acklac7 Posted June 29, 2004 Report Share Posted June 29, 2004 I was on my way to work this morning and after about 5 minutes on the highway my baby started stuttering... and then the check engine light went on. It stayed in second gear untill turned the ignition off. I went to check the codes and found a p094 history. Started her back up, got onto the road and she was perfect, didnt miss a beat. Got back on the highway and no problems untill I hit 50mph....then the stuttering, check engine light, second gear scenario played out agian. Anyway this seems to be symptomatic of the solenoid problem....got a question though. Is it safe to drive it around the city? I mean I can go out right now and it will shift flawlessly untill I get it to 50..then I run into problems. I plan to replace the solenoids within the next few days but untill then is it safe to drive under 50?....and what exactly is a solenoid anyway?.....thanks A.J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBuckley Posted June 29, 2004 Report Share Posted June 29, 2004 Yes you have a shift solenoid problem, I can not remember which one of the top of my head, try putting the car in 3rd, or regular D and see if it happens, I believe that this is way mine started, I was able to drive for about 6 or 7 months till the other solenoid went, and then I got the PO29 code. I replaced the solenoids myself, I got the solenoid kit from GMpartsdirect.com for about 50.00 including shipping. If you are good with cars I would recommend you do the repair, it is not hard, just messy. Plenty of info on how to in old archives or email me and I will be glad to send you the info I have. I have a 94 STS, it had 112K miles when the solenoids went, and I have ove 3k on it since I repaired it. John John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAUL T Posted June 29, 2004 Report Share Posted June 29, 2004 I had my solenoids replaced at a reputable tranny shop for $75.00 labor, you could expect to pay $100 to 150. Dealer will want $250-300 labor, check around, it takes about 1 to 1-1/2 to change. If you are handy it is not too hard to tackle, just messy. Good Luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acklac7 Posted June 29, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2004 So can I drive it at A. Any speed? B. Below 50 so it wont set off the check engine & go into 2nd, or drive it untill it goes into second then keep it in second (while on the highway etc.) And do I risk ANY damage doing so? A.J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie Hank Posted June 29, 2004 Report Share Posted June 29, 2004 it takes about 1 to 1-1/2 to change. If you are handy it is not too hard to tackle, just messy. Good Luck. I would be hard-pressed to see a first-timer do it in that time,...more like +3 hrs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry94 Posted June 30, 2004 Report Share Posted June 30, 2004 So can I drive it at A. Any speed? B. Below 50 so it wont set off the check engine & go into 2nd, or drive it untill it goes into second then keep it in second (while on the highway etc.) And do I risk ANY damage doing so? You may have missed John's (JBuckley) recommendation. Don't use overdrive. Use 'Drive' ( #3 ). It's when the trans shifts into overdrive that the broken solenoid is a problem. By leaving it in drive, it doesn't use that solenoid. So, you don't get the second gear default. You can use it this way until you get it fixed. My solenoid gave out when I was 150 miles from home. I also discovered that by puting it in drive, then I didn't get the second gear default. I drove home in drive at cruising speed. About 3,000 RPM. I figured the Northstar could handle that. Barry 2008 STS V82016 Colorado Z711970 Corvette LT-1 Coupe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acklac7 Posted June 30, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2004 thanks for the help...and willie I agree...it will take me longer than 1 hour to complete...but I enjoy the work...not to mention I will never take it to a dealer agian....also should I put it in 3 right of the bat or should I shift from "d" to 3 while driving? A.J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry94 Posted June 30, 2004 Report Share Posted June 30, 2004 also should I put it in 3 right of the bat or should I shift from "d" to 3 while driving? Put it in 3 right off the bat. 2008 STS V82016 Colorado Z711970 Corvette LT-1 Coupe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBuckley Posted June 30, 2004 Report Share Posted June 30, 2004 Yes, start out in "D", this will elimanate the solenoid that controls the shift into overdrive. It is a fairly easy fix, just plan on about 4 hours if you have never do this before, pull out your manuals, read up on what you are doing, search the old archives for info and tips, Email me and I will be glad to send you what I did. Good Luck, John John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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