# Cavalier bucks in low gear **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [December 18, 2008, 5:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cavalier-bucks-in-low-gear/23570 "2008-12-18T17:05:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vpfalcon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vpfalcon/32/562_2.png) [@vpfalcon](https://community.cartalk.com/u/vpfalcon)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 5:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cavalier-bucks-in-low-gear/23570/1 "2008-12-18T17:05:21Z")
My daughters 98 Cavalier buck in low gear, starting off after a stop or when slowly making a turn the car starts to bog down and I can actally see the car buck up and down until she gets going. I changed her oil, air filter, spark plugs and wires, but that didn’t help. Now I’m thinking uh-oh, transmission. ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cavalier-bucks-in-low-gear/23570/2 "2008-12-18T17:40:35Z")
Because you did not say I conclude you do not have a "check engine’ light on,so no codes to help,this still sounds like a engine performance issue,you say low gear but I am thinking automatic,if it makes you feel better you can do a “drop and fill” of the trans fluid (check the fluid for being burnt,look for debris) My question,why did you not change the fuel filter and why did you think a oil change would cure this problem? ---
**Author:** ![vpfalcon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vpfalcon/32/562_2.png) [@vpfalcon](https://community.cartalk.com/u/vpfalcon)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cavalier-bucks-in-low-gear/23570/3 "2008-12-18T18:55:12Z")
Yeah, fuel filter, that makes sense. Good point. The car is an automatic, she had it for month or so and she told me the car was stalling out, so I checked the air filter and while I had the hood open I checked the oil and it was very dirty, I knew that wasn’t causing the problem, but I had it changed and drove the car and it seemed fine, I changed the plugs and wires because it looked easy on that car. I’m not a good mechanic so it was a shot in the dark, that I admit. There is no check engine light on. I took the car to my mechanic. I will let you know what they tell me. Fuel filter, that would be great news! ---
**Author:** ![vpfalcon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vpfalcon/32/562_2.png) [@vpfalcon](https://community.cartalk.com/u/vpfalcon)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 12:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cavalier-bucks-in-low-gear/23570/4 "2008-12-19T00:30:14Z")
My mechanic found a wiring harness with three wires shorting out due to the engine moving and rubbing on it during acceleration. It took him a few hours to find it. I thank him for his efforts.