Transmission Problem

Recently had transmission filter and fluid changed (at 80,000 miles). I had no problems up to that point. Now if you make a hard stop the car will not move for 15 to 30 seconds. Acts like its in neutral. Mechanic put another filter in trying to solve problem, no luck. Car going uphill, downhill, or on level before stop makes no difference. Moving shift lever to another gear after stop changes nothing. Its a 1990 model

Thats classic for underfilling. Are you sure the fluid level is where it should be?? Make sure it gets checked HOT, on a LEVEL surface and the gear selector in PARK. Did the mechanic also change the filter seal when he changed the filter??

transman

This can happen when the transfluid foams due to sucking air in the pan. The filter seal and the fluid level are the top first checks.

To answer ?'s. Yes filter seal was changed. Transmission fluid level was check hot with car in park, full. Today after consultation with transmission shop an extra quart of fluid added. Will let you know if this solves it or not.

If this is a Toyota, the new filter might not be the right one. Hope your mechanic saved the old one.

Extra quart cut lag time to a few seconds when cold and seems to eliminate it when hot. Trying to decide if to add one more pint.

Is this a Toyota?

Tag shows “Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight”.

He must have just added it, it wasn’t there earlier. But that throws out my theory. Now the next question would be, which transmission fluid did the mechanic use. In 1990, it would be Dexron III, the new fluid is Dexron VI. GM recommends Dexron VI even in the older cars when the fluid is changed, but it does make you wonder.

BTW, the reason I asked if it was a Toyota is that they have a lot of filters that look identical, but the reliefs for the screw heads on the valve body are in different positions which keeps the wrong filter from sealing properly and causing this.

I still suspect that it has the wrong filter, but I don’t know if GM has a similar issue as the Toyota’s have. I have changed the trans fluid in couple of older GM’s (92 Chevy Van and 98 Olds 88), even using the newer Dexron VI and not had this problem.

Well adding the extra fluid did not help. Transmission shop and my mechanic now think it is in valve body and had nothing to do with fluid and filter change. Said to drive it, may correct itself (unlightly), as long as possible. $1,500 for rebuild. Will drive till it quits, six months or six years, no way to predict if or when it will fail. So far only hesitation in 1st part of the time. Probably won’t rebuild.

Update: After a dead stop and it won’t pull off I can put in in neutral and then pull back to drive and it engages.

Pour in a bottle of Trans-Medic or Trans-Tune and drive ‘timidly’ until you see improvement. Such strange problems occuring after an overdue service are not unusual and more often than not the additives will clear up the problem.

But opinions do vary…

Some trans need checked in neutral after hot. Drive 15 miles or more

Just thought I would post an update. Problem continued till 2016 when a tranmission coolant line to radiator busted. Transmission got real hot. When line was replaced and new fluid added no more problem. Now shifts normally.

Wow, thanks for the update. Sounds like some contamination got moved around (again; probably in the valve body) and now it’s back to “normal.” Keep us posted.