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Hard shift into first gear

4K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  andyg 
#1 ·
I have a 1997 Ply GV with 140k miles that I am starting to have some transmission issues with. Seems to happen only when going into first gear; either by shifting from reverse into drive or coming to a stop. When switching into drive from reverse, it will not shift into gear until I give it some gas and then it slams into first. Also hear some whirring noise coming from the trans until it slams into first. Same with starting from a stop; will not drop into first gear unless I give it a little gas... After a minute or two of driving, the issue seems to go away. Any idea where to start? I faithfully change the trans fluid at regular intervals, check levels, and ONLY use ATF+4. Any help is greatly appreciated!
 
#2 ·
Given your fluid is good (when was the last filter change and pan drop?), I would say that the solenoid pack itself may be sticking. It has happen before, as they wear the solenoids start sticking in their bores causing the fluid to take awhile to shift. It would be either that or a sticking accumulator valve in the valve body (harder to fix than the solenoid pack).

Note, this is not a professional recommendation, just something I have fixed before in the past on a van. I would replace the solenoid pack. You can get a new one for $100 on ebay, and it takes about an hour to replace when doing it the first time.
 
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