I have a stock A4 in a '94 Trans Am with approx. 133,000 miles on it. Fluid looks fine and was changed this past summer. Coolant has been changed and it has a tranny cooler. Just took a trip to Norfolk, VA and back last week, ran just fine (1000 miles to and from). Now driving down the road, it seems the converter will NOT lock when the car is kept in 3rd (Drive) while driving say, 40-50mph. Revs will go down to near idle like a 6-speed car in neutral. If I upshift manually to OD, it'll function properly. I have also noticed it beginning to slip in other gears as well, 2nd, specifically, but mostly only when manually downshifted to that particular gear.

I'm no tranny guru, but if the tranny or converter was slipping, isn't reverse and overdrive the first gears normally to go?

Recommendations?

Thanks

 

If you lose the input sprag, the engine will go down to an idle when letting off of the throttle. I'm not sure why it is slipping in the gears, from what you have described, but in almost all cases of this transmission, the 3-4 clutches (going away) are the major problem here. Reverse going out in 1994-95 was a little more common than earlier units, there are fixes for this.

 

So, is it rebuild time? Or is this a less-expensive problem?

It's weird, because it does seem to onlly do that in 3rd(drive). Even at 40mph, it does not go down to idle in overdrive. Mind you, that's only roughly 1200 rpm or so (3.23 rear), but it does not just dive like it does in 3rd.

This car also has the transmission perform button as it's a '94 Trans Am GT.

BTW: thanks for the info!