Automatic transmission stuck in 3rd/4th gear

KEVINWILLIAMSA

MEMBER
1997 SATURN SC2
207,000 MILES

The a/c compressor bracket broke and threw the belt off. Car overheated but engine doesnt seem damaged. Replaced a/c compressor bracket and the power steering fluid pump came loose (due to prev owner using wrong bolts/missing bolts). I replaced all the bolts with the correct bolts, and now that the car is running again the transmission is stuck in 3rd or 4th gear with no shifting, slams into reverse with a delay, and slams into gear hard while moving if you go to neutral and back to drive, and is super slow taking off due to the gear's not shifting. The car is also making a whistling sound from near the right side of the intake manifold and im thinking a vacumn line could have come off. Check engine light is on now, and coolant/oil lights are flashing (but have been before this)

5 Replies

SATURNTECH9

MECHANIC
30,869 POSTS

What are the exact code numbers you have in the computer?Sounds like you have a line pressure issue inside the transmission really common on those cars. You will need to do a high and low line pressure test. You can get a nice pressure gauge set for about 54 on amazon.

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Monday, August 20th, 2012 AT 1:48 AM

SATURNTECH9

MECHANIC
30,869 POSTS

Also have you had the battery and alternator tested yet?Also the oil light for the pressure and the low coolant light is on?

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Monday, August 20th, 2012 AT 1:52 AM

KEVINWILLIAMSA

MEMBER
3 POSTS

Hello, just got a hold of a obd2 code reader and the only code shown was p0137 which has been there for a long time already. So I cleared the code and ran the car again and now the ses light is off. Is it possible a vacumn line is disconnected I can hear what sounds like air hissing especially when I put the car in drive, maybe its scraping from th transmission. Can you recommend a guide for how to pressure test the transmission or to read codes from it?

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Sunday, August 26th, 2012 AT 2:45 AM

KEVINWILLIAMSA

MEMBER
3 POSTS

Also, the car has reverse slam and it had a nice soft but delayed engagement to reverse before but no slam. When you go from drive to reverse it doesn't slam at all.

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Sunday, August 26th, 2012 AT 2:49 AM

SATURNTECH9

MECHANIC
30,869 POSTS

Sounds like a pressure issue from the delay bang into reverse because reverse uses full line pressure. If the pressure gets low you will get a delay and when it gets bad enough a bang. Did you get a transmission pressure test kit yet?