i have a problem with the wrench engine light come on and the trans starts shifting hard. mech says its a solenoid in the trans. the light has been coming on after you drive it about 30 mi. if you stop and park it for awhile and start it up again it will be fine for another 30 mi or so and it will start shifting hard and the wrench light will come on. wouldn't a bad solenoid be continues light on?

 

hard to say. There are many issues about saturns that seemingly get temporarily resolved by a complete turnoff of the vehicle + restart. What concerns me about your description is that it cools down, then works for the same amount of time, then shifts funky again.

To me, this sounds like a temperature sensitive failure; when things get up to a certain temp, something is failing.

Mechanic thinks it is faulty solenoid inside the tranny. Maybe right, maybe wrong.
If you can afford it get another opinion from a gm dealership that used to service or sell saturns.

Sorry, I'm not an automatic trans guy.

Hope this helps (somewhat)

 

taking it in and having a tranny flush. nothing to lose. weird that it will be just fine and then start acting up. maybe just needs a new filter and fluid.