I have a 95 SL2 with a trans/electrical problem. When driving it will shift 1-2 fine then shift to 3rd harsh also to 4th harsh with only torque converter lock up. About 1/2 mile later it will downshift to 3rd with no torque converter lock up the 1/4mile later to 2nd with no TC lock up. After this if you shift to neutral, turn the key off and restart the vehicle it will shif to OD and then start that process all over again.


A local Saturn dealer diagnosed it for me and said it was the valvebody in the transmission. I purchased a known good valvebody from another 95 SL2. Installed it and torqued to spec in sequence. It made no change at all to driveability.


I found if you unplug the Trans Range Sensor which puts the trans into "limpmode" or "safe mode"and drive it, the car will start out in 2nd but shift to 3rd and 4th less harsh and will stay in OD with the TC operating normally. The only problem is it starts out in 2nd and the SES light is on. I replaced the TRS sensor and ohmed out the D4 position as the manual stated. I have also replaced the Vehicle Speed Sensor and the fluid. I replaced the PCM from another 95 SL2 and the trans will shift smooth and operate the TC normally but still will not stay in OD and goes back to the Afformentioned cycle of searching for a gear.


The Saturn Dealer will not help me at all and I am hoping someone on this forum will have some more info for me. Is there a re-program to the PCM that has to happen when a trans or valvebody or TRS is replaced? Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

 

WOW. Nothing at all? No suggestions? Does anyone know if there is a way to tell which transmission is in the car now? Is there a stamping, tag, or serial number on the transmission somewhere to tell if it is the correct transmission for a 95. I almost think it has the wrong model year transmission

 

http://www.differentracing.com/forum...d.php?p=27060# post27060

check it out

 

Will do. Thanks!

 

thank lowsaturn hes the one who posted it lol.

 

As of now I''m just driving the car in limp mode. It gets 27MPG city driving and I''ve seen as high as 40MPG all freeway. I will probably drive it this way for awhile until I have the time to swap in the trans from the 96 I had. I talked to the saturn dealer and they said the 96 trans is compatible with the 95. I think someone put in a trans from a 94 in the car because the build date on the door is a 94 model year but the car is a 95. I think that there might have been some confusion with that and the person that installed the trans thats in the car now, but I really don''t know because whoever installed it did so over 5years ago and when the car didn''t shift right the previous owner let the car sit in the garage until I picked it up and decided to make it my daily driver

 

yeah all cars are manufactured the previous year of the model year.

 

Not necessary true. I am a Honda dealer technician and along with the sevice work I do new car pre-delivery-inspections on any new car that comes into my dealer and yes I do inspections on the next model year before its actually that year i.e. inspect an 08 when it''s only 07, but I still will do PDI''s on 08''s of that model until about august of 08. So yes most are manufactured early but not all.

 

yeah my 95 SL2 was manufactured in august of 94

 

Still no update on repair. I am just going to drive the car in limp mode as it gets excellent mileage even with no first gear. I plan on changing out the transmission eventually with a trans from a 96 SL2 I have.