ok guys my buddy just sold this car to me for 80 dollars....the price of the eval at a local transmission shop. hes got money so its no big deal to just buy a new car. the car in question is a 95 SL1 it runs and drives ok except for shifting up too high and shifting down too low.....i usually have to get it to about 3750 RPM before it will shift up (even downhill) and it will darn near kill itself before it shifts to a lower gear. trans shop said new tranny. i figure they would say that no matter what and took a chance. i drove it down to the local advance auto and strapped on a code reader....they congratulated me on having the longest list of codes they had ever seen [img]smileys/smiley6.gif[/img]i already knew that the fan was not working so that was the first two codes, then it went on to cruise control disabled, gear ratio off,gear 1 ratio off, gear 2 ratio off, up through four, then a near stall indication....lack of shifting. i talked to a mechanicwho normally deals with oldercars, he said it could be the shift points, possibly the speed sensor, or something else that was internal....is the speedo run off the speed sensor?because it is working fine....anyways bought a new speed sensor that i plan on installing this weekend... could it be the modulator valve?...is there a modulator valve? lol, anyways thanks guys looking forward to your input.


mike

 

ok ok im sorry i guess i should have read all the posts first....im kinda impatient[img]smileys/smiley1.gif[/img]anyways ottjoe...you were sayin that that can be fixed by replacing the control unit/module under the battery box correct?in the access panel? ill call advance in the morn, they had to order the speed sensor....any other replies are appreciated, thanks

 

if i recall you can by a new brain from saturn, and any transmission shop should have no problem putting it in

 

Check your tranny fuses. TRS/LP, TRS3/4, AND TRS 2/TCC. They're in the under the hood fuse box. Check all of the tranny's electrical conections for corrosion. If the electrics aren't a 100%, you will get up and down shift slam mixed in with converter slip. Also check to see that the alternator is putting out at least 13.5 volts.

 

im starting to think im in over my head!!!


so i called the advance auto like i said i would. thay told me that saturn has a hold on almost all of their parts....the grey listed ones(ones they couldnt get) were the solenoids, kickdown switch, temp sensor, and something else....i call saturn and they told me the problem i described only happened for them whe someone put a dohc tranny in a sohc saturn, or vice versa....i asked him bout the parts and he told me that all of my solenoids could be bad in which case it'd be better to replace the whole throttle body(480) the part i cant remember is like 50, the temp switch is like 20, the "brains" a cool 600 and then theres the two! speed sensors...advance sold me the only one they had....only one that was listed...i asked about the kickdown switch and he told me that could be on the throttle positioning sensor....im really getting sick of the word sensor by the way.....this was when i had my realization....the guy who sold this to me was runnin it w/o a fan...i was like oh yeah theres a tranny cooler right in front of the radiator ill bet that tranny got pretty hot.........so the new question is whats most likely to go bad when that tranny overheats...pls dont say everything....saturn says that since the speed sensors have a plastic body thats likely to go bad.....but the speedo and tach still work....since it drives im seriously considering getting a five day sticker and driving it to omaha.....i wont be able to do a damn thing for two weeks or so since mother nature just took a huge snow dump on us...so take your time posting back......thank you stevestar for your post...saturn also said the harness going to the throttle body goes bad alot....no-ones mentioned fuses, ill check it out....oh yeah the tranny has never been replaced...[img]smileys/smiley17.gif[/img]

 

the brain is shot, that is probably your only problem

 

ok...its been awhile...let the car sit due to economy probs...now there isnt a problem...correction on type of car it is a 96 sl2... i checked the cooling fan fuse and it was shot, went to see why and the fan blade was spinning freely on the motor shaft [img]smileys/smiley5.gif[/img]threw in a shim but it was way off balance and drew so much power that i was burning up jump wires...oh yeah when i pulled it off (the fan aassembly) all the insulation in the motor fell on the ground...got a new fan that i plan on installing in the morn, plus a thermostat... but back to the tranny, once i got the fan in (the bad one)i took it for a ride...shifted good, up and down...but when i got back it was boiling over....i think it might be air-locked (dont want to think about head gaskets right now) is there a valve to realease the air (burp) in the cooling system? any helps appreciated im leaving in 5 hours so reply quick if you have info...thanks![img]smileys/smiley1.gif[/img]ok quick online search came up with a couple answers...thanks guys...ill let ya know how it goes!!this is what i ended up with... http://www.advanceautoparts.com/engl.../html/ccr/ccr2 0030201rf.html


P.S. i was getting "pcm ramperformance" codes....you might be right bout thatbrain...i still hope your not[img]smileys/smiley2.gif[/img]... if i am in "limp in" modeso be it [img]smileys/smiley17.gif[/img]


just searched the forums and found that the pre-98 models had a plastic temp sensor....ill buy that too i guess...sheesh![img]smileys/smiley2.gif[/img]


Edited by: boogawooga

 

update...replaced thermostat, fan, coolant temp sensor, and radiator cap... so...its not overheating anymore but i am having tranny probs still... its driving like a clutch, the rpm stays with the speed; wont go down til it has to then it surges....im runnin at about 2700rpm at 65-7 mph is this right? anyone had a speed sensor go bad and have this happen? the speedometer works although it seems a little behind....thanks guys! [img]smileys/smiley1.gif[/img]btw the cars an automatic...lol, forgot to post that