little more to it....but does this sound right?

Or would you mind telling me the correct way to go about this, to ensure I am doing it right?

How does that cable hook into the trans? able to come off or break inside?

Thanks for any help!

[manicmechanix]

Hold the throttle wide open, depress the adjuster button and then pull the cable housing out (away for the throttle) until the slider bottoms ou.t then release the button. As far as how it connects to the transmission it has a boot cover over a screw and it just links on the transmission. I was saying just check for anything obvious like the TV cable is pulled out of the transmission.

[brianalan01]

okay, sounds different than what I was reading else where....I will try that in the morning and test run it.

Got a buddy dropping off a 96 cavalier tomorrow...he bought from junkyard and used 2 doors, decklid, and misc parts....he does bodywork

Said tranny "should be good" car has 72000 miles....mine has 137 or so

cable may be issue though....heard they can stretch too

thank you

[manicmechanix]

I've seen a lot of those 3 speed automatic stop working around 100k-120k miles. It's funny they can be work fine one day and just quit the next. Your problem sounds like it could be caused by the TV but if that doesn't fix it maybe the transmission has some internal problem. Good luck.

[brianalan01]

Just spent a while looking at the car....and cleaning the garage in the process

TV cable seems to be adjusted fine....either way I do it, car still slips in the higher rpms

got a donor car coming tomorrow....just pray shes in better cond.

thanks for the help

[manicmechanix]

Yeah sounds like an internal problem. I wonder if it slips when starting out in 1st or 2nd gear?

[brianalan01]

Yeah, it will slip in first and second...if you give it much more than 50% throttle.

Got a tranny so gonna service it and try it out....70,000 miles on this one....hopefully it will make the kid thru school....lol

anyways, will let yah know how it turns out

[manicmechanix]

Just to be clear I meant with the gearshifter placed in 1st and 2nd. This bypass a few circuits in the trans.