Unusual transmission behaviour

TdotAlero · 08-25-2011, 09:42 PM

I searched the forums and Google and didn't come up with any clear solution.
Here's the story. Car is 3.4 auto.
About a week ago I unplugged my battery for about 15 minutes to unwire and remove the sub from the trunk. Right after reconnecting the battery I loaded my Alero with a bunch of furniture and had to drive around 10kms up and downhill. I pretty much drove like an a$$ due to heavy load.
Since then the transmission has been acting odd. I do city driving in heavy traffic every day for about 15kms each way. Now everytime I take off from green light, the transmission is "lagging" in the first gear. Like as if it was struggling to power the car. I keep my rpms below 2500. It only does the lag when I go from a complete stop, and only in the first gear. Also it tends to downshift when going uphill much earlier than it used to before. No jerky shifting between the gears though.
My question is, should I unhook the battery and then drive it more aggressive to let the car "relearn" the driving habits.
Or is it a sign of my tranny starting to give up.
Edit: 260,000km on the transmission

zearchyo · 08-25-2011, 10:06 PM

have u checked fluids on it?

TdotAlero · 08-25-2011, 11:04 PM

No, not in a while.
I was planning to change the transmission filter and flush the fluid, but the neighbour mechanic told me that at this point it might cause more bad than good.

Papa Rad17 · 08-25-2011, 11:11 PM

Mine is a 2.2 so a it different but I have had go through strange moods like that as well. Most of the time I noticed it after steping on it and spinning of really wierd. Then It will be really laggy for a bit then go back to usual. But for your next changes put in some the Lucas oil stuff. I highly recamend it. It was shoring really hard a while back and that fixed the problem.

alero_bmxer · 08-26-2011, 12:19 AM

same problem i had. cant remember what the part name was exactly but i think it was a solenoid in the trans that went bad. PITA by the way to fix

zzyzzx · 08-26-2011, 09:51 AM

I would check the fluids first. 161,556 miles is about when I did my first transmission fluid and filter change on my 1995 Escort, and it currently has 203,500 miles (327,501KM to you) and it still has the original automatic transmission and it works just fine.

I can't imagine that the furniture load was that bad. It's not like you loaded up your car with bricks or bags of cement (did that once to the Escort, and I think I broke the already very rusty rear springs that way)

zzyzzx · 08-26-2011, 10:14 AM

I mean, you weren't doing this, were you:

zearchyo · 08-26-2011, 02:39 PM

damn this people need to buy a damn truck not use the accord as one

Goodman · 08-26-2011, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zzyzzx

I mean, you weren't doing this, were you:

WTF? that is so stupid!!!

Risking to break something on the car or the fridge & a possibly big ticket if a police car saw that on the road & all that for what... saving $30-50 for delivery

Redog · 08-26-2011, 03:26 PM

I'm calling BS on that pic just due to the fact the rear of that car isn't on the ground.

This has happened to my Alero as well. However it cleared up on it's own.

Fuzzyspudkiss · 08-26-2011, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redog

I'm calling BS on that pic just due to the fact the rear of that car isn't on the ground.

Thats what I was going to say, Unless that Accord has leaf springs, I would imagine the wells would almost be to the tire...I loaded like 400 lbs of bagged dirt in the trunk of my Alero and it was ridin low lol (it was only for like 2 mi)

SIUlero · 08-26-2011, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fuzzyspudkiss

Thats what I was going to say, Unless that Accord has leaf springs, I would imagine the wells would almost be to the tire...I loaded like 400 lbs of bagged dirt in the trunk of my Alero and it was ridin low lol (it was only for like 2 mi)

Really, an empty fridge isn't all that heavy...just bulky. I'd guess around 100-130 lbs. Wouldn't drop the rear a whole lot...noticeable, but not dragging the ground.

TdotAlero · 08-26-2011, 11:20 PM

Driving back from work today, same problem. Not so obvious though. Drove on the highway, steady rpm at 110 km/h. About 80 km of highway driving later the car drives like brand new in the city traffic. Could it be that the transmission oil just needs to get a good 'work out' on a highway once in a while? Anyway fluid check will be done tomorrow.
If that doesn't fix it then I will just live with it. I guess it's another "GM thing".

Rippasnortus · 08-27-2011, 06:39 AM

An empty fridge is not heavy, I've carried them on my back for short distances but in the cardboard so you have something to grab on to. That was when I worked on the loading dock. I did see this car on the news one day last week and not sure where it was as I only caught the last of the story.

nicothehut · 09-24-2011, 12:50 PM

The picture is REAL. Taken in Vancouver about month ago it even made the 6 pm news that night. The store clerk call the cops before the man could drive away. If you note he even tried to use the seatbelt as rope.

Black_Mamba · 09-25-2011, 06:14 PM

Check your Cat Converter and o2 sensors too if its still happening. Something very simillar happened to me like that and I was so paranoid that it was the transmission and I was screwed in having to buy a new one, instead it was just a clogged catalytic converter

Papa Rad17 · 09-25-2011, 06:43 PM

Ya, one time I accidentally left the intake sensor unplugged and it writes really funny, I plugged it in, cleared the code and it was fine again.