auto trans problem

I have a 2001 sc2 auto trans 47,000 mi. Out of the blue the gears started to
slam when shifting from gear to gear. a very hard shift. well i took it to
saturn and they changed the positive battery cable. because it was corroded.
they said it could make the trans do funny things if its not getting the
right voltage.they also reprogrammed the computer and said they didn't get
any codes. My car was fine for 2 days and on the 3rd day it started again.
My question is, has anyone had this problem ? bad computer or bad trans?

thanks Steve

 

Did they change the fluid and/or filter?

 

Yes.

 

You should go back to Saturn to have them run a diagnostic while driving to
record any transient codes.

Most likely it is a flaky sensor or shift control valve. Possibly an abraded
cable (something rubbed against insulation and wore through it). A corroded
connector is unlikely with a car only 2 years old but that would also give
an intermittant condition. Also possible that the lock-up torque converter
is not unlocking fully when shifting. I recall seeing a TSB on that one.

Good luck - Oppie

 

Indeed. And what's the most likely reason it's not getting the right voltage,
especially in a Saturn? Bad alternator. Look there first.

Matt O.

 

Dan,

I just went thru this, so I know how you feel. Like every time the
trans shifts will be it's last. In my particular case, it turned out
to be the wiring harness to the trans. They also said the input shaft
nut was loose and they did something with that, and the input shaft
bearing. If you have codes P0147 and/or P0148 ( I'm not 100% sure of
those numbers), this points to the harness, or perhaps the fluid
pressure control solenoid. If the car shifts reasonably when cold,
but starts slamming when it warms-up, this also points to a fluid
pressure problem. Since the fluid is denser when cold, there's
sufficient pressure to operate the valve body. When the fluid warms
up, it becomes thinner and the pressure drops and the trans starts
slamming. I seem to remember seeing a service bulletin about the
trans wiring harness in my online searches

One last thing. Just because someone works at a Saturn dealer,
doesn't necessarily mean he knows what he's talking about. In my
case, my dealer swore up and down that the wiring was not the problem,
and the only suggestion they could make was replacing the computer.
They gave me no guarantee that this would fix it, so if it didn't
work, I'm out $850. As a last resort, before I got a new car, I took
it to a different dealer. Talk about night and day! They fixed it
for about $700 and (knock on wood) it's been OK ever since. I think
I'm going to file a complaint with the my county consumer protection
office to try to get back some money from dealer #1. Good luck.

Eric

 

Dan,

Another resource you can check out is "www.saturnfans.com". There are
message forums for the various model lines as well as a "Tech talk"
forum. Some of the members are current and/or former Saturn techs.

Eric

 

Steve,

The replies addressed to Dan ARE for you. Sorry about that. I
haven't had any coffee this morning.

Eric

 

Hi Eric thanks for the reply.

i tried the fix from saturnfans.com where you add trans treatment and run
the car in reverse for 30min. it seem to work although now when cold
shifting into rev takes a few seconds without any bang. after warmed up it
shifts into rev without any problem. forward gears are fine.

steve

 

Actually a corroded connector is a good possibility. My '01 with 33K miles
on it had all the ABS , Brake and Service lights come on one morning.
The fix was to clean a corroded ground and re-attach it. But, also have them
do the on the fly diagnostics.

Robert