Hard Shifts
-
ijreed
- SSEi Member
- Posts: 161
- Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 3:14 am
- Year and Trim: 1996 Pontiac Bonneville SSEI
Hard Shifts
I was driving my 96 ssei and noticed that it shifted hard out of 1st gear. Does this mean that my transmission is going bad? Is there any way to save it? Also since I have had the car I have not changed the transmission fluid, because I was not sure if then owner before me ever has. Should I go ahead and change it, and if I do what kind of fluid do you recommend. Is there something I should put in it before I change it?
-
MattStrike
- Certified Bonneville Nut
- Posts: 4760
- Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2009 8:32 pm
- Year and Trim: '99 Montana
'04 Dirtymax
'97 Camaro
'92 Trofeo - Location: SE Michigan
Re: Hard Shifts
I would change the fluid and filter, and add some Lucas. Good ol' Dex-IV works, any brand pretty much. Then if you can add a trans oil cooler.
Boost addict
The Fleet:
'93 SSEi - Twincharged + manual Build thread
'97 Camaro - Top swap
'05 STS - V8, AWD, her DD
'92 Trofeo - Fair weather DD
'99 Montana - top swap 3800
'04 Sierra 2500HD - LLY Duramax
Current project:
Something cool, trust me.
Upcoming projects:
'92 Bonneville SSE
'87 LeSabre T-type
'67 LeSabre
Gone to greener pastures:
'84 Sierra Classic - Twin turbo 3800
'97 LeSabre - Top swap
RIP:
'86 LeSabre - pictures
'93 SE - L67
The Fleet:
'93 SSEi - Twincharged + manual Build thread
'97 Camaro - Top swap
'05 STS - V8, AWD, her DD
'92 Trofeo - Fair weather DD
'99 Montana - top swap 3800
'04 Sierra 2500HD - LLY Duramax
Current project:
Something cool, trust me.
Upcoming projects:
'92 Bonneville SSE
'87 LeSabre T-type
'67 LeSabre
Gone to greener pastures:
'84 Sierra Classic - Twin turbo 3800
'97 LeSabre - Top swap
RIP:
'86 LeSabre - pictures
'93 SE - L67
-
ijreed
- SSEi Member
- Posts: 161
- Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 3:14 am
- Year and Trim: 1996 Pontiac Bonneville SSEI
Re: Hard Shifts
Is it hard to put on a trans oil cooler on my car. Where is a good place to get one, and what are trusted brands. Is there a DIY thread on putting in a trans oil coll on my car.
-
wake
- Certified Bonneville Nut
- Posts: 2683
- Joined: Wed May 28, 2008 8:51 pm
- Year and Trim: 96 olds cutlass supreme 4 door
- Location: Dekalb Il
Re: Hard Shifts
LUCAS 
Member # 534.96 olds cutlass supreme SL 4 door 3100 4t60 *3.33 gears* *Fe1* 115K bone stock DD
Wake asked SSEiman01 wrote:why in the the world do you have or need Vaseline in your trunk??!!..well Leather cleans easy..
Re: Hard Shifts
You beat me to it. 
You're most likely experiencing the PCS going bad in your tranny. The shift kit helps hide the PCS problem and gives you time to fix it properly or just drive it that way until the tranny takes a dump.
I'd do the shift kit first with a the obvious fluid and filter change, then the tranny cooler.
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=26996
You're most likely experiencing the PCS going bad in your tranny. The shift kit helps hide the PCS problem and gives you time to fix it properly or just drive it that way until the tranny takes a dump.
I'd do the shift kit first with a the obvious fluid and filter change, then the tranny cooler.
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=26996
Last edited by Bing on Sun Mar 04, 2012 10:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
00Beast
- Retired Site Developer
- Posts: 20960
- Joined: Tue May 27, 2008 10:30 pm
- Year and Trim: '17 Silverado 1500
- Location: MN/IA
- Contact:
Re: Hard Shifts
96 Ei won't have a PCS Bing.
I'd try replacing the vacuum modulator. That's the only thing you can do short of a full rebuild with a TransGo shift kit. The 4T60E is a whole different animal.
I'd try replacing the vacuum modulator. That's the only thing you can do short of a full rebuild with a TransGo shift kit. The 4T60E is a whole different animal.
Bye Bye:
RIP sandrock
RIP sandrock
Sirius wrote:Think about it. You’re tooling down the road in your Prius, knowing full-well that this thing being green is as big a sham as federally mandated ethanol-enriched gas, Russia pulling out of Ukraine, and Obamacare.
Re: Hard Shifts
I thought 95 was the last year for that tranny. Well sorry for the miss information. 
-
00Beast
- Retired Site Developer
- Posts: 20960
- Joined: Tue May 27, 2008 10:30 pm
- Year and Trim: '17 Silverado 1500
- Location: MN/IA
- Contact:
Re: Hard Shifts
It's hard to keep track of all of it. No worries. 
Bye Bye:
RIP sandrock
RIP sandrock
Sirius wrote:Think about it. You’re tooling down the road in your Prius, knowing full-well that this thing being green is as big a sham as federally mandated ethanol-enriched gas, Russia pulling out of Ukraine, and Obamacare.
-
ijreed
- SSEi Member
- Posts: 161
- Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 3:14 am
- Year and Trim: 1996 Pontiac Bonneville SSEI
Re: Hard Shifts
So if I change the vacuum modulator, and it fixes the problem, could that have been the issue all along? Or would the transmission still just be going bad anyway? Also would you recommend to go ahead and change the fluid and filter.
Last edited by ijreed on Sun Mar 04, 2012 11:05 pm, edited 2 times in total.
-
00Beast
- Retired Site Developer
- Posts: 20960
- Joined: Tue May 27, 2008 10:30 pm
- Year and Trim: '17 Silverado 1500
- Location: MN/IA
- Contact:
Re: Hard Shifts
Yes, yes and yes, lol. It could be a number of things. Not a bad idea to start saving up for a new trans.
Bye Bye:
RIP sandrock
RIP sandrock
Sirius wrote:Think about it. You’re tooling down the road in your Prius, knowing full-well that this thing being green is as big a sham as federally mandated ethanol-enriched gas, Russia pulling out of Ukraine, and Obamacare.
-
ijreed
- SSEi Member
- Posts: 161
- Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 3:14 am
- Year and Trim: 1996 Pontiac Bonneville SSEI
Re: Hard Shifts
Turns out it was my modulator. I will be getting the fluid changed soon.