Replaced valve body still had hard shift - replaced TRS LP fuse NOW will not shift

Tiny
MIKE G
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  • 2001 SATURN SL1
  • 126,000 MILES
Had hard shifts replaced the valve body - replaced trs LP fuse that was blown now it will not shift at all.
Sunday, January 8th, 2012 AT 8:22 PM

91 Replies

Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Where did you get the valve body from? Was it the whole valve body? Or just the upper valve body? Also with a blown trs lp fuse its going to shift real hard because line pressure will be full pressure all the time and not just full pressure for reverse like it should be. Also was the trs lp fuse blowing before the valve body change? Also you didnt pinch the valve body wire harness underneath the valve body cover did you? What are the exact code numbers that are being set in the computer?
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Sunday, January 8th, 2012 AT 9:47 PM
Tiny
MIKE G
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I got it from a company that rebuilds these valve bodies. It was the whole valve body. No it was not blown before the valve body was changed. However, the circuit board (bus plate) inside the (old) valve body which I replaced was fried. The fried circuit was for the solenoid number 1 (line pressure). No wires are pinched. There are no computer codes.

I suspect a wiring or sensor issue but the trs lp fuse has not blown since I replaced it. I have power at both sides of the fuse.
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Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 AT 1:20 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Did you ohms check the line pressure actuator when you replaced the buss plate? I suspect a line pressure actuator from what you have told me so far.
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Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 AT 1:38 AM
Tiny
MIKE G
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I ohm checked all the solenoids. Range 5.0 - 5.2 ohms.
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Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 AT 1:47 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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So did the valve body come with the bad buss plate etc right out of the box?I tried to buy some rebuilt valve bodys and they were all a piece of junk bad line pressure actuator in one. Broke buss plate on another completely bad on another one. How much did you pay for this valve body?
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Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 AT 1:52 AM
Tiny
MIKE G
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No the bad bus plate was in the original valve body which I replaced. I paid around 150 dollars for the new valve body.

This is the second valve body from this company. Like you, I thought maybe they sent me a bad valve body, so I had them send me a second one. Both acted the same way (continued hard slam). I discovered the blown trs lp fuse after I installed the second valve body.
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Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 AT 2:04 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Alright so now that the fuse for trs lp is good the car wont shift it stays in 1st gear and wont shift?Also when the fuse was blown it shifted thru every gear just really hard?Do you have any codes in the computer?If so what are the exact code numbers not the code descriptions. Also do you have a transmission pressure tester gauge set?
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Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 AT 7:18 AM
Tiny
MIKE G
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Yes, it stays in first gear and is very slow moving even when the engine is revved very high. Yes, when the fuse was blown it shifted thru every gear. It would start out shifting hard but after 30 miles it was shifting without banging. However, once the car was turned off it would shift hard again. There are no codes in the computer. I do not have a transmission pressure gauge set.
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Friday, January 13th, 2012 AT 12:41 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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You say the car is slow moving even when the car is reved high?Is the transmission slipping in first gear?If you pull the trs lp fuse out will it shift thru the gears?Your going to need to get a transmission pressure gauge tester set.
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Friday, January 13th, 2012 AT 1:32 AM
Tiny
MIKE G
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Correct - slow moving even when it is revved high, but that is with the good fuse. If I pull the fuse the car goes thru every gear, but it shifts hard. I'm thinking its the wiring? I'm going to go thru the wiring this weekend - something is blowing that fuse.
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Friday, January 13th, 2012 AT 6:07 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Is the wiring loom to the transmission pinched under the valve body cover?Also is there a delay in reverse with a good fuse in place?
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Friday, January 13th, 2012 AT 10:46 PM
Tiny
MIKE G
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No - no pinch under valve body. No reverse at all with good fuse in place.
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Friday, January 13th, 2012 AT 11:35 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Then you have a pressure issue and when the fuse is out the transmission defaults to max line pressure. The actuators are electrically off meaning it takes power to turn them off. When you pull the fuse the line pressure actuator opens and allows max line pressure. So the line pressure actuator fuse keeps blowing?The line pressure actuator ohms out to specs and the actuator buss plate isnt shorted out?You didnt over tighten the transmission connector did you?
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Friday, January 13th, 2012 AT 11:41 PM
Tiny
MIKE G
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No, it has only blown once. It has not blown after being replaced. The ohms is 5.1 ohms. This is a new valve body so I do not know about the buss plate. Is there a spec (torque) for the transmission connector?

Do you think it could be the wiring harness? I plan on going tomorrow and getting a manual with the engine harness wiring diagram.
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Friday, January 13th, 2012 AT 11:59 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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If you pull the line pressure fuse and it shifts and the fuse doesnt blow you have low line pressure in the transmission. Sounds like you got a bad valve body. We need to do a high low line pressure test You will have to get a transmission pressure tester set. You want me to recomend one for you?I have a nice otc one that was under 70 dollars. Those rebuilt valve bodys are garbage I went thru a bunch of bad ones. Where did you get it?Do you have link to it?
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Saturday, January 14th, 2012 AT 1:05 AM
Tiny
MIKE G
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I do not understand your sentence: If you pull the line pressure fuse and it shifts and the fuse doesnt blow you have low line pressure in the transmission.

What is the point of the high/low pressure test?
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Saturday, January 14th, 2012 AT 1:50 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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You said you have no reverse with the line pressure fuse in reverse needs full line pressure which would be a min of 175psi. If you have no reverse that means the pressure is pretty low. So if its bellow 175 psi when its supposed to be 175psi and above then when you put it in drive its supposed to about 130psi. So if the pressure is skewed that much then there wont be enough pressure for the foward gears to shift and not slip. The higher the gear it goes 2nd 3rd and 4th the more dependent on the correct pressure it is. Heres what you have to know about what I was saying about the fuse. If there is power to the line pressure actuator its turned off meaning the pressure is reduced. If there is no power to it like when you pull the fuse it will open up and allow full line pressure to the transmission as much as the pressure regulator in the valve body can supply. It sounds like the pressure regulator is worn and sticking and not allowing enough pressure to supply the transmission to shift properly.I was reading about the valve body you got they take a used valve body take it apart clean it up inspect it. Then ohms check the actuators and install a new spacer plater and spacer plate gaskets. So doesnt sound like they did much as far as rebuilding it.I rebuilt the valve body on my 1999 saturn SL2 and I took it all apart cleaned it up bored out the pressure regulator bore. Installed the sonnax pressure regulator sleeve the sonnax pressure regulator the sonnax pressure regulator spring. Also installed the sonnax boost valve now thats rebuilding the valve body. As far as the high low pressure test you install a transmission pressure gauge on the transmission. Then start the car let it idle till you get to normal operating temp. Then see what the pressure reads at idle should be around 60psi. Then pull the line pressure fuse should be over 175psi. Then put the fuse back in and turn the engine off and then restart the engine. Then put the transmission in drive the pressure should read about 130psi. Then put the car in reverse the pressure should read over 175psi. Those cleaned up and new gasket valve bodies are junk I tried getting some of those so called rebuilt valve bodys and got one bad one after another. Has the car ever shifted since you put this valve body in you bought?
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Saturday, January 14th, 2012 AT 7:47 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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The point of the high low pressure test is to check how your pressure regulator in the valve body the pump in the transmission and line pressure actuator is working.
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Saturday, January 14th, 2012 AT 7:49 AM
Tiny
MIKE G
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I talked to the company that I bought the valve body from and they feel the problem is in the transmission itself. The tech. From there company said that within the transmission there are friction plated and bands and that mostly likely one of those pieces has broken due to the slamming. He said that they inspect the valve body and do not rebuilt ones that would required a sleeve. I asked it they line test the valve body and he said no.

Does his diagnoses make sense to you?

Should I take the car to a transmission shop and hope they give me an honest answer?
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Saturday, January 14th, 2012 AT 7:06 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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What the company said doesnt make sense because if something was broken then when you pulled the line pressure fuse the car still wouldnt shift because it would still be broken. So the company never tests the valve body as a whol assembly?
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Saturday, January 14th, 2012 AT 7:59 PM

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