Hi everyone, I'm a noobie here!

I need help. I think I may have tranny problems:

I have a 96 Auto (GSX), when on a cold engine (warmed up, but not full operating temp) I get out of Park and put it in reverse or Drive. I press on the gas and it takes a little more pressure on the gas pedel (tach reads almost 2500 rpms) than expected to get the car rolling and it feels as if it is in neutral, then the car starts moving. this scenario doesn't happen when the car is in full operating temp.

Another issue that happens all the time when cold, and gradually goes away until reaching full operating temp (but has to be at full operating temp for a while before disappearing) is when I come up to a stop sign or stop light, I will have to pop my car in neutral from keeping it from stalling out (the Tach drops quickly). When in neutral or park, my car has normal idle, but as soon as I put it in drive or reverse, the tach drops quickly and I almost have to gun it to keep it from stalling, and still it takes 2 seconds or so before the drive or reverse engages after I change gears out of neutral.

All of these symptoms slowly disappear as the car heats up.

Whats going on? And, does anyone know of a good tranny shop in the Chicagoland or Suburb of Chicago area? (I'm thinking about getting the end clutch plates, shift kit, etc. when I get the transmission worked on) I wouldn't mind driving up to 75 miles to get there.

Thanks everyone.

I'm not sure if there is really much wrong with it. If you really want you can do the basic tests and pressure checks. My DD does the same thing, did it last winter and this winter. Once it gets below 10 it gets really bad. Just give it time to warm up.

I did a quick google and its possible this might be happening. I don't know enough about the w4a33 yet. I'm sure IPT would have some ideas also.

From the sounds of it, I'd say there is a definite ground problem with the transmission. There is a valve in 3.1V6 that will allow the transmission to run and shift smoothly even when the engine and transmission are cold. This valve is supposed to open and close depending on whether the engine is warm or not.

In your case, it sounds like that valve is not grounded properly. Therefore, when you first start the engine or when you first turn on the key...the valve is not opening like it should. Then when it's warmed up, or after the key has been on for a minute, the valve (which should have been closed again by now) is still closed because it never opened anyway, and the car will shift and run fine. This valve is sometimes mistaken as the torque converter switch, but it's actually referred to as the cold sensor switch on the L4TE Automatic Transaxle for a '92 3.1V6. You'll simply need to repair the ground wire on the switch. This will allow your vehicle to shift and run like it should.

If this is normal... I think I might have to get a different car!!!!