Thread: chugging

hey all, new little problem,

after the car is good and warmed up and it seems after a highway run too, when im on local roads going just over 30 mph which is where it locks into 3 rd gear, and im light on the gas, it starts chugging, if i give it gas or let off it stops, but will continue till i get to my desination.

im trying to get a vid of it, it did it a few times when i went out again 30 minutes later but the chugging was softer, not as much rpm fluctuation, (only got it to do it 2 short times) when it does it bad i have 500 rpm range it bounces in, softly the tac hardly moves. but for the most part the last drive it ran fine.

last tune up was a year and half ago but i have only put 5000 miles on it since. used iradium plugs.

im going to go out in a bit to check the plug wires, make sure they are all in the clear.

i did just do a intermediate shaft, and i knocked off a small vac line from the side of the trans, i did find where it went and put it back, it was a vac hose 1 inch long and was capped, it looked like it went where all the plugs for the trans connect on the driver side of the trans. so thats where i put it.

and i do have my old maf still, for all i know its still good because i changed the maf and pig tail at the same time. so i could try to swap that.

thanks for reading.

anyone?

small update,

if i start it up cold and drive around town, it seems to want to chug but don't, its only really after a 20 mile hi way drive when i get off and back to local streets, it chugs. like i said at 30 mph, but it did do it at 40 yesterday. im so lost, i need some help with this one.

my muffler is falling apart too as of lately, any chance its the cause?

i have noticed when i first start it up in the morning, ice cold start, it will start, then the idle will rise and fall for no reason, im not doing it, not sure if that's related, as i never noticed it doing it before. it would normally go up to 800 or so rpm till warmed up, and it only does this jump one time when i start it.

no cel lights at all. but at a idle im hearing what may be a misfire, but not sure because of the muffler. but the engine will jump every now and then. its nothing regular.

It sounds like you have some symptoms of a vac leak.

Originally Posted by Explicit_Spade

It sounds like you have some symptoms of a vac leak.

the little vac hose i knocked off the trans and put back, but it started doing this a little bit before that happened.

the only thing i did before this happening was the motor and trans mounts.

odd how it comes and goes tho.

ill need to get a new can of carb cleaner tomorrow to see.

im also going to try and find my mechanic friend again tomorrow,(rick the wrench) i lost his number, but went to his work, and he was out because he had a operation, they said he'd be back this week, so im hoping hes back, i was only going to him to help with my air bag light, looking for a free scan ya know lol now i need more help.

well i got some carb cleaner, no vac leaks to be found or heard. i did find my cai laying in the trans, not so good, bolted that back up and its still chugging, so i unhooked the battery, see if that fixes it or not.

Originally Posted by crazyguy03

after it warms up, meaning the converter can lock, possibly locking at 30 /slipping/

when i hit 30 mph it locks in 3 rd gear for sure, so what are you trying to tell me here?

the trans is not slipping at all while driving regular or getting on it.

pulling the battery did nothing, it still does it.

did some googling, and found that it could be the PCS and/or TCC solenoid, and thoughts on this? and they both live in the side cover of the trans so im not to sure if im up to doing it myself, seems like a lot of work to get to.

will a good scanner show these solenoids as a problem?

im headed back to my mechanic friend later today for the air bag scan, im hopping he has a scanner for the trans as well.

i got a date with my buddy tomorrow at 5:30 tomorrow to check out the air bag light and he said he'll check the trans out too. if need be hes got a trans shop to refer me to to scan the trans to rule out the pcs and tcc or blame them. but from how i described the problem, he thinks its the tcc and pcs but a scan is the only way to tell, so the waiting goes on....

Originally Posted by crazyguy03

Well your last 3 posts elaborated more of where I was suggesting to look.

The converter won't lock on cold starts until its warmed up. You mention it happens at 30 after its warmed up.

The tcc can be chattering or engaging / disengaging. Feels like like the convertor is slipping. On my older gm cars I could actully unplug this and verify its the problem

you left out the tcc part in your post, i know jack about transmissions especially fwd trans, how it works what sensors do what, most i ever did to a trans was a pan drop and filter, or removal and replacement of one, i dont go inside them either, i leave that to people who KNOW what they are doing

your description sounds just like what is going on with the car now.

its getting scanned tomorrow, so we'll know for sure whats wrong with it.

is this one of them things a shift kit can fix? or tuning the line pressure up?

or could a clogged filter cause this? as its needs a service but the truth is im scared to drop the pan, the fluid is in bad shape.

On my second re build I didn't change the fluid for over 60k. I dropped the pan, changed the filter and mixed about 7 new quarts of dex6 in. That way the fluid gets a 50/50 mix of new and old. Everything worked fine. Temps were a bit a cooler and shifts were better.
Honestly , if the clutches are worn and slipping , it wont matter Don't wast your money

Line pressure and shift kits won't fix a failed or failing solenoid.

im showing 217,000 + now, im the 9th owner, i have no history at all, and the fluid is real dark brown, and dont smell good.

i fear it will die if i drop the pan, if i did drop it im even thinking of putting the old fluid back in it.

it may sound messed up but when you see cars with burn up fluid get a service and then leave the shop on a tow truck, well it makes you think twice. if it had a hint of red to it id drop the pan in a heart beat.

so my friend (the mechanic) concurs that its the tcc, is there a write up how to do this or is this something i want to stay away from and let a pro deal with it?

i could see he didn't want to do it so hes calling a trans shop he deals with to see how much it would cost for his cousins car to be repaired, wink wink lol love that crap.

any one else take their car to a shop to have the tcc changed and how much were you charged?

yeah i know, im a scared, but i'll see what the trans shop says, if i have them do it.

i need to read a how to, to see if im up to this one, im all for diy work, but i hate tranny work.

it seems a lift would make this one much easier to do, im sick of being on my back under jack stands.

sadly my trans blew up a week after my last post in this thread.


got a used trans put in.