Transmission Problem?

[vteckiller2000]

I have a 2004 Auto steptronic with GM transmission. Yesterday, I was out playing with dynolicious on my ipod, and the reverse gear slipped a couple times while backing out of a driveway. After gassing it a couple of times to reproduce the problem, it started working fine. Later on the way home, my gear indicator on the dash stopped reading "D" and was reading blank in drive. If I shifted into S/M, or manually, it read correctly, but was blank in drive. Then later still, it started reading "N" while in drive, and now the shift interlock solenoid clicks upon brake pedal application.

WTF man. I just spent $2500+ repairing and replacing stuff on this heap.

[vteckiller2000]

After driving the car, when the gear indicator is blank, the trans will shift very harshly, and into the highest gear possible, then not downshift when slowing to a stop, almost causing a stall. Sometimes the gear indicator works fine though, and it acts completely normal.

It feels dangerous when it is not working correctly, and I can just barely limp around in manual mode to get where I need to go.

[billschusteriv]

I have heard that the auto trans will sometimes go into "limp" mode - but I have not experienced this and what I have heard of it doesn't appear to be what you're describing. As my mechanic put it - in limp mode the auto trans will shift to third and stay there.

Do you have any other warning lights? The little gear and exclaimation mark next to the "D" is the transmission warning light.

http://i934.photobucket.com/albums/ad185/bill_schuster/IMG00239-20110324-0807.jpg

[billschusteriv]

How's the rest of the drivetrain? Recent maintenance on rear diff?

[danewilson77]

When is the last time the fluid and filter were changed?

Droid! Srs Legitness!

[vteckiller2000]

No trans service light, just blank when it eff's up. The trans was just serviced last week. Very reputable shop.

It is not in limp mode, as the gear/! does not show and it still shifts through the gears. Badly.


When it does show "D" in drive, it drives completely normal.

[mikeyb74]

I would call your shop that just serviced the car.

[kayger12]

No trans service light, just blank when it eff's up. The trans was just serviced last week. Very reputable shop.

It is not in limp mode, as the gear/! does not show and it still shifts through the gears. Badly.


When it does show "D" in drive, it drives completely normal.

How many miles on the car and when was the last time the trans was serviced?

The auto trans seems to be susceptible to issues after trans service if it had not been serviced at regular intervals in the past.

[mikeyb74]

I put my auto on a maintenance schedule for fluid and filter change every 30K.

[kayger12]

I put my auto on a maintenance schedule for fluid and filter change every 30K.

Smart man.

[vteckiller2000]

I called, and we think it is an electrical problem at the transmission computer interface. Someone left the cover off it for a bit and some water got in there.

The trans was first serviced at 117k.

[kayger12]

Ok. That would certainly do it.

[vteckiller2000]

Fixed.

Water in the transmission electrical connector.

[kayger12]

Good news. Glad it worked out.

Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

[vteckiller2000]

I was so frustrated, I took my engine and transmission computers apart, cleaned them with contact cleaner, then filed on each individual connector pin on the computers with a tiny hand file to clean the contacts. In the end it was something completely different than I thought.

Good thing the tech at the shop randomly pulled off that connector though...

[danewilson77]

How did the water get in?

[kayger12]

Someone left the cover off it for a bit and some water got in there.




Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

[danewilson77]

I called, and we think it is an electrical problem at the transmission computer interface. Someone left the cover off it for a bit and some water got in there.

The trans was first serviced at 117k.

Oops....thanks Keith. Guess it was up in the thread.

[kayger12]

No prob, bro. I know how easy it is to miss stuff when you read every post...