88 Automatic not shifting to second gear
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 166
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From: San Antonio Texas
88 Automatic not shifting to second gear
Last night I get a call from my wife that the car would do fine in first gear until she got to about 20 mph and then it would rev but that after she got to a certain rpm (I can't remember) it would kick into 3rd gear and go fine.
Of course, I get home and it runs fine like a bat outta hell. Today I hop in it and lo and behold it does exactly what she said it was doing.
What am I looking at here? It's like second gear is not there. The trans fluid looks good.
Of course, I get home and it runs fine like a bat outta hell. Today I hop in it and lo and behold it does exactly what she said it was doing.
What am I looking at here? It's like second gear is not there. The trans fluid looks good.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 610
Likes: 1
If you're lucky, it's the second apply section of the servo. Bad seal maybe. Cracked piston. The servo comes out the side of the case all by itself. No other disassembly required. You would still have all other gears and reverse if this is the case.
Don't experiment with it too much, it could fry the band.
Don't experiment with it too much, it could fry the band.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 5,043
Likes: 8
From: Tampa Florida
Last night I get a call from my wife that the car would do fine in first gear until she got to about 20 mph and then it would rev but that after she got to a certain rpm (I can't remember) it would kick into 3rd gear and go fine.
Of course, I get home and it runs fine like a bat outta hell. Today I hop in it and lo and behold it does exactly what she said it was doing.
What am I looking at here? It's like second gear is not there. The trans fluid looks good.
Of course, I get home and it runs fine like a bat outta hell. Today I hop in it and lo and behold it does exactly what she said it was doing.
What am I looking at here? It's like second gear is not there. The trans fluid looks good.
Inspect and adjust tv cable as per shop manual.
If it is still an issue, remove the governor and inspect the gear for cracks.....or just replace it...I understand they had a bad run of these from the factory.
I have a similar issue with my car when I first start it up and the outside temperature is below 50 F....car is fine once it warms up though.... above 50 F I have no problems....glad I live in Florida....I'll fix mine in the near future......maybe
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 166
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio Texas
If you're lucky, it's the second apply section of the servo. Bad seal maybe. Cracked piston. The servo comes out the side of the case all by itself. No other disassembly required. You would still have all other gears and reverse if this is the case.
Don't experiment with it too much, it could fry the band.
Don't experiment with it too much, it could fry the band.
Inspect and adjust tv cable as per shop manual.
If it is still an issue, remove the governor and inspect the gear for cracks.....or just replace it...I understand they had a bad run of these from the factory.
I have a similar issue with my car when I first start it up and the outside temperature is below 50 F....car is fine once it warms up though.... above 50 F I have no problems....glad I live in Florida....I'll fix mine in the near future......maybe
If it is still an issue, remove the governor and inspect the gear for cracks.....or just replace it...I understand they had a bad run of these from the factory.
I have a similar issue with my car when I first start it up and the outside temperature is below 50 F....car is fine once it warms up though.... above 50 F I have no problems....glad I live in Florida....I'll fix mine in the near future......maybe
Same question about the governor. Can I get one at autozone and is it just called a "governor" or is it the "gear" that I'm looking for?
Thanks for the help.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 309
Likes: 0
From: Lakeland Florida
Do you have a pic of this servo and is it a part that I can get at autozone or something similar?
I'll try the tv cable. Hopefully my haynes manual has instructions. I don't have a shop manual yet.
Same question about the governor. Can I get one at autozone and is it just called a "governor" or is it the "gear" that I'm looking for?
Thanks for the help.
I'll try the tv cable. Hopefully my haynes manual has instructions. I don't have a shop manual yet.
Same question about the governor. Can I get one at autozone and is it just called a "governor" or is it the "gear" that I'm looking for?
Thanks for the help.
Have someone push the gas peddle to the floor and adjust the cable so it is all the way out and matches where the linkage is at.
I have tried pushing in the button and letting it self adjust and it didn't work. Once I adjusted it the first way it seems to work a lot better.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 610
Likes: 1
This is a newer transmission than yours, but the servo is the same. You can see the hole in the passenger side of the case where it came out of and the pieces in the order that they come out. Snap ring, cover, 4th gear servo piston, second gear servo piston assembly, return spring.
An auto parts store could probably order it for you. Or you can buy it at one of the many online transmission places, probably a lot cheaper. First you need to examine the old one and see if that is the problem.
If you hunt around a little you will be able to find videos of how to work on it.
An auto parts store could probably order it for you. Or you can buy it at one of the many online transmission places, probably a lot cheaper. First you need to examine the old one and see if that is the problem.
If you hunt around a little you will be able to find videos of how to work on it.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 166
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio Texas
I adjusted the TV. It had a lot of slack at first. It seemed to help a bit but I still have the problem although it may have changed a bit. I'll need to take it for a test drive again to get the specifics.
I hope I don't have to pull the tranny.
I hope I don't have to pull the tranny.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 5,043
Likes: 8
From: Tampa Florida
I have 2 suggestions for you:
First, get an 88 FSM for your car. Buy a new reprint set for $130+ shipping & tax.... buy a set off Flebay....buy the used 88 set I have for sale in the C4 parts section: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-p...e-manuals.html
Second, get with CF member Pete K .....if this guy can't help with your tranny problem then no one can.
First, get an 88 FSM for your car. Buy a new reprint set for $130+ shipping & tax.... buy a set off Flebay....buy the used 88 set I have for sale in the C4 parts section: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-p...e-manuals.html
Second, get with CF member Pete K .....if this guy can't help with your tranny problem then no one can.
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 166
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio Texas
Okay, after adjusting the TV cable, this is what it does now. P= works fine, R= works fine, N= works fine...
Overdrive= Now shifts from first to second fine but revs with no forward progress when trying to go to third. (It used to rev w/ no forward progress when trying to go to second and then would eventually kick into third)
Drive/No overdrive= same as Overdrive
2nd= works fine. Has forward progress even when revved past where you would normally find 3rd...but of course doesn't shift to 3rd (because it shouldn't
)
1st= I can't even force it down to 1st. It will not go that far. (I can't say if I never could use first since I've only had the car a short time and never tried to use it.)
Is this some kind of linkage problem? All other shift positions line up where they are supposed to on the shifter...even the two drive positions that are not functioning properly.
Overdrive= Now shifts from first to second fine but revs with no forward progress when trying to go to third. (It used to rev w/ no forward progress when trying to go to second and then would eventually kick into third)
Drive/No overdrive= same as Overdrive
2nd= works fine. Has forward progress even when revved past where you would normally find 3rd...but of course doesn't shift to 3rd (because it shouldn't
)1st= I can't even force it down to 1st. It will not go that far. (I can't say if I never could use first since I've only had the car a short time and never tried to use it.)
Is this some kind of linkage problem? All other shift positions line up where they are supposed to on the shifter...even the two drive positions that are not functioning properly.
Last edited by saiguanas; Dec 3, 2008 at 02:18 AM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 166
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio Texas
Sent him an email a while ago. Just fiddling with it until then. I guess I should send him a PM too in case he doesn't check email. Thanks.
Last edited by saiguanas; Dec 6, 2008 at 08:29 PM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 166
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio Texas
Just to update:
I had originally done the TV cable adjustment by the instructions given in the Hayne's manual and that led to the problem changing from 1st-2nd to 2nd-3rd.
I went back and did the adjustment by these instructions http://www.tvmadeez.com/article/index.php because they seemed like they knew more and the problem has now changed back to the original 1st-2nd with it eventually catching. I'm not sure if it is skipping second and going directly to third or if it is just taking forever to catch second. My sense of gearing is not that good. It still operates in the "2" position as it should though.
Why would it rev between gears in Overdrive but not in 2?
I'm just thinking out loud hoping that something will catch somebody's ear.
I had originally done the TV cable adjustment by the instructions given in the Hayne's manual and that led to the problem changing from 1st-2nd to 2nd-3rd.
I went back and did the adjustment by these instructions http://www.tvmadeez.com/article/index.php because they seemed like they knew more and the problem has now changed back to the original 1st-2nd with it eventually catching. I'm not sure if it is skipping second and going directly to third or if it is just taking forever to catch second. My sense of gearing is not that good. It still operates in the "2" position as it should though.
Why would it rev between gears in Overdrive but not in 2?
I'm just thinking out loud hoping that something will catch somebody's ear.
