99 SL2 w/Transmission Clunkage and Slippage

Greets all! New Reader/Subscriber, so I hope I'm not duplicating something commonly asked. If I am, apologies in advance.

I have a 99 SL2 I picked up about three years ago with 66K miles on it. It currently has 79k miles on it. With the exception of the last on, I get the oil changed religiously every 3 months (I never make it to the mileage mark). I've checked the tranny fluid which the level is good and color/consistency right.

Suddenly two nights ago as I got home (about a 10 minute drive from work) when I put the car into reverse, the engine idled up but you could feel that it didn't catch into gear (plus the car "coasted" like it was in neutral" then about five second later the gear caught with a audible "clunk" and the car shuddered. I parked and left the car running to check the trans fluid. Tried reverse a few times and the problem didn't go away.

Next morning I drove the car fine with no problems until I got to my day job (about 15 min drive) and as I parked, the car did the clunk again when I hit reverse. (but did not when I started the car and pulled out of the driveway). When I left work to go to my second job, the car began shifting oddly into second and third gear.

After either a quick start (heavy on gas) or light, easy start from a stopped position, the car would ramp up on the RPM's and you could hear what I can only describe as a "static" like noise that lasted for about

3-4 seconds in the front of the car. And you can feel that the car is briefly losing drive power before this switch (more perceptable than normal). At first I didn't realize it was me but it coincided with my acceleration. When it goes to third the noise and "slippage" occurs again but the noise only last about half the time. Higher gears work fine.

Does anyone have any ideas on this? It's been suggested to me that one of the vacuum hoses for the transmission may have come loose, and that because of the "young" age of my car and the relatively (speaking) low mileage, that there shouldn't be a problem with the transmission. \

Any advice or information would be extremely appreciated.

Thanks!

Reply to
Heretic Scribe
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search this NG for reverse slam, that may solve the prob.

marx404

Reply to
marx404

This is a common problem. Check out this article on the Saturn Fan's Forum:

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Checking the level and color of the fluid is insufficient. You need to drain it and change the spin on filter too every 30K or so miles. Due ot the good location, this is as simple (actually simpler) than doing an oil change. Good luck.

Bob

Reply to
Bob Shuman

Reply to
p_vouers

The Input Shaft Nut has come loose. Had this happen on my '95 and '96. It's only about $15 worth of parts (nut & gasket), but it's not a fun job. I did it once myself and had Saturn do it for $280 (probably worth that price).

Reply to
Chuck

Still problems with reverse. Thinking that maybe there wasn't enough load on the vehicle going in reverse stationary, so I go to an empty parking lot and start doing reverse circles and ovals. Cop car comes by so I go forward a bit. When I go back into reverse the car starts moving, but with no real drive behind it. No matter the acceleration, it doesn't increase speed. At this point it's going about 5 mph. Then I stop and when I start going backwards again, same thing happens but then the car kicks HARD (HARD!) into reverse and then accelerates normally. I do some reverse ovals for another five minutes and then drive the mile back home.

Net result upon getting home? Car goes in drive with no problems, but now I have no reverse (up to 2.5 rpm's... I didn't want to hit the pedal more than that.) so I shut the car off. Letting it cool off and I will see what problems await after it's sat for an hour.

I was hoping this was going to be simple. Does anyone know how to get ahold of those ATTA or TAAT manuals for the transaxle? I was trying to find one online without much success.

Thanks!

PS - if it is > This is a common problem. Check out this article on the Saturn Fan's Forum: >

messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@m7g2000cwm.googlegroups.com...

Reply to
Heretic Scribe

How much usually would this cost a dealer to do?

Reply to
HyperCube33 (Life2Death)

My '95 owners manual says you can get service manuals from Adistra Corp in Plymouth, MI. But I still have the receipt for the Automatic Transaxle (TAAT) manual I purchased in 2001 ($22.77 incl. S&H). It came from MSX International in Auburn Hills, MI (800 272-8876 - Prompt 1)

I'm sure they will know what the Input Shaft Nut is. It holds the clutch pack onto the end of the input shaft. Btw - when my shaft nut came loose, the harsh shift from 2nd to 3rd also turned on the SES light. The first time I took it into Saturn they wanted to do a full rebuild for $2300 (I didn't bite).

Reply to
Chuck

You have a loose input shaft nut, and or bad valve body. I would lean more twards the input shaft nut. This is a repair you can do yourself if you are willing to attempt it. You will need a 23mm thinwall (you will have to grind this down further as well) 12 point socket (12 point is what the input shaft nut is).

Heretic Scribe wrote:

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Reply to
RangerRover

I found my post from Aug. '05 after doing the job myself . . .

OK gang - here's my experience with this common S-series tranny problem. I have a '96 SL2 with 118k miles. All of a sudden I was getting some harsh shifts that would turn on the SES light. A delayed reverse would also become NO REVERSE after the car warmed up. I decided to take my chances with the Input Shaft Nut since the nut (SN21001680) and End Cover Gasket (SN21001684) were only about $12. I went in hoping I could dream up something that would take the place of the Input Shaft Holding Tool (SA9119T) that was called for in the manual. Getting the End Cover off was somewhat of a pain - you have to lower the engine a tad to get at the top few bolts (10mm) and separate the ball joint to move the strut aside a little. After getting the cover off I discovered you need a thin-wall 23mm socket to get at the 12-point shaft nut. (I had to grind down a Craftsman socket enough for it to fit into the clutch pack recess). Since the nut came out rather easy, I felt a little more confident that this was my problem. However, rather than risk mucking up something by using a chain wrench or other jury rig to stop the shaft from turning while torquing the new nut to 111 ft-lbs., I decided to buy the proper tool. I went through 3 Saturn dealers before one of them would tell me where to get the tool (SPX Service Solutions - Owatonna, MN 800

533-2585). The bad news: $150 plus shipping - Yikes! (Looks to be worth maybe $25). I also replaced the Output Shaft Nut (SN21001679 - $2.82) since I was already in there. Probably 5 hrs. work all toll, but problem solved!:-)
Reply to
Chuck

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