'03 automatic will "float" or hang if I wind first and second gear out a little, then back off in the 40-45 mph range letting it go from 2nd to 3rd, but it seems to hang in between gears for a while, almost like it's not getting enough vacuum pressure to finish the shift. Anyone else have this problem? Can it be fixed using the Tech tool?

 

Sounds like the clutch packs and/or power band might have gotten fried. 99.94% of time slippage is due to one or both of them going out.

Keith

 

ellisem,
Mine does that too. If I don't continue to stick a little gas to her she will just "hang" there for a couple of seconds before shifting. But if I'm just easy on her she shifts fine or if I go a little heavy she does fine too.

I would say your okay, unless my A4 is fried to as mentioned above.

later,

 

Yeah, this is common. My biggest complaint of the A4. Just another reason
to go with a transgo kit.

 

Mine does this too!

Whenever I accelerate moderately hard and then ease-up, it takes a while for the tranny to 'find its feet' before dropping back into D. For example, if I were to accelerate hard up to about 60mph and then ease-up to a light throttle, the car would hang at higher-revs for a second or two and then drop into D.

Perhaps this has something to do with fluid pressure and the time it takes for that fluid to drain away in order to release 2nd-gear and apply OD??

Any tranny-heads out there with an explanation?

Cheers,
Ian.
:cheers:

 

That sounds normal to me. The computer uses various parameters to adjust the shift speed in order to give a very smooth shift. You can have adjustments to these parameters programmed in to change shift points, shift speed and shift firmness if you want to spend the money.

A sure sign that your A4 is heading for the last roundup is when you start banging off the rev limiter during a full throttle upshift until you back off the throttle. Also abnormally high transmission temps is a sign the transmission is slipping :cheers:

 

Ken's newletter had a TSB on '03 A4's slipping.


) 2003 Corvette Transmission Slip

Attention: Service Manager

Subject: Slips in 3rd and or 4th, Slips in all Forward Gears at Low Miles (Test Pressure Control Solenoid - PCS)

Models: 2003 Cadillac: Escalade, Chevrolet: Avalanche, Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban, Blazer, Trailblazer, S10, Astro, Express, Corvette, GMC: Sierra, Yukon, Yukon XL, Envoy, Sonoma, Safari, Savana, Oldsmobile: Bravada Equipped with 4L60E (M30) Automatic Transmission

Some early production vehicles may experience a slip in 3rd or 4th gear or in all forward gears at approximately 1,500 - 3,000 miles . This slip may be due to a distress of the 3-4 clutch or the forward clutch. The cause of the clutch distress may be a pressure control solenoid (PCS) which does not respond properly and "sticks" in a low line condition. If the PCS sticks it can create transmission line pressure which is too low in some conditions resulting in clutch distress. If diagnosis determines that one or more clutch packs are burned be sure to perform a Line Pressure Check Procedure as detailed in SI.

A Line Pressure Check requires the use of a Tech II and a line pressure gage. When performing this test it is very important to start the test at 1.0 amps and reduce the commanded amperage in 0.1 amp increments while reading the corresponding line pressure on a pressure gage. A faulty PCS will result in low line pressure until approximately 0.4 to 0.3 amps are commanded. After reaching this amperage the PCS will function properly until maximum amps are commanded again. If the PCS passes the Line Pressure Check it is not faulty and does not need to be replaced.

 

The A4s also have a "deceleration" clutch (it's not called that, I just can't remember the correct term). Basically, it's there to minimize the difference in rpms at shift, to decrease wear (GM programmed in that nice, loooooooong, slow overlap to make for nice, smooth shifts. Of course, with that shift overlap, and a big difference in rpms between the rotating and fixed assemblies, you'd eat up the clutch material before too long.).

I just had my transmission rebuilt (with a shift kit), and it does that, more noticeably when I run in D instead of OD. It's a mechanical function of the transmission, so, no, you wouldn't be able to change it with Tech 2, and you'd have to have the clutch removed to do it mechanically, but I don't know if that's possible.


[Modified by Guardsman, 10:27 AM 10/1/2003]


[Modified by Guardsman, 10:28 AM 10/1/2003]