hmm what to do, what to do.

[99alerogirl]

Sooo I've had my alero for almost 2 years now I believe, and I need some advice from you. I don't know much about transmissions (besides the fact that the one in my first car, my explorer, was crap).. I don't know what a "slip" is exactly or anything like that. But ever since I got my alero, it has always done this thing when shifting into second. When I accelerate kind of fast, you can hear it try to shift, but it stops for a second.. I'm not really sure how to explain it haha. It's like you can hear and feel it stop accelerating, but the RPM's stay up there for about a second or two before it actually shifts to second and continues to accelerate. This has been absolutely no big deal to me this whole time, since it hasn't gotten worse at all. I should also mention that sometimes it kinda "clunks" when I put it into gear (mostly reverse). But, like I said, I've never had a big problem.

Ok, they're not a big problem, so why am I bringing it up like a noob? Well I saw in the paper this guy selling his working 3400 with the transmission. His car was hit in the side/rear area and was totaled. Now I have no idea how many miles are on either one, but he's selling the pair for 300. I was just wondering if the problem with my transmission may turn out to be bigger than I think? Since I don't know much. Wouldn't wanna pass on this deal if I'm going to need it a little ways down the road.

I would greatly appreciate your input :). Sorry for the long post... I like to be detailed :)

[alerored04]

How many miles on your trans? A fluid change could always help. I have 143,000 really hard miles on mine and it still works pretty well *knock on wood. 300 is a deal but I have a hard time spending money on parts i might need. Thats a tough call. It does sound like your trans is starting to slip but pending mileage a fluid flush may help that.

[99alerogirl]

I have about 114500 on it, assuming it's the same tranny that came in the car, which is probable. And I have a hard time buying those kinds of parts as well, which is why I'm turning to you :) haha. I was going to get the transmission flushed the other day but wasn't sure if I could just find out how to do it... I know when we had it done on my explorer we took it somewhere to do it, is that necessary? Or can someone with some car intelligence pull it off? As I said, I know nothing about transmissions. Absolutely nothing.

[AGT]

You won't get the full amount flushed if you attempt yourself. You need to have the filter and tranny fluid changed and a tranny service will be the best you could do. Make sure they do a filter change at the same time. It'll run you about 70-100

[jaxalero]

I would also look at the Air Intake Sensor. Same stuff that your explaining happened to mine. The AIS was fine, but the wires were jacked up. Search this site and there should be a diagram for you. Wires and Sensor would total about $30

[alerored04]

AGT and Jax have good points. The reverse clunk sounds like an IAT or MAF problem but the over rev before shifting points to trans. I would have it flushed first then if the problem continues you can consider the other trans. Make sure to ask the shop if they notice anything in particular when doing the flush. Mine was done at 110,000 and the tech said that he doubted it had ever been done, some of the nastiest fluid he had seen come from a trans. It performed better afterwards.

[HazMatt24]

$300 is a good deal, but do you really want to spend money on something you may not need? Also, do you have a place to keep that stuff? A transmission can only go in the bathtub if you live in a single wide. It's in the Redneck Constituiton

Try the other stuff first, but don't wait too long in case you do need a new tranny so you can jump on this deal if need be.

[99alerogirl]

yeah thanks everyone for the suggestions... won't have time to get stuff done until friday though with class and work. and yeah I would have a place to put it... my parents have an extra detatched garage that only has a 1969 gto and a 47 chevy in it... and a lot of extra room :)

woohoo 100th post! haha

[Trickyslick]

I'd be happy to take the GTO out of the way to make more room....

[AGT]

I will take the 47 Chevy ;)

BTW, Check the wires first. Just to make sure because you always want to do cheapest repairs 1st.

[Midgear]

I think I see what yer sayin' ... its not really a slip, but more of a really slow shift.

this happens to me whenever I unplug my battery from the car and reconnect it, or if the battery dies, something in the computer (PCM) controls the "stiffnes" of the shift, and my PCM being aftermarket, it pretty much reverts to stock untill it learns my driving habits..

how do you normally drive your car? putt putt around alot? get on it any?

a slip would be when you put your foot into it, it gains alot of RPM without actually going anywhere.. this is when I decided it was time for a fluid change, but seeing as you may have the original fluid after 100+ thousand miles.. a change of fluid wouldn't hurt..

my last tranny "flush" (more of a change.. no pressure used, just pumped at low pressure till it came out clean) took 25 (twenty five) quarts of tranny fluid lol, slippage is gone, shifts are nice and firm, and it goes into R / D just fine.

[kwhauck]

for $300 i'd pick it up for sure, nothing wrong with having extra parts, shit i have a whole extra alero....and who knows how many engine parts, i think last count I have 4 3400 blocks, 2 3500 blocks, numerous UIM and LIM of both varietes, and about 7 sets of 3400 heads, and a whole shit ton of other crap.......

[99alerogirl]

wow you have a lot of parts! problem is 300 isn't like pocket change to me... it won't break me either, but that's what makes it a hard decision.

and i've tried to get my parents to help me restore the GTO (it's just the body, no engine or tranny), but they want to do the chevy first. i just wanna slap a 455 in the goat and call it a day... it's rust-free!

and to answer the question about how I drive... it just depends really. I tend to accelerate a little quicker than most, but nothing too crazy. i've accelerated fast enough to see the tranny problem enough times to know it's a potential problem so yeah haha... I like to think my getting 17 mpg in the city is due to reasons out of my control, though that probably isn't the case :)

[whiteliquid]

mine was doing that and only thing wrong with it was a cam postion sensor...which fixed the problem. so idk. Are you throwing any codes?

300 is a steal even if you dont need the parts. you can scrap the car for about that if u dont need it.

[99alerogirl]

nope I've never thrown a code since I've owned her *knock on wood.

[whiteliquid]

flush it then...

[99alerogirl]

yep, that's probably first on the list, after checking those wires. But it'll have to wait til at least friday unfortunately. I may call the guy tomorrow and see if he still has the tranny, just to make sure it's still available. It was in today's paper too though, so we'll see. If anything I could have an extra engine and tranny that I'm sure I can find some use for haha.

[cliffordwoeller]

i prob need to do a flush i have had it for a year and it has 13300 on it so yeah might need to do that ................lemme be a noob..... when your ho throws codes is that mean when you have a computer hooked up to it or is it like some of the older cars where you turn the ignition so many times and then something flashes or something the will tell you codes ....?

[99alerogirl]

nah it's when the SVS light comes on and you get it hooked up to the computer... that'll tell you the codes. I usually go to autozone, they do a basic check for free! had to make a million trips in my sebring, haven't had to yet for my ho *knock on wood

[InFaMoUs_ALERO_210]

mine did the same thing engine light kept coming off so i plugged the comp for it to read the code and it was my camshaft sensor which controls the shifting timing for the tranny and it worked i have about 175,000 miles on it and it can still smoke hondas and mustangs i keep the ho in the best shape and it still runs as good as new im a auto mecanick helper so it comes in handy when ever i got troubles jaja and my friend rebuilds trannys so im covered

[99alerogirl]

ok, problem with the 1st-2nd shift is getting a little worse. i've decided it's kinda like when you're driving a stick, and you leave your foot on the gas a little too long... you can hear the engine revving, but you're not going any faster until you actually put it in gear (because you're in neutral... duh). so it's shifting out of first at like 5000 RPM, but it doesn't shift. the RPM's fall very slowly down to about 4000 (while not accelerating, possibly even decelerating), then it's like the transmission "catches" 2nd gear when it falls down around 4000 after maybe 2 seconds. you can hear the engine kind of wait there a bit until it catches. it's almost like a transmission stall. do you think a tranny flush will fix this? i'm hoping so... i know it won't hurt it. do you think it could possibly be a problem with the PCM? I read an old post where that was an option.

[AleroB888]

ok, problem with the 1st-2nd shift is getting a little worse. i've decided it's kinda like when you're driving a stick, and you leave your foot on the gas a little too long... you can hear the engine revving, but you're not going any faster until you actually put it in gear (because you're in neutral... duh). so it's shifting out of first at like 5000 RPM, but it doesn't shift. the RPM's fall very slowly down to about 4000 (while not accelerating, possibly even decelerating), then it's like the transmission "catches" 2nd gear when it falls down around 4000 after maybe 2 seconds. you can hear the engine kind of wait there a bit until it catches. it's almost like a transmission stall. do you think a tranny flush will fix this? i'm hoping so... i know it won't hurt it. do you think it could possibly be a problem with the PCM? I read an old post where that was an option.

The '99 trannys are pretty much like that stock. When I test drove mine at the dealership, it had about 33 K miles on it, and it shifted like you describe yours. I was concerned and test drove another '99 Alero on the lot and it did exactly the same thing.....

I have had a tranny flush 3 times in 4 years, and it's holding together so far under a lot of abuse, but the consensus is that there is a bit of risk involved if your car is very high mileage and never flushed before.

I switch to full line pressure for racing to get a firm shift, but would not leave it in that mode full time.

My '03 has much firmer shifts, upgrades were made in later years, plus it's only got 25 K miles on it.

If it seems to be changing, though, there could be a component problem like a bad TPS or the tranny itself, but I would let it go a bit longer, wait it out.

[99alerogirl]

so I went to pep boys to get a price, since they're the only place here open on Sunday. first of all it was overpriced, as always. second of all, the man asked me what year my car was... then he said flushing my transmission was only going to hurt it and possibly blow it. he said if it hasn't been done regularly it'll just be bad. my car only has 114900 miles on it, and I've only had it since 97k, so I don't even know if it's been done regularly.

does that make any sense that flushing it would HURT it? because that totally goes against my logic, but again, I know little about transmissions.

[cherrington17]

Flushing can. As it forces the fluid put, it can take out thicker parts that may be keeping it running well. It's possible

[99alerogirl]

alright... so how do you check the fluid in our cars (the 3400, obviously) since there's no dipstick? and if I weren't to flush the fluid then what am I supposed to do? just wait til my tranny blows? haha

[MixtapeMessiah]

just like on the 4t40e trannys theres a over flow bolt (dont know the correct term GM calls it) u take out, fill it up with fluid intil it comes out that hole..I know my 2.4 holds about 7-8 quarts so somewhere around there for the 3.4, put the bolt back in and there u go ur done