i have a 2002 cav with the ecotec
letely iv been having some shifting issues
the car is auto with roughly 80,000 miles
in the morning unless my car is warmed up first
the car seems like it will not go into gear not even reverse
sometimes when im on the highway the car wont shift reving well
over 6000 rpms until i let off and slowly get back on
on up hills the car seems to go in and out of gear around 3000 rpms
and last when i make left turns the car seems to slip like i missed a gear
and wants to engage and spin the wheels a little
i also just had som parts installed
tein ss
addco sway bar front and rear
new tie rod ends inner and outter
new ball joints
new axels driver and pass
and supposedly new wheel berings driver and pass
any suggestions
george polyak
I know this sounds corny but,did u check the trans fluid level by chance it maybe low.If it's not that I am not sure being not fluent with 3rd gen cavs.Unless the torque convertor is locking up or freezing I am not sure.
ill have to check
only thing is i think i have to put the car on a lift
chilton manuel says the dipstick is located under
the car just above the trans pan ???
george
You have a 4 speed A.T., 4T40E, MN4. its a transmission designed by GM to be a closed system. Means no distick. The only way to check oil level is to lift the car in all 4 points!~ to make sure its leveld.
Then rright next to the differental on the trans there is a small bolt. While the car is on!! this is important open the bolt. If fluid leaks out your good that means you have oil. If it does not your LOW on fluid that very bad.. Make sure before you open the bolt that you turn the car on and go though all the gears stoping at each for 3 seconds then right back up to park.
Also keep in mind i had the exact same problem you had for the past month. 2 days ago my actual Transmission Housing cracked in a parking lot and all the oil from the trans came out. Thats a rare usually the trans just stops working but this one snaped in half.
I picked up a new trans yesterday for 250$ only 16k on it from a 99 cavy. So keep in mind trans problems are usually expensive.. if your in MI state or near i can get you a trans for 24k 4 speed for 350$ and 100$ core back charge. Anyway thats if your lucky
Here is a picture of the spot to help ya
o wait no you dont my bad. you have a 2002 ecotec? thats a different trans though if there is no dipstick its the same extact thing.
thanks
i appreciate the help
there is no dipstick
and i have a guy i work with that is trashing a 98 cav 4 speed
i can buy the trans from him really cheap and hell put it in at
or shop
was yous also "slipping" when you mad left turns or going uphill
george
I would advice against swaping the 4-speed Isuzu into a Eco.. its ALOT OF work. Just get another getrag trans its a better trans anyway.
go to www.car-parts.com and use the info there to get a trans.
manual swap it!!!!!!!!
you know you want to 5MT FTW!
-Chris
i would love a man trans
but the prob is my wife drives the car sometimes
and she has no idea how to drive stick
she does however love how great the car handles now
and i would say shes a little more aggressive now that she
can really feel the car
cant wait to get some actualy good tires on the car
i have $25 tires on it so i could get through the winter
george
disturbingbehavior wrote:i have a 2002 cav with the ecotec
letely iv been having some shifting issues
the car is auto with roughly 80,000 miles
in the morning unless my car is warmed up first
the car seems like it will not go into gear not even reverse
sometimes when im on the highway the car wont shift reving well
over 6000 rpms until i let off and slowly get back on
on up hills the car seems to go in and out of gear around 3000 rpms
and last when i make left turns the car seems to slip like i missed a gear
and wants to engage and spin the wheels a little
i also just had som parts installed
tein ss
addco sway bar front and rear
new tie rod ends inner and outter
new ball joints
new axels driver and pass
and supposedly new wheel berings driver and pass
any suggestions
george polyak
check your TPS sensor as well, sounds dumb but I was having this same shift issue last week afterI changed my fluid and filter and was immediately pissed but calmed down and thought it out. slight idle issues that no one else noticed and weird shifting so I started with the easy stuff first. pulled the TPS and had some moisture that got in and was crudding it up but not enough to throw a code, swapped it out with a new one and viola, runs beautifully. weird when it chose to go but whatever.
dumb question but where can i find the tps sensor
i have a haynes manual but they left out the location
for the ecotec.
i looked and i dont want to pull an incorrect plug
thank again
george
the trans is slipping cause it is low trust me my 99 sunfire did that after i change the filter and fluid when i would go up or down a hill turning to the left the trans would more less kick out. Come to find out i go a air pocket in the trans and came up like 2 qaurts low. Put more tranny fluid in it and was all fine. There is a red cap on top of the trans by the battery. underneath the intake tub and right beside the intake box. Take a long funnel and put a qaurt of tranny fluid in and see if it stops. You have to be about a qaurt low or two. if it does i will tell you how to actually go about checking it. If you look at the pan on the tranny it is shapped like a L the filter is on right there in the straight part from the front to the back of the car. So when you pitch it to the left real hard it puts all the tranny fluid over to the right where it won't suck any tranny fluid if it is low.
ok i just got done with the tps sensor
i unclipped it cleaned it with an air hose and
checked the connections all seemed fine
hooken everything back up car ran great for 5 min
then back to the problems
ill deff check the trans fluid
just found out the last time it was in for service
the trans pan was replased
seems my wife decided to see if the car was high
enough to clear a cinderblock in the middle of the
road
it wasnt and she cracked the pan
luckily our friend is a mechanic and fixed it the same day
maby he forgot to fill the fluid
i ll get back to let everyone know how it turs out
george
And on the 2200 the plug is right by the flex pipe but the eco is different the plug is sqaure head though and on the passenger side on the back side of the tranny close to the firewall. But make sure when checking it to drive it around and get the temps up in the tranny. i check mine with out putting the car on stands all you got to do is get the tranny up to temps and jack up the right side of the car with it running pull the plug out and lower the car back down. See if it drips on the ground out of the hole if not it is low. pour som tranny fluid in it slowly checking ever couple times to see if it drip on the ground. If you get to a hlf a qaurt and it still don't drip or a qaurt. Get in the car and hold your foot on the brake and work it back and forth through all the gear starting from reverse and back a couple times. Make sure you keep you foot on the brake though and put it in that gear tell it grabs the gear. Put it back in park and pour some more in watching to see if it drips. When it finally drips be sure to do the gear things before putting the lug back in. What ever you do not shut the car off or it will pour tranny fluid everywhere. KEEP IT RUNNING!!!!
trust me it is the tranny fluid and the directions came out of the service manual by the way and i will help you. i will be on here for awhile and check back. And a cinder block!!!! I have hit rocks and i mean rocks going down my g/f parents road that will swallow a car and never cracke the pan just bent it all to hell and had to bend it back.
trant
thanks soo much
im at work now
tommarrow im gonn get it on the lift and do what you
said
i think you are correct with the fluid
can you put too much fluid in the trans ?
george
thank you to all that gave input
the trans problems have stopped
i drained all the trans fluid from the pan
replaced the filter and refilled it with 9.5 qts.
when draining it drained really quickly and did not
seem like alot of fluid.
so thank you
george
