ok, so i have to ask this question, only to make sure i do infact have a working brain... but here it goes anyways..
when you drive in your automatic, your tranny should shift 2 times, correct? (its stock, with a shift kit. 79 l48) anyways, when i put it manually in 1st, and try to go to second, it will not shift until i put it in drive. if i start in drive, i get 1 shift point around 65mph (exactly 4500 rpm) depending of course on hard driving.. hard putting me exactly at 4500 rpm, and never going past that. the engine has seemed slugish before, but i never really thought about it until today, as i have only been legally driving it for about 3 weeks total, and i have been trying to take it easy.
to sound not completely retarded, i will now say i know something is wrong, but im not a tranny guy...... i do have reverse lights, and it kicks down awesome to pass. if i put it in 1st and go, i hit about 35mph before she says shift me or die.. shifting from (2nd?) to (3rd) while in drive is ALWAYS hard, no matter what speed it shifts at. i have less than 1 week left with my tools due to moving.. so this will be my last chance to fix it on my own without sending her to a shop (i really dislike shops if i can stay away from them. my point and question is... is there anything that I can do to try and fix this, or has anyone else faced this and KNOWS the solution.. if not, ill drive it as is as it doesnt seem to be causing a problem at the moment. and i will only get to enjoy my car for a max of about a month per year over the next 2 years.

 

So you are saying that it will not shift into 3rd?

Get on a highway, don't drive aggressively, just get the gas pedal down somewhere and leave it there.

Watch the tach, and see when and how many times it shifts.

Will it ever go into 3rd gear or is 2nd the only gear you have over 1st?

You say it has a shift kit...I wonder if someone botched the install and because of that you are having a problem.

 

I think you've asked about this same problem before....

 

7T1:
i have not asked about this before.... i ahve asked about oil pressure and temperature.. fuse block and a few other randoms. and about the theory of a 10speed

DB:
driving aggressively or nicely while in D i only get one shift.
in D i get 2nd and 3rd. if i put it in 1 and give it gas and hold the pedal down, it definately is in 1st vs 2nd. from 1 if i put it in 2 i get no shift. when i put it in 3rd, still giving it plenty o gas, it obviously goes from 1st to 2nd, and then eventually to third. when/if i put it in 2, i get nothing. how i know im in 2nd while in D is the difference in rpm vs putting it in 1. driving aggressively or nicely while in D i only get one shift.

the shift kit was put in prior to me getting the car. i was wandering if anyone else might have run into this. if not.... ill drive it like it is until i can aford to fix it. but if you have and it was an easy fix, please let me know.

 

Some of what you are saying is a bit confusing, but what trans do you have? I know what org. would be but what is there now? 400, 350, power glide and such?

 

So you're saying it only shifts once?

I'm a bit confused as well, this statement alone shows more than one shift.

 

Sounds to me like it only goes into 1st gear when he manually puts the shifter in first gear.

Could it be a manual valve body?

 

Manuel:
i guess to be honest i truely dont know. i took the PO's word when he said it was the original, and that i had been rebuilt with a shift kit.
shift points, if the car shifted perfect (but is really me shifting it) are as follows (this is giving it alot of gas all through out):
1st to 2nd at approx 35mph at 45-47rpm
2nd to 3rd at approx 65-67mph at exactly 4500 rpm
that is running all out (with me shifting up, starting at 1)

 

wesley:
i know i have 3 gears.. the question is why when i put the car in D do i only get one shift (from 2nd to 3rd gear)
and why when i start with the shifter in 1, and then go to put the shifter into 2, the car does not shift to 2nd gear. but when i continue up the column and put the shifter into D, i get either 2nd gear or 3rd gear depending on how hard i am driving

 

If you put it in "D", come to a complete stop, then just drive normally, does it shift from 1st to 2nd, then 2nd to 3rd as it should?

 

wesley:
no.
i have one and only on shift from a complete stop while in D.
it shifts from 2nd to 3rd

 

You need to find out what brand and type of shift kit was put into your car. The tranny can be made to operate in completely 'manual' mode (1st range in L, 2nd range in 2, 3rd range in D) so that it will not operate in an 'automatic' fashion. It could be that someone put that kind of shift kit in it. If the tranny is completely stock, that's not how it would operate. In drive "D", it should start in 1st range, shift to 2nd [at about 15mph with a light throttle; higher speed with more throttle], and shift to 3rd at about 25mph [with light throttle]. If you want it to continue to operate in manual mode, you will have to shift from each range [start in L, shift to 2 when you want, then shift to D when you want]. Personally, that would be a PITA to me, if I had it. If you determine that the "shift kit" should NOT be acting as it does, you have some significant tranny problems and it should be taken to a tranny shop for repair.

 

i guess im going to have to take it to aamco tomorrow.. i have no way of knowing what shift kit is in there, and from the sound of this thread, its not acting the way most think it should, and i am definitely not a tranny mechanic.
i understand you can set shift points with a shift kit, but i dont understand the elimination of 1st gear while the vehicle is in drive, and i dont understand why someone would make it so when the shifter is in 2 the gear either stays in 1st or the vehicle shifts to neutral... either way, it sounds like this is horribly difficult to explain and diagnose over the internet, so im gonna just take it in

 

I have a '93 jaguar xjr-s 6.0l v12 with a th400 gm transmission that has been modified by twr racing. If you leave the transmission in drive the only way you can tell the transmission shifts from 1st to second is to watch the tach it shifts so smoothly. in drive it shifts out of low range at low rpms. I would check the shift linkage to make sure it is in the correct position.

 

I don't know that I would take my Vette to Aamco for transmission work...especially since you are not just wanting to swap trannies. Start another thread asking for recommended trany shops in your local area and see if you get some decent advice. There have to be other options than Aamco.