95 Saturn Transmission - Please Help!

I have a 95 Saturn. Over the last couple months, the time it takes it to
shift in or out of reverse has gotten longer and longer. Now, it might be
as much as 2 seconds sometimes. I read about this problem somewhere a few
weeks ago and I believe someone said that changing the fluid to a
particular brand could help. Any ideas? Thanks.

Len

 

Just change the fluid. Get a new filter from the dealer, dump the
fluid, and then refill. If you want "the good stuff," refill with Mobil
1 synthetic Dexron III fluid. One of the benefits of Saturn ownership
is the ability to change the transmission fluid/filter without having to
drop the pan.

Wow, in doing a quick search I can't believe Steve Scharf is STILL
around spewing anti-Saturn bile. That's got to be some sort of troll
record.

Cheers,

 

Before dumping the fluid consider checking the level first. We dont
know if you done that. Its better to try doing a little diagnosing
before you destroy any obvious clues. The transmission should be checked
while its hot - running - and on level ground. My guess would be the
valve bodies wearing out and simple fluid changes dont restore metal.
Something thicker can take up the gaps in the worn parts though. I have
no recommendations on any miracle fluid through...

 

Ritz:

First of all, THANKS. I am fairly moronic on cars. Do you mean to imply
that I could change it myself if I got a new filter from the dealer?

Also, I went to Pep Boys today after I posted this as I was at Best Buy
and it took a good 2 seconds to go into drive after I backed out of the
parking place. I bought something called TVF (Trans Valve Fix) "For use in
Engines, Transmissions and Gearboxes". It says to add one full bottle to
transmission fluid. I added about half a bottle (8 ounces). I drove quite
a bit after that, but made sure to not park where I would have to put it
in reverse. So, I don't have any data yet on whether it helped or not.

What is your opinion of this type of stuff? There was another brand right
next to it that said "anti slip" or something like that for transmissions.
I just chose this one.

Also, who is Steve Scharf and why include him in the response?

Thanks Again,

Len

 

I checked the fluid (hot) and it was full - I think. I have checked it on
an off for a long time and it was always full. The reason I say "I think"
is because I can see fluid above where it is supposed to be, but no
obvious line like oil. It DOES seem like I used to be able to tell easier.
I haven't changed the transmission fluid in awhile so I guess I will do
that. Thanks!

Len

 

Absolutely. The filter is external and can be removed just like an oil
filter (as a matter of fact it looks exactly like an oil filter).

As a general rule, I don't recommend ANY of those snake oil elixirs.
With very few exceptions, they don't work and are just a waste of your
hard earned money.

Oh, just some jackass. If morbid curiosity gets the best of you, check
out deja.com and do a search. Reader's digest version: dishonest
individual with an axe to grind. He's incredibly persistent (been
posting misinformation for nearly 10 years). Just ignore him.

Cheers,

 

Dont overfill it. There is a operation range that the level should fall
into. Might look like this |XXXX| with maybe some holes in it. If you
overfill it the fluid will get aerated. It may be a good idea to go
through your owners manual again, or er for the first time perhaps.

 

The symptoms you have occur when the transmission valve body goes bad. Do a
google groups search on this group for 'valve body' as this has been
discussed here at length in the past.

Lane [ l a n e @ p a i r . c o m ]

 

You can do a trans fluid and filter change very easy. Actually it is easier to
change the trans fluid/ filter than the engine oil/filter due to location.

I would do the service but it sounds like you need some repair to the valve
body. It does require some mechanical know-how to do that.

From what I understand, this is a common problem for those that don't service
the trans as recommended. Tarnish builds up on a particular spool valve causing
it to stick, and eventually causing damage to the valve body. Replacing the
fluid on schedule will greatly reduce this problem.

I change my trans fluid and filter every 15K miles. So far so good. Very easy
and great preventive maintenance.

James

 

Yupp, I would say its the valve body. Like Lane said, this is a very
common problem with saturns from those years. My car was doing the same
thing, I also found out it was the valve body. Dealership offered to
replace that for 700 dollars, I opted to have the whole transmission
replaced for about 1300 at a transmission shop. I retrospect I think i
think i should have just replaced the valve body at the dealership, the
transmission place was a hassle to deal with.

Anyway, when you decide to get it done, call a few dealerships for the
prices on valve bodies. I live in the Detroit area, and some
dealerships charged 400 dollars for a valve body, while others charged
600 for the exact same thing. I was amazed, i thought dealerships had a
fixed cost for this kind of thing.