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My car has all the symptoms and problems that will lead it to someday throwing a P1870 code. I have experienced the slipping/hard shift problem a couple times, and know how to deal with that (sonnax kit and trans shop will solve it). But there are also some other problems with the transmission that make me wonder if they're just results of the P1870 problem or something else.
1. The car's downshifting way too much in Overdrive. It has trouble maintaining the current gear on any uphill slope and shifts down. Now, sure a car's supposed to downshift, but not this often. Granted, I do live in a hilly area (Northwest Arkansas), but this is a more recent development compared to when I first got the car.
2. The car has trouble shifting at times and hesitates. A lot of times on these uphill slopes, upon accelerating, it will try to downshift but hesitates a couple times and will then fully shift. I can feel and hear the transmission when it does this. It sounds like it's downshifting, but the tachometer doesn't drop and it has a higher/louder whine then normal, then it tries again and will drop to the lower gear.
3. This last one is a little more recent, and I only notice it when I drive in D (not Overdrive). When the car is at a lower gear and coasts down the hill it will shift (like it should), but the way it does often catches me offguard. The behavior in its shifting is what's different. The tranny will make no noise while shifting up, but suddenly the car feels like it's being pulled back for a second or two, then it goes on like before only in the next gear. No noise, no normal shift shock, just a feeling of being caught on something for a moment and then going on like beforehand.
I have also considered other possibilities such as the individual gears, or even the PCM. But I'm hoping it all can be easily resolved. Car will be going to the transmission shop during the break, but I'm wanting an idea of what else could be wrong before taking it in. Any opinions would be appreciated.
Car's a 1999 3.8 Camaro with stock A4 Transmission with approx. 79,800 miles.
1. The car's downshifting way too much in Overdrive. It has trouble maintaining the current gear on any uphill slope and shifts down. Now, sure a car's supposed to downshift, but not this often. Granted, I do live in a hilly area (Northwest Arkansas), but this is a more recent development compared to when I first got the car.
2. The car has trouble shifting at times and hesitates. A lot of times on these uphill slopes, upon accelerating, it will try to downshift but hesitates a couple times and will then fully shift. I can feel and hear the transmission when it does this. It sounds like it's downshifting, but the tachometer doesn't drop and it has a higher/louder whine then normal, then it tries again and will drop to the lower gear.
3. This last one is a little more recent, and I only notice it when I drive in D (not Overdrive). When the car is at a lower gear and coasts down the hill it will shift (like it should), but the way it does often catches me offguard. The behavior in its shifting is what's different. The tranny will make no noise while shifting up, but suddenly the car feels like it's being pulled back for a second or two, then it goes on like before only in the next gear. No noise, no normal shift shock, just a feeling of being caught on something for a moment and then going on like beforehand.
I have also considered other possibilities such as the individual gears, or even the PCM. But I'm hoping it all can be easily resolved. Car will be going to the transmission shop during the break, but I'm wanting an idea of what else could be wrong before taking it in. Any opinions would be appreciated.
Car's a 1999 3.8 Camaro with stock A4 Transmission with approx. 79,800 miles.
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