Automatic shift Issue
 

Greetings all,I've as of late been experiencing a hard shift sometimes when getting up to speed from 2nd gear to 3rd gear.It seams to happen more often when A/C is running.I replaced the transmission filter and oil recently and wonder if I may not have added enough oil or too much.Any thoughts on this ??

That sounds like a valve body/solenoid issue.

You would think so ,but tonight I took off the cover and tested each solenoid and all om ed out at 5.5. So I'm still stumped as to what other issue can be causing this.I'll try to find problem and report back.

Did you check your fluid level?

If you have to ask if you put not enough or too much fluid in it, I have to ask why didn't you check levels with the dip stick.

Ohming out the solenoids tells you only that the value is correct. It does not tell you that the voltage signal is actually getting to it, although the assumption is that if it shifts eventually than the signal must be there some time. A valid assumption. But once the signal gets there a solenoid causes something to move and if it is sticky than it won't move all that easy.
Is this shifting problems something that happened before you change fluids? Or after? If after, did you use the correct fluids? Or not?
So when did all this take place, before or after the transmission was serviced?
There are transmission additives that can do some good. And others whose primary function is to remove money from your wallet.
I am a fan of LUCAS transmission additive but!!!!!! If this problem started after the fluid change I would be a bit suspicious that you used the wrong fluids. I just change mine out as the shifting had gotten a bit hesitant and harsh and now it runs like new.

First of all I really want to say thank you for taking your time and effort for responding.I bought the car in winter and it was in need ALL the fluids being changed,especially the transmission.It did shift OK before I changed it though.I just bought a new filter and fluid Valvoline DEX-MERK III,I have yet to drive it but I will report back later with results.It seams like the car shifts too soon and when it has to downshift it doesn't know weather it needs to or not and that causes a transmission bag or thud noise.

Your welcome. Forums can be tricky because it is so impersonal and some of us have not got much of a life so we try to get it from being important on a forum some where. It gives us something to do. Or we are just trying to be helpful, you never know. But not being there and not being able to reach out and touch, it is hard some times to diagnose the problem.
We have to depend on you, the person asking to be our eyes. To give information that we use a clues to identify what might be happening. It is frustrating to have a car and spend money that is hard to get on it to fix it and not know if we were stupid in doing so.
So first of all I will admit to being confused.
You were concerned that you did not use the correct amount of transmission fluid. There has to be reason for that and whether you did or not is important. And you did not answer that question. There is a dip stick with the automatic transmission and a correct procedure to using it which generally is to have the motor running and usually warm and then check the fluid with the car parked and I believe the transmission in park and then use the dipstick to measure the amount of fluid. If the level reads correctly you used the right amount. I just changed mine and it seems to me that about 7 quarts would be the amount it used. You purchased the correct fluid so that should not be a problem.
I bought my fluid in gallon containers and it used all of one gallon and almost all of the 2nd which looks like 7 quarts were used.
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I bought the car in winter and it was in need ALL the fluids being changed,especially the transmission.It did shift OK before I changed it though.I just bought a new filter and fluid Valvoline DEX-MERK III,I have yet to drive it but I will report back later with results.It seams like the car shifts too soon and when it has to downshift it doesn't know weather it needs to or not and that causes a transmission bag or thud noise.
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O.k., this confuses me. You bought the car in the winter and needed service. That seems to indicate it was neglected or had sat for a long time. In either case the transmission worked o.k.,
That is what I understand.
You just bought new fluids and you have not driven it yet.
So how is you know that it has problems?
If you have not driven it yet?

That needs a bit of clarification.

O.k., if I park mine for a while and I do, with the car being some 18 years old and about 110,000 miles and I have owned it for 16 years the transmission fluid had never been changed and it shifted with hesitation and some indecision as to what the right gear was, until it was driven for a while and when every thing loosened up or the sticky parts stopped sticking it shifted just fine. And as long as I drove it regularly it drove fine. Until I parked for a while again.
After I changed the fluid all the harshness disappeared. Immediately. I should have changed it a long time ago and did not. My bad. I neglected it.
So again if you have not driven the car since you changed fluids how do you know it isn't working correctly now. The time line does not make sense.

The banging and thudding. The car has some age, and you bought recently and do not know the history, neglect and abuse may play a factor in where the noise is coming from and if the transmission is not working correctly but as you describe then it is possible you also have a bad motor mount or more than one which causes the engine to jump around a lot. There are motor mounts in the strangest places because they serve to not only hold the engine from falling out, but also to keep it from swinging around and whacking things. One or more may be broken or bad. But until the transmission issue is dealt with I don't think I would concern my self with that too much.
Find out what is going on before you start buying parts, it is easier and smarter that way.
And if at last chance, while not being a fan of motor or transmission fix it stuff in a bottle or a can used correctly some of the stuff is actually beneficial. I have used the Lucas transmission additive with some benefits and I would at least try it again if I thought it might work providing here was reason to believe the transmission was a tad tired and not trashed. Harsh shifting or sticky would be a reason to try it. But it won't perform miracles.
Waiting to hear and good luck.

Transmission oil level
 

I will be driving the car about 50 miles today and this should give a better chance to test shift quality,The AUTO ZONE where I bought the supplies FILTER and FLUID, said it only requires 4.2 Quarts of fluid.That dip stick is all but impossible to read which is not helping my issues.I will report back after a few day's and give some feedback. Thanks

Nicko, if you only put a little over 4 qts of tranny fluid in and UJ says he's under the impression it takes almost 8 I wouoldn't even drive the vehicle until you are able to get some kind of decent reading to find out if it's only got half of the correct amount of fluid in it...owner's manual (if you've got it in your glove compartment) or a shop manual from your auto parts store will be your friend for this....My daughter's using my Saturn right now or I would quote you what mine says...

me chilton's sez
5.3 qts up to 1997
4.2 qts 98 and up


what year is your ride?