1991 Buick Lesabre going in gear

JSTONE1966

MEMBER
1991 BUICK LESABRE
6 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
85,663 MILES

If the column shifter is moved back and forth several times you can feel the transmission engage and drives and shifts smoothly through all gears. It does not engage just going from park to any gear. You have to move the lever back and forth to get into gear. Once there it is fine until it is put in park again and then the process has to be repeated. Any ideas?

4 Replies

MASTERTECHTIM

MECHANIC
4,750 POSTS

Im confused. Does the shifter feel like it is going in reverse when you put it in reverse? Does the shifter feel real sloppy? Try to elaborate as much as possible

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Thursday, July 24th, 2008 AT 9:50 AM

JSTONE1966

MEMBER
3 POSTS

It is odd. It shifts through all of them but does not engage uless you go back and forth several times ands then you feel it engage in gear. No noted sloppyness, but it almost fells like the linkage is not working properly. I is smoothly moving from park to L1 and back. Just does not engage without tinkering with it.

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Thursday, July 24th, 2008 AT 10:11 AM

MASTERTECHTIM

MECHANIC
4,750 POSTS

I dont think it has anything to do with you moving the shifter. If you start it and wait a minute I think it will go into gear on the first try. It sounds like the torque converter in the transmission and draining the fluid out of it and it is taking a few to build back up the pressure. Im not 100 percent sure but I think thats the problem. You would have to ask transmission shop on how to repair or rebuild unit completely.

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Thursday, July 24th, 2008 AT 10:30 AM

JSTONE1966

MEMBER
3 POSTS

I tried that and it doesn't help. Thanks for your input though. Maybe someone else has some ideas. A tranny guy looked at it ans said he has never seen anything like this before and wants to pull the tranny to look at it. Of course that is to the tune of $700, so before I do that, I though I would ask here for advice.

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Thursday, July 24th, 2008 AT 10:39 AM