Replaced valve body still had hard shift - replaced TRS LP fuse NOW will not shift

Tiny
MIKE G
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I agree with you. No they never tested the valve body as a whole assembly (I assume you mean shifting under pressure). They told me that they do not rebuild valve bodies that need a sleeve. They inspect and clean the valve body and replace anything that is not within spec.

How involved is a line pressure test. Where and how is the tester connected. Do I have to have wheels off the ground so the car can shift to perform the test. If you could give me details I would appreciate it.
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Saturday, January 14th, 2012 AT 8:11 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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You dont move the car to check the pressures. You hook the gauge up where the transmission temp sensor screws in right next to the tranmission filter. Then warm the car up to normal operating temp. Then see what the pressure reads at idle then what it reads at idle with the line pressure fuse pulled at idle. Then put the fuse back in and shut the car the car back off. Then restart the car and check the pressure in reverse then check the pressure in drive. Its really easy to do. Heres the link to the pressure tester I have its really nice.
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Sunday, January 15th, 2012 AT 4:55 AM
Tiny
MIKE G
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Here are my measurements. I could not get a pressure tester so I used an oil pressure gauge that I had that goes to 100 psi. This is the type of oil gauge you would normally install inside the car when you do not have an oil pressure gauge.

Start the car let it idle till you get to normal operating temp.
Then see what the pressure reads at idle should be around 60psi. - My reading 74 psi
Then pull the line pressure fuse should be over 175psi. - My reading Over 100 psi (pegged my gauge)
Then put the fuse back in and turn the engine off and then restart the engine.
Then put the transmission in drive the pressure should read about 130psi. - My reading 74 psi
Then put the car in reverse the pressure should read over 175psi. - My reading 74 psi

Without the TRS LP fuse all gears including park/neutral read over 100 psi (pegged my gauge)

What do you think?
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Sunday, January 15th, 2012 AT 8:01 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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I can see why you dont have reverse and wont shift your pressures are skewed really low from what they should be. Since the gauge pegs when you pull the line pressure fuse tells me your line pressure actuator works. But what we cant see is what your actual max line pressure is from the transmission pump. We know it will shift and go into reverse but thats all we know. We really need to know what the actual max pump pressure is because if it was on the low side it skew the pressures low for the forward gears and reverse. That way we could prove it was a bad valve body. So is there any warranty on the valve body?Or are they in total denial there is a problem with and it and just trying to blame it on your transmission?Did it ever shift correctly when you replaced the valve body with the one you have on the transmission now?
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Sunday, January 15th, 2012 AT 9:23 PM
Tiny
MIKE G
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I bought a valve body from a different source and now I am getting different results.

This valve body has a sonnax sleeve.

I am not getting the pressures you specified previously. Using my 100 psi gauge I get the following readings.

P - 44 psi
r - 41 psi
n - 25 psi
d - 39 psi
3 - 39 psi
2 - 39 psi

Randomly (at least twice I had a park pressure of 110 psi and a reverse pressure of 98 psi)

When I pulled the TRS LP fuse I read the following pressures.

P - 68 psi
r - 62 psi
n - 41 psi
d - 48 psi
3 - 48 psi
2 - 48 psi

As you may remember with the previous valve bodies I would peg the gauge when in reverse.
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Saturday, January 21st, 2012 AT 7:02 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Give me the link to the new valve body you bought. This new valve body sounds worse the the first one you bought. Did you get a transmission gauge set yet?
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Saturday, January 21st, 2012 AT 9:28 PM
Tiny
MIKE G
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No I have not purchased a transmission gauge set.

Do you know where to get a guaranteed good valve body?

Based on our previous discussions I believe that when you pull the trs lp fuse you will always get a reverse slam. Is this true?
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Saturday, January 21st, 2012 AT 10:01 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Do you still have the first valve body you bought?If so do you plan on keeping it?
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Saturday, January 21st, 2012 AT 11:32 PM
Tiny
MIKE G
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No, I do not have the first valve body - I did get a refund, then I purchased this one.
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Saturday, January 21st, 2012 AT 11:39 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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I really dont know where to get a good rebuilt valve body I went thru the same issue you had getting one bad valve body after another. Thats why when I found a good deal on ebay for the sonnax tools to rebuild the S model valve bodies I bought it. Got the sonnax sure cure kit and rebuilt them myself and they came out working better then any of the factory new or rebuilt saturn ones I have installed. So was the only problem with the oringal valve body you replaced a bad line pressure actuator that damaged the buss connector plate?Before that the transmission shifted good?How many miles on the car?
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Sunday, January 22nd, 2012 AT 8:39 PM
Tiny
MIKE G
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Correct, that is what I replaced on the original valve body. I do not know the exact history of the car but I was told that it had the hard shift problem for at least a couple of months, then it was parked for a year. The car has 126,000 miles.

I was working on the car again today and have the following update. I installed a new vehicle speed sensor just to make sure it was not the problem and it wasn't. I also measured all the actuators ohms and here they are.

A/B Third - 4.6 ohms
C/D Fourth - 4.8 ohms
E/K TCC - 4.7 ohms
J/H Second - 4.9 ohms
G/F Line - 5.1 ohms

How important is it that they are within one ohm of each other?

With the TRS LP fuse installed the car will shift into reverse with about third gas pedal applied. Goes into drive but will not shift into second or any other gear.

With TRS LP fuse removed the car will hard shift into reverse. Shifts ok into drive, hard shift into 2nd, hard shift into 3rd and shift ok into 4th. I did not have the pressure gauge attached so I do not know pressures.

I am going to buy a pressure tester that goes to 300 psi so I can get an accurate reading.

The person who sold me the last valve body also sent me a service manual and according to it, my problem comes down to three problems.

1 - Pump
2/3 - Pressure regulator and/or line pressure actuator.

Based upon the ohms reading do you think it could be an actuator problem? What are you thoughts with the pump?

One more thing. According to the shop manual the transmission fluid should be either Dexron II or Dexron III. Autozone told me to put in Castrol Import Multi-Vehicle. It is primarily for import cars, however on the back it reads:
Also meets requirements for: General Motors - Dexron III H and prior. Could this be the problem?
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Sunday, January 22nd, 2012 AT 11:31 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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I always use the castrol high mileage transmission fluid for the dextron 3 fluid in all my saturn S model transmissions I service and it works great. That is the fluid I recomend for your transmission. We need to see the actual pressure like I have been saying so we can see what the pressure is with the fuse out and reving the engine up to about 2,000-2,500 rpm to test the pump. I highly doubt you have a bad pump I seen very few fail unless some debris in the transmission took it out. So where is the oringal valve body? You said you repaired it?
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Sunday, January 22nd, 2012 AT 11:53 PM
Tiny
MIKE G
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It is sitting in a box in my garage. Yes, I replaced the line actuator with a brand new one (GM) part. I also replaced the buss plate with a brand new one (GM) part.
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Monday, January 23rd, 2012 AT 1:02 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Did you ever try to install it after the repair and see how it shifted?Also what is the part number for the buss plate?I have been having trouble finding one.
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Monday, January 23rd, 2012 AT 1:54 AM
Tiny
MIKE G
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When I repaired the original valve body I took it for a test drive and it hard shifted but I may of had a blown trs lp fuse. I cannot remember ever test driving the car with the original valve body when I know the trs lp fuse was good.

I will have to look for the buss plate part number.
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Monday, January 23rd, 2012 AT 2:19 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Lets try the oringal valve body and see how that works and give it time for the transmissions adaptives to relearn. If you could get me the buss plate part number I would be greatful.
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Monday, January 23rd, 2012 AT 4:25 AM
Tiny
MIKE G
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Buss plate part number 21002828

As far as the original valve body. I did reinstall it when there was a good trs lp fuse but only did a garage test. If I am remembering correctly it would not go into reverse. I will put it in again and test it.
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Tuesday, January 24th, 2012 AT 1:32 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Sounds like you should have stuck with the oringal one keep me posted?
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Tuesday, January 24th, 2012 AT 3:22 AM
Tiny
MIKE G
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Here are my readings with a 300 psi gauge.

P - 70 psi
r - 65 psi
n - 40 psi
d - 65 psi
3 - 65 psi
2 - 65 psi

When I pulled the TRS LP fuse I read the following pressures.

P - 125 psi
r - 285 psi
n - 90 psi
d - 285 psi
3 - 285 psi
2 - 285 psi

Based upon these reading I believe that my pump is good.

So am I back to it being the valve body.

NOTE:

After taking the readings I put the car into Park and my 300 psi gauge broke (cheap China crap), so I cannot test with the original valve body until I get a replacement.
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Saturday, January 28th, 2012 AT 8:46 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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So these readings are with the new sonnax upgraded valve body you bought?The pump is good from the readings your getting.I told you to get one like mine I have used mine many times and has always worked great. Its not super expensive but its a quality gauge set.
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Sunday, January 29th, 2012 AT 4:13 AM

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