7 replies to this topic

[A2B1]

My 94 acclaim has been very reliable ( 94/2.5/3 speed). I usually put about 12,000 miles on the vehicle per year and recently on the way home ran into a little issue - or may be problem. The car has been shifting incorrectly. Here are my observations keeping in mind that I have not been able to consistently replicate the slipping from a standstill.

1. When starting out from a dead stop the car is slow to shift into 1st gear. Once it does shift, the car slowly picks up speed and shifts normally into the other 2 remaining gears.
2. When I am on a hill in drive and release the brake pedal, the car does not drag backward (slowly) as usual. It feels like it gets stuck or like I have the brake on.
Oddly enough I have difficulty replicating this issue. there is no issue with the other gears or shifting in and out of them.

What I did to correct the issue:
1. I replaced the filter and fluid with the atf4 and do so every 35,000 miles. So the fluid has been changed (completely) three times since purchasing the vehicle. Now when I replaced the fluid, the issue dissipated for about 500 miles and then returned.
2. I adjusted the kickdown band to spec to see if this would have an impact. It did to the point of the gears shifting better but the original issue prevails.

I like the car but am not interested in paying 1200+ bucks to get the tranny rebuilt. Not worth it....

Any suggestions?

Thanks for your help.
Bill

[Bob Hohn]

It may also be a good idea to adjust the low-reverse band which you have to do when the pan is down. Also, it is very important the throttle pressure adjustment be done correctly & that the linkage is not hanging up as they have a problem with corroding.

[t2erns]

looks like throttle valve adjustments

[A2B1]

It may also be a good idea to adjust the low-reverse band which you have to do when the pan is down. Also, it is very important the throttle pressure adjustment be done correctly & that the linkage is not hanging up as they have a problem with corroding.

Would this be the throttle pressure cable or rod adjustment? I checked in the Haynes manual and will try this today to see if any different. Oddly enough when the tranny has problems with shifting into 1st. If I am at a stop and shift it to 1 and then back to drive it knows where to start during intitial accelleration....?

looks like throttle valve adjustments

What is "throttle valve adjustments?" Is this within the transmission governor (internally)? If so, I didn't find any information about making adjustments to this other than replacing the entire governor....? Is this $$$$?

[t2erns]

am not familiar with acclaim, some of these trans are cable controlled some are rod and linkage but same move together with the throtlle cable (accelerator). adjustment too tight= delay shift; too loose= early shift

Edited by t2erns, December 28, 2006 at 02:59 am.

[A2B1]

Some new information? I made the adjustment to the throttle linkage, it was off by maybe 1/8 ". Didn't think it would have an impact. Got in the car and went for a ride. The car was cold. When it was trying to shift to 1st it hesitated and then jerked into gear. Once it shifted into 1st it would n't come back out until the car warmed up. Once the car warmed up, it shifted normally.

I am perplexed about this. I have found that the tranny will overheat whan having a problem. However, there is no overheating. When the car warms up, it shifts normally. We are dealing with hydraulics. This tecnology has problems with temperature variations but, only extreme as cold temperatures cause the fluid to become more dense. Therefore, I would be led to believe that there would be a "mechanical" issue here....? I think?

Any idea would be appreciated. I know the car is old but, I have a personal attachment. I always keep it clean and maintained at the specified intervals. The engine is so clean i would eat off of it.... oddly enough, this all started when a went to the dealer for a front end alignment. The mechanic had to take the car for a test run?

any help would be apprecated.
Bill

[John Wood]

I'd probably try dropping the valve body out, disassembling it and cleaning it. Might as well do the governor at the same time. It sounds like something is sticking, but only when cold.

If that doesn't work, it might be some internal seals that have hardened and are leaking when cold.

If you have never disassembled a valve body, be sure to get a manual ahead of time and know what you are getting into. A lot of valves look similar and can get mixed up, plus you have a bunch of steel balls that lay in the passageways at specific locations. All must go back exactly the same way. Work must be performed in a clean area. There will be a continuous stream or drip of tranny fluid from the case, and the valve body will be full of fluid. Avoid any wipe cloth material that can shed or leave threads on the sharp edges. Protect you hands from sharp edges. Allow plenty of time. Label everything. Good luck!

[tealfish]

Put in a few ounces of Lucas Tranmission Fix. This is the best additive on the market, it has straightened out many problems in trannys...