Downshift

[mae500]

2004 Lesabre, 240,000 miles. Transgo kit installed 110,000 miles ago. All the upshifts are fine but any downshift will slam into gear. Has been progressively getting worse to the point that driving on Chicago expressways is in the right hand lane only. Any ideas appreciated.

 

[silverbullet04]

2004 Lesabre, 240,000 miles. Transgo kit installed 110,000 miles ago. All the upshifts are fine but any downshift will slam into gear. Has been progressively getting worse to the point that driving on Chicago expressways is in the right hand lane only. Any ideas appreciated.

Has it been doing this only since you installed the kit?

Check fluid. If its good, then your transmission is probably on its way out. They are the absolute weak points of these cars.

 

[mae500]

Has it been doing this only since you installed the kit?

Kit fixed the hard upshifts and tranny has been fine until recently.

Check fluid. If its good, then your transmission is probably on its way out. They are the absolute weak points of these cars.

Fluid is good.

Had someone mention solenoids, do you think it’s worth the effort to replace them?
Thanks for the input

 

[silverbullet04]

Fluid is good.

Had someone mention solenoids, do you think it’s worth the effort to replace them?
Thanks for the input

If you are mechanically inclined enough and want to try it, then go for it. My transmission had issues before I installed my transgo kit. The kit helped with the hard upshifts, but I still had other issues with the transmission. It lasted about a year and self destructed.

 

[02LTD2.0]

The subframe has to be dropped to gain access to the solenoids. Not an easy job.

 

[5.0MX5]

Please have a transmission shop pull the transmission codes and go from there. The scanners at most parts stores "may" not access all the available info. I installed new solenoids in our '98 PA, same procedure and transmission you have. It's not a job for the under equipped tool wise or inexperienced or faint of heart. On a 1 to 10 scale of diy projects, I'd say it's a 8 for most folks.

Link to my experience with a few helpful videos. 1998 Buick Park Ave code PO753



Good Luck,
RonR

 

[mae500]

Thanks All, Pulling tranny codes is a good idea, I need to do that. Have been living with this for about a year, if you feather foot it you would never notice a problem. Only when you cause a downshift by hammering the pedal, think merging onto a busy expressway, do you fell the slam in the back. Changing the rack soon so I will be a quarter of the way to pulling that tranny pan.

 

[silverbullet04]

Good luck! Let us know the outcome. Unfortunately, the transmissions in these cars are like a wrecking ball in a glass shop.