95 Saturn SL2 transaxle codes 22, 23, 24 - slips when warm until turn off & restart

[John Hupp]

With my 95 Saturn SL2 (about 150,000 miles), I am finding that after
the car has warmed up, it sometimes/regularly slips or won't upshift
to one or more higher gears. If I stop, turn the car off even for a
moment and restart, it is immediately fine again, at least
temporarily. From this I am guessing that I am dealing with something
other than a mechanical problem, perhaps a sensor or connection or
computer control. Since the 95 is pre-OBDII, I was able to check the
Diagnostic Trouble Codes manually. I show only these codes
(transaxle, not engine):
22 (no 2nd gear)
23 (no 3rd gear)
24 (no 4th gear)

Anyone recognize this set of symptoms?

 

[riz]

I had the same problem with my 95 SL2--but it started at about 100K.
Happened intermittently and I would get a no 3rd/no 4th. Then it would be
fine for weeks or months. Most folks here would say its probably a valve
body problem.

 

[cordawg]

I'm having the same exact problems with the 22, 23 and 24 trouble codes
along with a slew of other codes including Quad-driver malfunction (anyone
know wtf that is?) and egr fault code, but mainly it pisses me off when i'm
driving 70 in the middle lane and my rpms decide to jump from 3000 to 4000
because my torque converter wants to take a little nap for a few minutes.

I have a 1993 saturn SL2 @ 140,000 mi, the only major difference is that
its got vacuum egr versus the electrical one thats in the '94s and newer
that you all have.

Heres the pincher tho. If i was having egr problems, my car would be
running like dookie. In reality i've won drag races at stoplights. I also
drive 40 miles to college on the highway every single day and if i had no
2nd, 3rd or 4th gear i'd be walking so thats out of the question. Now lets
say its a bad valve-body. If i got my mechanics straight that is sort of a
hydraulic controler of ATF flow and yeah theres quite a possibility that
this could be causing the failure perhaps because of a lack of ATF. Did i
mention it takes an average 5 seconds to shift into reverse gear and when
it does it SLAMS unless i have my foot solid on the brake?
The thing is tho, its not reliant upon heat when the TC acts up, it's just
touchy whenever it wants to be.

punchline: the engine codes (egr/quad driver) lead me to believe i have
computer problems but theres a chance i have valve-body problems too. I've
heard of saturns having terrible computers in them so that could be it too.
Not bad for a $250 car tho. pt a to pt b.