89 GT auto shifts like crap!

[built88]

My brother just bought an 89 gt with automatic. He got ripped off on it and needed to get the transmission rebuilt immediatly due to the overdrive being toasted and the car being extremely slow when acceleraing. It felt like the car was starting in second gear. So we had it rebuilt with the basic stock trans and it has overdrive now but it still feels like it has no first gear......it does it just feels terribly slow. Also the torque converter locks up right away and when you stand on it, it doesn't down shift at all really. It will shift best, which is still not good, when the sifter is in "D" and when it's in "1-2" it will not go into first at all. I dunno what it is so my question is, does the computer on these cars control any points of the transmission at all? The car was like this before and after the trans rebuild so i dont know what it could be. Thanks for any help in advance.

 

[seijirou]

Putting it into "1-2" isn't going to drop it down into 1st unless you're going very slowly or stopped, it will simply hold second gear.
The 89 AOD isn't computer controlled, there is a TV cable attatched to the throttle body at the same location the throttle cable is. That TV cable can be adjusted to change where the transmission's shift points are. If you adjust the cable by tightening it, or pulling it towards the front of the car, the shift points will be higher in the rpms. This is true for WOT and cruising so keep that in mind.

Something else to consider is just how the engine is running, if the transmission truely is in 1st gear, and the car is slow then you probably have engine power issues assuming the engine isn't screaming in rpm heaven while you're slowly moving.

 

[built88]

With the 1-2 issue, im talkin dead stopped, it will not go into first gear. it only shift good in D. I messed with the TV cable a little bit but it didn't really help, it needs to somehow get it to kickdown. Does the computer control the torque converter lock up at all?

 

[seijirou]

Automatic transmissions are defanently not my thing, but as far as I know, and maybe someone else will jump in to correct me, AOD's don't have lockup converters factory.

If you hold down the brakes and give the engine gas, what rpm will the engine reach before it stops climbing?

 

[built88]

Are you sure? I thought all cars since the 80's had lock up's? It revs up to like 2000 ish i think and wont burnout either. I know the motor is down on power but the transmission wont kickdown or shift right so that is what i want to fix first, again any other ideas are greatly appreciat.ed

 

[The Shape]

Yes the AOD has a lockup convertor and no the computer doesn't control it in anyway.

 

[8950HO]

I`d go back to the place that rebuilt it and see what they say.

The AOD in general is a crappy transmission.