Transmission fails after car gets to operating temperature

Tiny
JUSTIN PLUMMER
  • MEMBER
  • 2013 CHEVROLET SONIC
  • 1.4L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 75,000 MILES
The car listed above has an automatic/sport mode transmission. The car starts and drives fine before it warms up. All gears are smooth. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. As soon as the car reaches operating temperature the transmission stops working all together. No first, second, third or reverse. Nothing. If you shut the car off and wait forty five minutes and start it again it goes until it warms back up. Things I have done to remedy this problem include: Changing the transmission fluid, filling to specs, changing the thermostat and the sensor on the housing ( only because the problem seems temperature related). I have researched a lot about this and found nothing. The condition of the car previous to warming up tells me in my gut that the transmission is not bad but something controlling it is faulty. No codes are being thrown ECM or TCM wise. From what I understand there is no filter. I am mechanically inclined and can check electronics if I know what needs checked. Please any help or advice would be appreciated.
Monday, October 1st, 2018 AT 12:50 PM

1 Reply

Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 48,363 POSTS
Hi JUSTIN,

Nice to meet you, lets get it fixed. There is a fluid temperature sensor inside the transmission on the valve body that sound like it is bad, I have also seen the input shaft speed sensor cause this issue as well. Here is the wiring diagrams for the transmission so you can see how it works and more on the speed sensor location.

Check out the diagrams (below). Please let us know what you find. We are interested to see what it is.

Cheers, Ken
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Wednesday, October 3rd, 2018 AT 12:19 PM

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