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Auto trans won't shift out of first?

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Old 09-15-2008, 01:30 PM
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Auto trans won't shift out of first?

I just got a call, I have the Z at an exhaust shop, and supposedly it won't shift out of first gear. It's the 3-speed auto. The other guy I talked to said he was just driving it yesterday and it was fine. Had no problems, all of a sudden it won't shift out of first. Could this be ECU related? I just finished installing Nistune, but as far as I know there's nothing from the ECU to the tranny as far as wiring goes. I thought it was all vacuum related. I'm gonna head over shortly and see if I can figure this out. I wonder if it's been leaking fluid or something. Or if the vacuum line to the metal line on the auto tranny isn't connected or has a leak would that cause issues?
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Old 09-15-2008, 02:39 PM
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Slap them around a lil while you are there.
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Old 09-15-2008, 02:52 PM
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It's not ecu related for sure. The a/t on Zs are all vacuum and mechanically related.
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Old 09-15-2008, 02:53 PM
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its either internally in the transmission or a vacuum leak going to the tranny.
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Old 09-15-2008, 03:37 PM
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Car runs fine...they're telling me it won't shift out of first. They were saying that it was getting all loud and had this winding sound on the freeway. Well for one thing is that the exhaust was rusted out pretty darn well and they had no idea that at like 60-65 you'd be turning almost 3500 RPM, so that's why they thought it wasn't shifting or something. That and they didn't know it was only a 3-speed auto.
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Old 09-15-2008, 03:56 PM
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Your exhaust shop was driving your Z on the freeway? I guess I don't know all the details about this one...
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Old 09-15-2008, 04:03 PM
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^^^ Indeed.... He got it up to speed on the freeway and thought it was still in first gear? 60-65mph in first gear would be like 20k rpm. Does this guy belong in the automotive field?
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Old 09-16-2008, 01:41 AM
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Well this story is a bit wacky. Here's how it goes. Mechanic I know takes the car, puts on my rotors, pads, calipers for me. He knows another guy who has an exhaust shop, so this guy with his wife comes to pick up the car from mechanic I know. So he has his wife drive my Z to the exhaust shop. My exhaust is loud and rusted to hell, so his wife not knowing cars gets all worried that it's not shifting, because of the noise and high RPM, plus older car all the tranny noise etc is much more audible. They drive it down a regular road to their shop so they don't have to go fast. Then I get a call telling me the car won't shift etc, but the exhaust is done. I go there and find out the car is fine, and the guy's wife just really had no idea. All in all I have a new exhaust done for $150.

Like I said ended up being a goofy story. None of which would have even occurred had I been around to just drive the car to the shop myself. It's the whole story of this guy I know, knows people for everything. In the end it's all quality work that gets done honestly and at a good price. Just you end up with weird stories like this.
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Old 09-16-2008, 08:22 AM
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$150 is a good price. Now get that 5-speed swap underway.
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Old 09-16-2008, 09:23 AM
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It's the vacuum signal to the modulator.

It's not there.
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Old 09-16-2008, 10:48 AM
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nah it turned out that it was working fine. false alarm
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