Thread: Late Downshifts

My car has been downshifting to 1st late. Itll do it when i start to accelerate and its a really rough shift. It feels terrible. Every time it happens it makes me want to cringe. It used to happen every once in a while but now it is happening every time i drive the car. I knew my tranny was going to need to be replaced soon just because i have had some random issues that point to the tranny, but this worries me that i might need one very soon. Can anybody verify this, tell me what is going on, or even tell me that it might not be the tranny maybe the computer? lol i would love to hear that i wouldnt need to get a new tranny right now

not sure what you really mean, but your motor and trans mounts could be dead causing the engine to jump hard.

say I slightly roll a stop sign going a couple mph, when I start to accelerate the car downshifts into first then. and because I'm already accelerating the shift is very harsh. it does feel like the car jumps. I had my dad drive it too and he is saying the same thing I am, very late downshifts to 1st

have it scanned, a trans code may be in history.

I'm guessing a scanner from autozone won't cut it? lol

AZ scanner picked up a trans code in my 98 regal. if it comes back clean, it may need to happen a few more time to set a code.

or ask a trans shop to scan it, they will charge you im sure, but they can drive it and read all sorts of stuff going on inside, and pin point the problem.

have you serviced the trans at all? could be a clogged filter.

No a trans code would still store in the regular history and the AZ scanner should read it

oh ok well I've done that already and there are no codes at all

and yeah I replaced the filter and the fluid when I did my shift kit in August

Mine had a p1811 and if did that..also messed up when I had a dirty mass air flow due to a ****ty hole in my air filter

I'm not familiar with wut the codes mean lol. I actually got a brand new MAF sensor so that shouldn't be an issue

It might be the shift points relearning then and it just needs time to "settle in"

Clogged cat?? Mine had the same issue and I resolved it with a new cat converter.

my exact symptoms were as follows. Driving along, start pressing down accelerator, no shift, keep pressing, no downshift, keep going, retarded hard down shift to first with no pull

I've had the MAF for a little over a month now I don't see how it would take that long to settle in. and really a clogged cat caused that? I don't quite understand that but that sounds a lot like my symptoms.

Originally Posted by winterstorm

I've had the MAF for a little over a month now I don't see how it would take that long to settle in. and really a clogged cat caused that? I don't quite understand that but that sounds a lot like my symptoms.

Very common problem that imitates transmission issues. To be sure, go get the tranny scanned etc, if you already did or if it throws no codes, go ahead and cut the cat off and see what it looks like. Mine failed at 90,000miles. Got a new one, car drove better than ever.

if it was a clogged cat though wouldn't the bogging occur all the time? the bogging is intermittent not consistent at all

Originally Posted by winterstorm

if it was a clogged cat though wouldn't the bogging occur all the time? the bogging is intermittent not consistent at all

No, it would only eff up when you're trying to push more air through it than it can filter at a time due to it being clogged. It may be worth to look into as I suspect your tranny to be fine. As long as your tranny filter and fluid have been changed, it shouldn't be a problem, my money is on the cat. How does the car react when you floor it from 2nd to make it go into 1st, stupidly aggressive downshift that takes you nowhere?

I think it's fine. I've noticed it when I'm rolling stop signs. sometimes it bogs even when flooring it from a stop but the bogging isnt consistent that's wut makes me think it might not be the cat.

Didn't get all the way through the post, did see something about a new maf etc and someone suggesting that as a possible area.

New maf's are not always good. Often they can cause further issues. Trouble shifting etc are commonly caused by a bad maf or tps reading. Which might not set a code.

I have a 1 year warranty that will completely replace the MAF would u suggest going back to the dealer and saying the MAF is bad?