93 with the 3.3 Tranny problems

Tiny
SCTGRANDAM
  • MEMBER
  • 1993 PONTIAC GRAND AM
The transmission was fine. My girlfriend drove the car to a city about an hour away and she parked the car. Said it did fine the way over there. She came out, started the car put it in drive and it acted like it didnt want to go into drive she said. She finally gets the car home, and it works fine for a couple days. Then reverse goes out completley, and Neutral is drive, and drive is drive. It can be in drive and down shift manually and the car doesnt downshift. This is an automatic transmission by the way. A few weeks later, the car works fine again. Then, yet again reverse goes, and now when you take off the whole front end shakes like crazy, and makes a loud noise. It finally catches and takes off. Its shifting at random points now. You are driving at 20 and it will shift to second and then down to first. I have had it to 3 people and they all say different things. I have heard, Valves, Clutch Pack, Torque Converter Clutch, and a lot of other things. Anyone have any clues as to what this may be? The transmission fluid smells burnt, however, the transmission fluid wouldnt cause eratci shifting and cause these problems would it?
The car has about 150k miles on it, nothing has ever been serviced except the ECM and the Rear Right Wheel Cylinder.
I have recently had the ECM replaced, and from my understanding, my specific transmission does not have any electrical parts in it short of the Lock up Switch.

Thanks in advance.
James
Thursday, September 20th, 2007 AT 7:26 PM

4 Replies

Tiny
SERVICE WRITER
  • MECHANIC
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Not a good sign. No service in 150,000 miles...


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/30961_scarry_6.jpg



Original filter and fluid...Tranny is probably shot.

The filter geting plugged will prevent circulaton. IMHO, The fluid properties when dimisnished will not cool or lubricate adequetly.

I'm sure there has been some sort of other servicing to the car, None go that far without it.
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Thursday, September 20th, 2007 AT 8:11 PM
Tiny
SCTGRANDAM
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Well, we have had the car since it was brand new. Its had usuall maintence like plugs wires things like that. The Wheel Cylinder and ECM was the biggest thing really. The fluid sadly has never been changed and I assumed that the non changing it fried the whole transmission really. The fluid is darker than the motor oil in the engine.

Thanks for your input. I just now have to deciede if the transmission is worth getting fixed or getting rid of it.
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Thursday, September 20th, 2007 AT 8:32 PM
Tiny
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The car certainly doesn't owe you anyhting. May want to consider a used transmission. Hard to say when the car is on the brink of major expenses or not. Almost always it's cheaper to do reapirs than replace.
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Friday, September 21st, 2007 AT 6:19 AM
Tiny
SCTGRANDAM
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  • 3 POSTS
Yeah Ill look into a used one today. Thanks a lot for your help man. Have a good weekend.
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Friday, September 21st, 2007 AT 12:11 PM

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