Time to bury the Saturn?! (tranny help)

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Did you paper clip it? 95 Saturns are OBDI and need a particularly fancy scan tool to beat it out of the trans computer module.

If you were closer I'd buy your car for $300 and fix it (the clogged cat) in an evening.
 
I just got back from a local muffler shop. The catco was fine. However, the muffler was not. I had a new muffler installed, along with a new flex pipe (under the engine), as there was an exhaust leak there. Hopefully, that was the culprit causing my transmission issues.

I plan to change the ATF and tranny filter this weekend.
 
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Originally Posted By: reemoe2
I just got back from a local muffler shop. The catco was fine. However, the muffler was not. I had a new muffler installed, along with a new flex pipe (under the engine), as there was an exhaust leak there. Hopefully, that was the culprit causing my transmission issues.

I plan to change the ATF and tranny filter this weekend.


What was the issue with the muffler?
 
I had a 96 Pontiac sunfire with 3 speed auto trans around 150k miles that would not get to third gear in stop and go traffic. I changed the ATF fluid and used maxlife ATF with lubegard red. it fixed the problem. I was dreading a trans replacement. You should try maxlife ATF with lubegard red. you got nothing left to lose.
 
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Originally Posted By: reemoe2
The muffler was clogged. It was the 19-year-old original.


Good to hear the fix was relatively easy and cheap!


Originally Posted By: GSCJR
Wow! 19 years on a muffler? How's it running now?


My wife's old Grand Am (a 1995 w/ a 3.1 V6) still has the original muffler and most of the pipe too, with 288,000 miles. That's living in the salt belt too!
 
Originally Posted By: reemoe2
The muffler was clogged. It was the 19-year-old original.


Probably clogged with disintegrated catalyst.
laugh.gif
 
I'm impressed The_Eric! My original muffler lasted about 6 or 7 years on my SL2. After that it was every 2 years or so with muffler brackets every other year.
 
Originally Posted By: GSCJR
I'm impressed The_Eric! My original muffler lasted about 6 or 7 years on my SL2. After that it was every 2 years or so with muffler brackets every other year.


It helps that she has a 25 mile one way trip down the highway to get the exhaust good and hot to burn the moisture out. As for the muffler hangers- yeah, we've gone through at least 6 of them...



Originally Posted By: Barkleymut
How does a muffler get clogged? I have honestly never heard of this.


The baffles can rust and collapse, restricting the flow.
 
Originally Posted By: GSCJR
I'm impressed The_Eric! My original muffler lasted about 6 or 7 years on my SL2. After that it was every 2 years or so with muffler brackets every other year.

Road salt usually determines how long an exhaust system will last.

Since there is no road salt where I live, some cars are over 25 years old and the OEM exhaust is intact. Other times, the cat may need replacement, but the OEM pipes are in such good shape, that a universal cat can be welded to the existing pipes.
 
I
Originally Posted By: artificialist
Originally Posted By: GSCJR
I'm impressed The_Eric! My original muffler lasted about 6 or 7 years on my SL2. After that it was every 2 years or so with muffler brackets every other year.

Road salt usually determines how long an exhaust system will last.

Since there is no road salt where I live, some cars are over 25 years old and the OEM exhaust is intact. Other times, the cat may need replacement, but the OEM pipes are in such good shape, that a universal cat can be welded to the existing pipes.


One thing I have noticed is you guys have the cleanest tail pipes I have ever seen. European makes included.
 
The cat converter checked out OK. In addition to the muffler, there was a small leak at the flex pipe below the engine, so had them replace that as well. That didn't fix my problem completely, as the tranny slipped going up a hill on the way home.

However, I changed the ATF fluid and filter the next day. Knock on wood, but I'm thinking that it may have done the trick! No slipping on its first test drive, including highway speeds and going up hills.

The test drive was actually to a shop to see read for any transmission codes. They found a code 53, which looks to be a knock sensor. Does anyone have more details on what may need to be done/checked with a code 53?
 
Originally Posted By: reemoe2

The test drive was actually to a shop to see read for any transmission codes. They found a code 53, which looks to be a knock sensor. Does anyone have more details on what may need to be done/checked with a code 53?

To properly test a knock sensor, here is what you would need to properly diagnose:
1. Connect a timing light.
2. Get a hammer.
3. Tap the engine block near the knock sensor.
If the timing changes, the knock sensor is working, if the timing doesn't change, the knock sensor is not working.

I think the sensor is probably failing, but be sure all connections to the sensor is intact.
 
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