Transmission problem!

Tiny
DANAG1
  • MEMBER
  • 2001 SATURN SL1
  • 104,000 MILES
Check engine light came on and codes said someting about engaging 2 and 3 shifts? Or incorect ratio. Don't really remember. After I shift into reverse, it took a while to engage and when it did, it made a sort of 'clunk' noise and seemed to slam into gear. Same noise for 1st and 2nd gear. I changed the body valve, now the reverse is perfect and smooth, but the noise when goes up 1st an 2nd gear is still there, Sometime when hit the brake and the speed goes down, can hear the noise, but not all the time. Any suggestions when what can be wrong? Someone said to check the shaft nut, tey maybe loose. It is that a posibility? Thanks!
Wednesday, April 25th, 2012 AT 7:55 PM

13 Replies

Tiny
RASMATAZ
  • MECHANIC
  • 75,992 POSTS
Your best bet is bring it in to a transmission specialist and have them check it out
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Wednesday, April 25th, 2012 AT 8:02 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
So where did you buy the valve body?Hopefully its a sonnax upgraded one with atleast the sleeve?Also have you checked for codes after the valve body replacement?Did you reset the transmission adaptives after the repair?Its not uncommon for the input shaft nut to come loose on those cars.I just had to repair that two days ago on my 1999 saturn SL2 transnission. You can see if the nut is loose if you have a transmission pressure tester?You have used that before replacing the valve body. Also did you air check the clutches while the valve body was off?I always do that to make sure there is no leaking clutch pistions.
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Wednesday, April 25th, 2012 AT 9:43 PM
Tiny
DANAG1
  • MEMBER
  • 91 POSTS
No idea where the body valve was bought, but I didnot hear anything about sonnax so may not be from them. I did not check any codes after replacement because the check engine light is not on anymore, and I did not reset the transmission adaptives ( no idea how) What I noticed if if I put the car in 2nd gear and start from there no slam, clunk or whatever that noise is called. I reach about 2000-2200rpm then put the car in d and everything is fine. But I do not want to do that all the time.
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Wednesday, April 25th, 2012 AT 11:22 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
So did a shop replace the valve body or did you?I ask where the valve body came from is because a lot of valve bodies say they are reconditioned and all they are is used cleaned in a solvent tank. Also there acuators are ohm checked. The main reason the valve bodies go bad are because the pressure regulator bore is part of the actual upper valve body. So it quickly wears out from is constant movement. So sonnax has a tool kit to bore it out and allow a seperate sleeve to be installed. They also have a pressure regulator improved pressure regulator spring thats stronger then the oringal and cuts down excessive movement. They also have a improved boost valve to help line rise etc. Its called a sure cure kit thats what I installed in my valve body. What a difference in the way it shift much more smooth and firm shifts. Also the clutch packs should have been air checked when the valve body was off. Before changing the valve body I would have done a high low pressure test and tested the pressure when shifted into each gear reverse drive etc at the very least. So is the lre a delay bang when shifting into 2nd 3rd 4h etc?
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Thursday, April 26th, 2012 AT 1:50 AM
Tiny
DANAG1
  • MEMBER
  • 91 POSTS
No, the body valve was not installed in a shop, was installed by my husband and my neighbor. Well. If I put the car in D, accelerate, hear a bang or someting like that and the car change the gear. Accelerate further and another noise, another gear change. If I let the car go without touching the acceleration till the car stops itself, the changing gears are done without any noises. If I put the car in 2 and accelerate, no noise or bang when change gear. I change manually to 3 and D and again change gears without no other noises. Between my body valve and this one, with this one I saw improvements and problems also: with original body valve I had pause until engage and noise on 2nd and 3rd gear when accelerate and when let the car goes alone till stops. Now, the reverse is perfect and no noise when car let go until stops. The valve was bought from a place where parts are taked out of cars and sold ( something like junk yard but you are not allowed to take the parts, someone else did it and sel it to people, so could be the chance that was like you said: just cleaned ( or maybe not) and sold it.
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Thursday, April 26th, 2012 AT 2:37 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
So you have a hard shift into every gear?If so you have too much pressure in the forward gears. Your old valve body was giving the transmission too little pressure in reverse and the forward gears. Thats why you had the delay in reverse and the slipping and gear ratio codes. Reverse uses full line pressure to engage and the forward gears only use about 120-130psi line pressure to operate correctly. If the pressure is too high in the forward gears you will get a bang or hard shift when changing gears. So sounds like you got just a used valve body a major no no on those transmissions. Like I explained before those valve bodies are great except the weak point is that pressure regulator bores. If the bore wears out you get low line pressure like the old one had. If the pressure regulator spring breaks or the regulator binds in the bore you could have full line pressure in the forward gears. Also if the line pressure actuator fails then you could have the same thing happen. But usually when that happens when you put the car in drive it will bang also. Your best bet would have been to atleast have gotten a valve body that had the sonnax upgraded sleeve. Or better yet one with the full sonnax upgrade with the sure cure one like I have. You really need to check the pressure in the transmission with a gauge. The gauge sets are like 50 for a otc one like mine on amazon.
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Thursday, April 26th, 2012 AT 3:04 AM
Tiny
DANAG1
  • MEMBER
  • 91 POSTS
Thanks for all the info. How about I will change only the transmission pressure control solenoid? Will hat fix the problem? And still not sure how to reset adaptives ( is a special tool needed for that?
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Thursday, April 26th, 2012 AT 11:45 AM
Tiny
DANAG1
  • MEMBER
  • 91 POSTS
Forgot to answer your question: no, I do not have hard shift into every gear. When I start the car, put it in drive, start driving and first gear changed is done with a bang noise. From there on, things are going smoothly. Every time the car stops ( stop sign, traffic light, etc) and start moving again, first gear changed is done with that bang.
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Thursday, April 26th, 2012 AT 4:15 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
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You could try swaping the pressure control solenoid with the old one from the valve body you took out. But I dont know that is the problem. You never answered my question is it shifting hard into every gear as it up shifts?Also if we did a pressure test with a transmission gauge I could tell you more. Thats the first thing I always do to see whats going on. There easy to do the gauge set is pretty inexpensive.I have a nice otc gauge set I got as a gift it ls under 60 and has a case adapters and even a second oil pressure gauge. There quick release hoses and have rubber around the gauges to protect. When you go to diagnose and repair cars you have to by tools. Welcome to my world lol a lot of people think you can just start changing parts to fix the car. There is thought tests tools required etc that goes into it otherwise your just throwing good parts after bad into the car. Thats why I asked if the transmission had its clutches air checked while the valve body was off. Thats another thing you do as a diagnostic step.I know these transmissions well I went to spring hill tennesse and did the factory training on them where they built the cars.
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Thursday, April 26th, 2012 AT 4:18 PM
Tiny
DANAG1
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No, it is not shifting hard in every gear, just when start moving and change the first gear. From there on, things go smooth up and down.. It is true, we do not have many testing tools, because we didn't have newer cars, my husband prefer the older ones instead of new ones :) When he will have a day off, I will ask him to switch the pressure control solenoid and see what will happen. I will keep updated. The transmissions gauge test lok like the one in this link? http://www.otctools.com/products/transmission-engine_oil_pressure_kit
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Thursday, April 26th, 2012 AT 5:48 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
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If you only have a issue going into second gear dont waste your time swaping the pressure control solenoid that would effect all the gears.So how long does it take to go into reverse after shifting into reverse?Count the seconds till you feel it engage.Also yes thats the gauge set i have its the nicest for the money i think i love my set have used it many times.Heres the amazon link to it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000R5G0DO/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1335485346&sr=8-1
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Friday, April 27th, 2012 AT 12:15 AM
Tiny
DANAG1
  • MEMBER
  • 91 POSTS
If I shift into reverse, it will engage right away. Thanks for the link
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Friday, April 27th, 2012 AT 12:22 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
Iam still trying to grasp whats going on with your car is there a hard shift just going into second gear?
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Friday, April 27th, 2012 AT 4:08 AM

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