98 SL2 Automatic Transmission Hesitates Shifting Into Reverse

Very common Saturn problem, just do a search on "transmission valve body". Before you go spending a fortune on tranny repair, try a double drain and fill (drain-fill-drive-drain-fill) with Mobil 1 synthetic ATF fluid. It solved the problem on my '99 SC2. Steve

You will find a procedure to fix that on

Good luck Denis "Roy" a écrit dans le message de news:OTNLf.34778$ snipped-for-privacy@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...

take it to saturn to have it cheked!! Most of the time it is only a loose bolt on a shift shaft.. about a $70 repair at saturn.

Not sure I would do this. Not the drain and refill but the switch to SYN fluid because sometimes it can be a can of worms with a older tranny or eng. I do not see mention of the filter being changed though which can impede the flow of fluid if it is clogged some.

I should expound on the problem that we had fixed.. My son's car after it would warm up would take about 2 sec to go into reverse then it would slam in reverse. We changed filter and fluid and there was absolutley NO change in the symtom. He didn't want to try the throttle body clean fix so we took it to saturn with palns to replace the throttle body ($ 548 in parts and 200 something in labor.. it's a assembly replace now NOT just the body) After about 10 minutes of diagnostic time they said it was probably a loose bolt that is very common on these vehicles. The adjusted and tightened it and it has ran like new ever since. Totoal bill with tax was $72.13 What a relief!!

Glad to hear you didn't get ripped off. More often than not, this problem is a loose input shaft nut. My Saturn dealer wanted $2300 to rebuilt the tranny on my '94 SW2 . I decided to try the valve body myself and wasted >$400. Another Saturn shop replaced the nut for $282. A while later, same problem on my '96 SL2. About $15 in parts and 5 hours later - problem solved. (Note: I also went crazy trying to find the right "S" tool to hold the input shaft while torquing the nut to 110 ft-lbs. - $150!. I hear a C-clamp will work.)

wow I did get a good deal.. that nut was the problem on my sons car.. did take them quite some time because of the tool and all.

I'm having a similar problem with my Saturn and I was told it was going to cost over $1000 to fix the valve body.

Can anyone recommend a Saturn dealer or repair shop in Long Island, New York?

CW - Are you also getting some harsh shifting? Nassau or Suffolk? (Don't go to Hempstead - major league crooks!)

We've heard a clunking/banging sound when changing gears for a long time. Now we have problems when switching into reverse (there is a delay), and there is a whirring noise coming from the transmission sometimes while driving.

I can go anywhere in Nassau or Suffolk. I read through this usenet group and one post suggested it may be a loose input shaft nut. I'm currently being quoted $600+ just to tighten a loose input shaft nut and change the transmission fluid. The shop told me they have to open the transmission case to do the work.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Chuck wrote:

We've heard a clunking/banging sound when changing gears for a long time. Now we have problems when switching into reverse (there is a delay), and there is a whirring noise coming from the transmission sometimes while driving.

I can go anywhere in Nassau or Suffolk. I read through this usenet group and one post suggested it may be a loose input shaft nut. I'm currently being quoted $600+ just to tighten a loose input shaft nut and change the transmission fluid. The shop told me they have to open the transmission case to do the work.

Any advice would be appreciated.

I don't remember any noise when it shifted, just a rather harsh jolt - I think from 2nd to 3rd. And the harsh shift and delayed/no reverse came on at the same time and all of a sudden. After doing the job myself, $600 doesn't seem all THAT unreasonable. The tranny doesn't have to come out and the only parts required are the nut (it has to be replaced, not just tightened) and the cover gasket, but the job pretty much sucks. You have to lower the engine a tad to get at the top cover bolt. You have to break the ball joint to swing the strut out of the way a little. (There's a tube attached to the cover which requires the cover to be pulled straight away from the engine quite a bit - the strut is in the way). You need a thin-wall 23mm socket to get at the nut. If you have experience and are a fast worker, I have to believe it's at least a 3 hr. job.