So my brother has an '85 Trans Am with an automatic, and all of a sudden out of nowhere the trans starts giving him trouble. previous to about 3 or 4 days ago it had always shifted firmly and quickly. So anyway he tells me that it starts taking a real long time to shift gears (as in the engine would go to a very high rpm and then he would have to wait a minute before it would shift). He said as it warms up it would improve. Then it gets worse each day and I have driven it a couple times. On the way to work this morning it wouldn't shift out of first at all And it is also slipping something fierce. I can feel it not accelerating very much at all for a while then like catching all of a sudden. I may not have described it well but since it gets better when it warms up and such, I would think perhaps something is leaking and the trans fluid isnt holding pressure? I havent noticed a puddle under the car and the fluid level is good but perhaps something internal is leaking. I'm not a transmission expert though. Anybody got any ideas? thanks

 

My '89 Formula did almost exactly what you describe.

A few things to check.

Is there enough fluid in it?

How dirty is the tranmission filter?

Is the transmission filter still inserted firmly into the "O-ring" (neck seal) where it fits into the pump assembly?

Is the Throttle Valve (TV) cable adjusted correctly?

Does the fluid look burnt? (dark red and a burnt smell are not good signs)

If it were me (and it once was), I'd do a filter change and add enough fluid to top it off (usually about 5 quarts) and see if there is any improvement. At this point, from the sounds of things, I'd suspect that the torque converter clutch has worn and the dust (worn clutch material) has began to block some of the oil passages in the transmission (such as the "rifle drilled" passages in the input shaft that are used to apply clutches). Dust from the torque convertor lock up clutch was one of the "killers" of the 700R-4. As the clutch inside the converter was used in daily operation, it would wear (makes sense) and the early clutches were the worst about making dust. The dust from the converter would find it's way into passages in the transmission and begin to clog up all kinds of stuff, usually causing all types of mayhem and destruction.

The accumulator system handles the transitions between gears (slipping between gears may be a sign that it has a clogged passage in it) and could be part of your problem.

If you can't get it working properly using the ideas above, you will have to consider looking for a quality tranmission rebuilder or a used transmission.

Hope this helps, good luck!

 

I haven't had the chance to really look at anything yet, It just snowed and I don't have a useable garage. Thanks for the suggestions though. Once the passages clog up is there anyway to clean 'em out or does it cause other damage? And would it really cause damage so quickly, it worked fine until monday or so. Thanks a lot!

 

i had the EXACT same problem, any how, my problem was because the trans was leaking fluid from the pan, it wasnt' totally sealed.. (after i took it to the trans shop to get the filter and fluid changed) ... and at that point it was too late. I started to rev high to change gears, soundedl ike it was stick for a bit, then it wouldnt even shift out of first unless i tapped the gas back and forth alot, next thing you know--- boom, trans is gone. Had to get a new one..

 

same problem....

my 89 camaro was giving me the same problem with the hesitation through shifting, that too just came out of nowhere, the only thing i did prior to driving the car was group my spark plug wires together with E. tape, i had a problem on the driver side with plugs falling out of the loom so i grouped the pass. side wires as well. the tranny is hesitant to climbb through the band, then will suddenly kick in for a second then fall again. i dont see any leaking fluid upon "bent over at the hood" inspection, and i got the TF maintenenced about a yr ago., Will definately check the fluid lvl based on your threads.

thanks..

 

This type of trouble seems to appear suddenly. I suspect that there is enough pressure to make everything operate until it is nearly clogged completely, then the "issues" begin.

Mine was so badly destroyed that the trans shop got me a new core to rebuild (I had broken a planetary set, the hollow output shaft that is attached to the lower sun shell and many other things), so I'm not sure it can be cleaned effectively. I'd suspect a good shop will be able to sort it all out. I rebuilt mine many times with varying levels of success and eventually put a T5 in the car and tossed the auto.

Good luck!

 

Check the fluid quality and quantity. If the fluid level is low and smells ok, fill it up. If it is burnt, take it to a shop and have them drop the pan to see if it is full of metal chips. If it has metal chips, get a rebuild.