1999 Lumina 3100, no gears when cold

[DEI37]

If the car is allowed to cool off much, it takes time (minutes) to get the car to engage a gear. Forward OR reverse. It's worse for reverse. The fluid is a reddish-brown. Has 153,000 miles on the trans, have to assume that for the trans fluid, too. Is it worth even changing the fluid and filter? Or, just pony up the $165 for a trans, and get it done?

EDIT: Once in gear, it doesn't seem to slip any, though the 1-2 upshift is a LITTLE long at higher throttle blade openings. From a standstill, like at a stop light, or something, where you come to a COMPLETE stop, when you take off, it kind of jerks just a little bit, and then goes just fine.

[onefastV6]

I am no tranny expert, however it seems that your problems are just durning take off and the 1-2 shift. Could it possibly be something with the 1-2 shift solenoid valve? If it is going out, or gummed up this might explain the hesitation when you put it into gear.

[DEI37]

It's a serious hesitation to get a gear initially. Once it starts operating, it's fine, until you turn the key off. It took 30 minutes of idling to get reverse tonight. Once it got reverse, then things were OK, and operated like I mentioned above.

[SHOoff]

You try changing the fluid and filter? Reddish brown just sounds wrong to me. Granted, it sounds like the car hasnt really had proper mainenance done (at least on the tranny fluid) so changing it may make you completely lose the tranny. But it's really sounding like a plugged filter. It also isnt boosting pressure for shifts, that's why they're being soft with a lot of throttle.

[sharkey]

changing the fluid isnt gonna help. it sounds like you have hard or shrunk out seals internaly in the tranny. once the tranny warms up, the seals get a bit softer aswell as the metal parts expand making a better seal. as for a long shift, hard seals will also do that. im gusiing the long shift is also a bit on the soft side.

end result, the tranny is worn out and in need of a rebuild. its gonna need to come out and be overhauled, or have a used tranny put in.

[gpse3400]

Input piston seal is possible worn out or rolled, common problem.Yeah you'r looking at at least tearing it apart and replacing it. 2 thing you can try before you tear it down. You can try replacing the vacuum modulator (with an adjustable one from the parts store) and adjusting it to get the line pressure higher. That would at least make the time into gear shorter....Brown fluid is not too usefull anymore as the additive package is definately toast. Change the fluid and put some extra additive in there as well. Somthing to swell up seals.

[DEI37]

Sounds good. I was gonna at least try a fluid and filter change...if it helps, then great, if not, it's not much money. Thanks for the input here.