Transmission Gear Shutter between 5-10 mph

[xlence]

Hi everyone


Looking for some help, advice, thoughts, speculations lol

I have a 1990 L Plus Automatic Festiva with 215k+ miles on it. I replaced the engine with another stock but rebuilt engine about 4 years ago. Recently found out the valve seals were shot so had that replaced. So it's running much better. However, the new issue is that while driving I can feel the tranny gears shutter as it shifts from not sure if it's 1st to 2nd or 2nd to 3rd gear. But always below 15mph. When I say shutter it feels like the transmission plates/gears are struggling to line up so that they can shift up to the next gear. I feel it more when I make a low speed turn. As long as I am above 15 mph I have no issues. I never feel anything when slowing down. I will also say that occasionally when I try to put the car in reverse it actually feels like it goes into neutral, so I have to put the car back in to park then shift it into reverse again for the car to "acknowledge" that I want reverse.

Does this sound like I need a complete rebuild? Anything I can try without having to rebuild or swap the entire transmission to get better low gear automatic shifting?

I did try looking through the forum and most people with transmission problems seems to have issues throughout and not when in specific gears.

[xlence]

Awww silence is not good...

[ryanprins13]

I thought i had replied to this, sorry. I dont know much about auto trans in the festiva though. So ill ask a few of the simple questions that cover most problems.
Have you checked your fluid level?
Is there a filter in the pan and when was the last time it and the fluid was changed?

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[Studebaker]

I would start with a oil and filter change on the trans. Maybe some stop leak.

Good luck

[xlence]

Thanks Studebaker and ryanprins 13...i will try changing out the transmission fluid and filter. On the rock auto website there are like 8 different tranny gaskets w filters. Has anyone had better experience with one brand vs another?

[ryanprins13]

Just check the level first, if its low you can have issues. The only car ive owned that was an auto shifted worse after a fluid change. I had saved the old fluid and put it back in and it went back to the way it was before. Likely wont happen to you but save the fluid just in case, lol.

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[ryanprins13]

Oh, and i have a factory service manual where i work, i can try to remember to look at it monday and see if there is troubleshooting stuff about that.

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[xlence]

Yes the tranny fluid is nice and "seasoned" now. Thanks for yhe thoughts and I will report back what happens.

[xlence]

Oh what's the full name of the Lucas Transmission Additive? Everyone just says Lucas on this forum. Is it the Lucas Transmission Fix Stops Slips (white bottle)?

[ryanprins13]

Oh what's the full name of the Lucas Transmission Additive? Everyone just says Lucas on this forum. Is it the Lucas Transmission Fix Stops Slips (white bottle)?

Im not sure but if the fluid level is low it wont help and if the filter is plugged it wont help either...
My suggestion would be to check the level first, if its good then change the fluid, if its still bad then we can try figuring out what it is from there. These autos are pretty simple i think. Not too many parts and pieces than can cause these problems.

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[ryanprins13]

Here is the diagnosis stuff in the service manual. Pick the ones you want me to look at that best describe your issue and ill take photos of what it says to do.


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[rap]

Don't know if this can help, but I have a 1989 that was having trouble shifting smoothly between 1st-2nd & 2nd -3rd. At normal or moderate acceleration, it would shift to 2nd then back to 1st for a sec or 2 [about 15mph] then back to 2nd & the same on the shift to 3rd. I changed the fluid & filter with no effect. On top of the trans, there is a Derby hat shaped cap over the governor that has a vacuum fitting with a plugged hose on my car. Since the car had the engine replaced many years before it was parked for 14yrs, I thought who did the work plugged it. Got a V-hose T-fitting and connected hose to a hose coming off the intake manifold. After warming up motor, checked fluid, was Qt low from vacuum, added pint to be on safe side. Drove around for a few days, trans was shifting correct without the hunting for next gear. But car would smoke after any slow down that increased vacuum sucking trans fluid into intake. Since I didn't want to mess up the cat or get undue attention from the local constables, I took out the T-fitting & replugged hose. Since then the car has continued to shift correctly. Why or how this worked I don't have any idea. Trans was full of fluid before and after. Still haven't found where or if hose should be connected, but because everything is working I'm not touching or moving anything without more & better insight. You can and should file this as only a speculation fix to try no sure thing. GOOD LUCK

[xlence]

Thanks @ryanprins13 can you send me the ones for "Upshift Harsh"?

And @rap thanks. I will look into what you did after checking the trans fluid levels, filter and adding the lucas.

[ryanprins13]

Thanks @ryanprins13 can you send me the ones for "Upshift Harsh"?

And @rap thanks. I will look into what you did after checking the trans fluid levels, filter and adding the lucas.

Here. Let me know if you need any more.

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[xlence]

You are the best @ryanprins13! Thank you so much!