How do i tell if my transmission is going on my car?? I just bought a 97 pontiac grand prix, V6 3.8 engine.?

Question

It has 107K miles on it, and Everything works great, except when im driving it, theres a a jerking feeling, mostly when im excellerating but sometimes just randomlly.. Some say its probabaly just the car "wants to go faster" i dont know anything about cars...and then when my mom drove it, she said it just feels like the gears shifting..and she also felt the smaller jerks while just driving at a maitained speed.. and said she doesnt know what that isits an automatic.. please help me out...i dont know why but i just keep thinking its something to do with the transmission

Answer 1

maybe it wants to shift at a certain speed but you prevent it form fully shifting when you hit the brake or accelerator. pay attention to when it shifts and at what speed, acceleration. Use that info and youll be able to tell if it just wants to shift at an awkward time.

Answer 2

FIAT Guy is correct. If I were you, I would do the the following things after buying a used car:
- an oil and filter change
- drain the radiator and replace the coolant
- replace ATF (I personally use a fluid extraction device from Pela)
- replace the power steering fluid (with the same pump device I described above)
- check the condition of the air filter
- replace the spark plugs (with AC Delco for GM cars)

I know you're inexperienced - read about car maintenance - read articles and how-to's on the Internet, and buy or borrow one or two books on car maintenance. Read the owner's manual.

Here's what to do about the transmission before taking it to a pro:
Drive the car until the engine and tranny are warmed up. With your foot on the brake pedal, cycle through each gear for a short moment. Put the shifter into park and set the parking brake. Open the hood and check the dipstick for the transmission while the engine is running and warm. Check the level on the dipstick. After wiping the dipstick on a paper towel, check the color, texture, and smell. It should be reddish, liquidy, and not smell burnt. If it isn't, the fluid needs to be replaced with fresh Dexron III ATF. Top it off with new fluid if the fluid level is low. Do not overfill. Overfilling will result in foaming. Take the car to a transmission specialist to get it checked out if it needs work. But any knowledgeable mechanic can perform basic transmission service - replacing the fluid and filter.

If you have a driveway or garage, learn to service the transmission yourself - replacing the fluid and filter. The filter should be replaced at 100,000 miles. But for now, take the car to a mechanic after inspecting the fluid. The fluid should be replaced every 15,000 to 30,000 miles. I prefer a partial drain and fill (I say "partial" because not all the fluid will drain out) rather than a flush with a machine.

First change the oil and filter. Then replace the spark plugs with AC Delco-brand spark plugs. Then inspect and replace the transmission fluid and filter. Then inspect the air filter. If the spark plugs and tranny fluid aren't the problem, check the spark plug wires.

Answer 3

Gears are slipping. Tranny might go in time, but a transmission can also go without any signs whatsoever. However, without a doubt the problem is of course not going to get any better. To fix a blown transmission on an automatic is EXTREMELY expensive. Cost me about $3,000 to fix mine. Luckily have had no major reoccuring problems with mine though.

If you can, RETURN THE CAR BACK TO THE SELLER! Or make him fix it, unless it was stated that the car was sold "as is" he is obligated to fix the car if you just bought it. You can sue him if he denies.


P.S. If you do return the car and everything works out and you get your money back, don't buy another Pontiac, or a Ford. You'd be better of getting a Kia lol.

Answer 4

Before you have the transmission replaced be sure the engine is running correctly, an engine misfire will cause what you describe. When a transmission starts to go bad it will jerk, clunk and shutter or all the above. The transmission should be serviced every 20K miles for a longer life and better performance. The throttle valve and the throttle position should be checked as well. Have a mechanic check it for you to be sure before you replace parts, Good Luck and GOD Bless,

Answer 5

i own a shop,and make sure that the engine is not whats doing the jerking on it,a bad running engine willl make a car feel like its other things wrong with it,if it is the transmission it will not change gears right nor wil it pull right either,and you might notice a slip between gears once in a while or a hesitation in it before it changes gears,and when it cold and you drop it in gear,it may not take right away ,these are just some of the most common signs ,id say you,ll know it when it gets bad if its the transmission,good luck with it,hope this helps.

Answer 6

Pontiacs are great cars. Definitely snag it. I am driving an 04 Pontiac grand Prix now. I have also owned a 90 and an 88. I wouldn't trade mine for anything.

Answer 7

A bad transmission will have a rocking chair feeling while driving at a steady speed of about 30 to 40 miles an hour.

Answer 8

Probably time to change the transmission fluid and filter. Usually in automatics the jerking is caused by a loss of fluid or old and dirty fluid. I would check it out quickly starting with a trip to your local parts store where everything for a fluid and filter change can be had for less than $30 and proceed from there if necessary.

Answer 9

my first response would have been misfire if not for the fact you said 97. the 97 w body (grand prix) and the h body (Bonneville) had a problem with the tcc shuttle valve "floating" in the valve bore. this causes a "fishbite" feeling ,in more severe cases it Will cause a chuggle/surge. you can verify this with a "scan"tool the slip speed should be near 0 and steady. if its "jumping" all over the valve body will need replacing. if the car has been operated like this for very long there's a good chance the torque converter will need replacing also

Answer 10

Did the car have any maintance done to it in the past? Could possibly be the transmission if it is low on transmission fluid or it needs to be serviced. Could also be there has already been some tranmission damage started that it could be the clutch slipping. Another option might be an oxygen sensor needs to be diagnosed to see if the sensor needs to be replaced.

Answer 11

It sounds to me like you have an ignition problem and the engine is misfiring under load. Typically, this is caused by worn or damaged spark plugs and/or wires. Could be the coil pack or a fuel problem too, but check your spark plugs, wires, etc first. Chances are they haven't been changed and with 107k they are due. Hope that helps.