Shifting Problems
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 960
Likes: 7
From: Denton, Texas
St. Jude Donor '12
Shifting Problems
I have a 1998 Automatic C5 Coupe. I'm having 2 problems and not sure if they are related or separate issues. Looking to get some help please!
BACKGROUND: I bought the car for my wife used from the owner of a car dealership. It had ~75k miles on it. I test drove it and didn't really notice this when I purchased the car a year ago. It has slowly gotten worse over the last 4-5 months. The car is NOT DRIVEN HARD. The wife is the primary driver, usually only 1-2 times a week and she has to be one of the most timid drivers i know.
THE PROBLEMS:
1) When putting the car in reverse, if you immediately release the brake, the car idles down and almost dies unless you hold the brake for about 1 second. Then if you switch from reverse to drive and release the brake the car will die. Again if you wait about 1-2 seconds after the shift it usually is fine or if you shift to neutral for 1 second then drive it is fine as well.
****I am told ^^^ this could have something to do with the steering control lock. I do not know/think the bypass has been installed****
2) When starting from a dead stop, like at a red light, the transmission seems "slow" to accelerate through first gear. Almost like it doesnt even want to go. The RPMs do not increase. Almost like it doesnt have the power to go. Then it lurches/shifts hard into 2nd gear and is fine through the rest of the gears. After driving the car for a while this phenomenon seems to decrease, but you can tell something isnt quite right. Downshifting from 2nd to 1st doesn't show the signs, only from a stop.
****Is ^^^ this a retune problem or torque tube or transmission?****
?) Not sure if this is related to the above problem but if you cruise at certain speeds the transmission lurches back and forth between gears like it cant make up its mind on which gear to get in.
BACKGROUND: I bought the car for my wife used from the owner of a car dealership. It had ~75k miles on it. I test drove it and didn't really notice this when I purchased the car a year ago. It has slowly gotten worse over the last 4-5 months. The car is NOT DRIVEN HARD. The wife is the primary driver, usually only 1-2 times a week and she has to be one of the most timid drivers i know.
THE PROBLEMS:
1) When putting the car in reverse, if you immediately release the brake, the car idles down and almost dies unless you hold the brake for about 1 second. Then if you switch from reverse to drive and release the brake the car will die. Again if you wait about 1-2 seconds after the shift it usually is fine or if you shift to neutral for 1 second then drive it is fine as well.
****I am told ^^^ this could have something to do with the steering control lock. I do not know/think the bypass has been installed****
2) When starting from a dead stop, like at a red light, the transmission seems "slow" to accelerate through first gear. Almost like it doesnt even want to go. The RPMs do not increase. Almost like it doesnt have the power to go. Then it lurches/shifts hard into 2nd gear and is fine through the rest of the gears. After driving the car for a while this phenomenon seems to decrease, but you can tell something isnt quite right. Downshifting from 2nd to 1st doesn't show the signs, only from a stop.
****Is ^^^ this a retune problem or torque tube or transmission?****
?) Not sure if this is related to the above problem but if you cruise at certain speeds the transmission lurches back and forth between gears like it cant make up its mind on which gear to get in.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,719
Likes: 4
From: cinnaminson n.j.
St. Jude Donor '14
Pull the codes after driving. If you don't know how, check the stickies. Then post the codes. I would also suggest cleaning the throttle body and MAF. Check the trans fluid level and condition. If it smells burnt, it will probably need to be rebuilt.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,596
Likes: 67
From: Bahama North Carolina
Here is a link that describes how to pull the codes. http://www.stengel.net/diccodes.htm
This problem has nothing to do with the C5 column lock issues.
